Preparing Your Manuscript for Submission
All right, you need experience and trial and error to discover how to get your work published. Luckily, "Humdinger" Literary E-zine educates its writers about how to properly do things. Here are some ground rules:
1. Send a query letter
"Humdinger" currently requests submissions, but not all publications do. In fact, they often request a Query Letter, a one page or so letter that introduces you and the subject for consideration. This is in the event that the publication is swamped with possible submissions and doesn't have time to read everything submitted.
2. Introduce yourself
In a few sentences, let the editor know something about you. I most enjoy interesting details, such as they are a college student who hates his/her major or they work part-time with a rock band, etc. Something weird or unusual often gets my attention. Experiment with introductions, because you'll likely be addressing all kinds of people.
3. Proofread your work
Spelling errors and mistakes seriously detract from your work. If you have Word, the program indicates these errors with red and green. A well-known way to spell-check your work is to read the manuscript backwards!
4. Read your work aloud
This helps ensure your work will sound alright to another person. Often the last read-through I do will filter out two typos or small mistakes that would have otherwise kept my manuscript from looking its best.
5. Submit a reasonable amount of material
One time, I opened an e-mail and kept scrolling down over an endless stream of poems. Boy, it didn't take long to close that e-mail!
Don't overwhelm busy editors with more than they ask for or are prepared to handle from one author. I have people sending me books of poetry and tons of short stories. It would be great if I had no other submissions, but . . . just pick your best story or poems and submit those.
By following these rules, editors will be more inclined to read your manuscript, which is one step closer to publication!
Pen to Paper~
Chris Goebel
Editor, Humdinger Literary E-zine
http://www.humdingerzine.com
Subscribe to Chris Goebel's newsletter, Jack of Genre: Newsletter for Writers, at:
http://user98512.websitewizard.com/Jack-of-Genre.html
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