Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Submit, Submit...Oh, did I say Submit?

If you are like me, well, I mean an undiscovered (brilliant) writer, you slave over your computer day after day pouring out your heart and for what! Well, this is what I wanted to speak to you about today. As writers we tend to fall into valleys were we say to ourselves: this is not ready to be seen, it's not good enough, or I can't take another rejection. I'm here to tell you no one is going to show up at your front door and ask to see your little short story about your grandmother or publish that poem that took you three months to write, so SUBMIT IT!

I know it is hard to take that first step, to put yourself out there, but if you don't, no one is going to know your brilliance. No one is going to see all your hard work. Isn't that what we are going through all this for? But I can relate. I still find myself falling into those sink holes that suck me in. I receive refusal after refusal, and I start to think, "I'm just not good enough." But, if we want to be writers someday, we can't give in to these temptations. We have to keep trudging on. We have to get our work out there.

I have found a few sites that I wanted to share with you that help keep me motivated. The first and foremost is www.duotrope.com. This site is amazing. Unfortunately, they do charge a monthly fee, but it is a small one and it is so worth it. Here you will have access to journals that are currently seeking our work. This site will tell you if they are currently open or closed to submissions. Duotrope tells you if it is a paying or non-paying market. It gives you sites that are looking for themed submissions. I have had most of my success with this site. I just go through and review what each different literary journal is looking for, and if I feel that I have a piece that meets their requirements, I submit it. I am not saying that it is easy. You will still be getting those rejection letters, but at least you are putting yourself out there. Wear those rejection letters with pride. Duotrope answers most of the questions you have about each different literary journal, so you'll have to check it out on your own. I could list all their benefits, but we would be here all day.

Other sites that are helpful when looking to submit (and these are just a few), www.writersdigest.com, where you will find various contests, but they are usually all connected to Writers Digest, but they also offer a lot of other good information for writers. There is also
 Poets & Writers, which is also an amazing source when looking for various journals to submit to.  You can find them at www.pw.org. Last, but not least, www.thereviewreview.net is a contest website that lists various contests where you can submit your work. And these are just a few, so remember, "Submit!"

Please let me know if you have any success at any of the above sites. I would love to hear your stories. Do you have other sites that have helped you? Let us know.

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