How to Hypnotize an Editor-6 Tips for Getting Published
Getting published is not the easiest feat, and it helps to wiggle your fingers, empower your words and send an editor into a literary trance.
Not easy, but doable.
Continue reading to learn how...
1.
Woo with originality:There's nothing new under the sun--or so the old saying goes.
But, there's always a fresh slant to a worn topic.
Find ways of tapping into your "otherness" and pouring that into your writing.
"Girl meets boy" was the underlying subject of author Jessica Brody's short story "Hu-Man Resources," but the subject did not stop there.
Imagine a group of men-deprived girls plotting a scheme to use their positions in personnel as a dating service.
Now that's a story!And a hilarious one at that.
2.
Seduce with your opening:There's nothing wrong with a tease.
Captain Ahab was neither my first husband nor my last--the opening sentence of the best-selling novel Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund--bewitches readers.
Hummm...
we all know the memorable character of Moby Dick and wonder what shenanigans lies within his home front.
And the bit about multiple husbands before and after Ahab entices...
3.
Befriend the spell/grammar check:Nothing is a larger turn-off than seeing a writer's work riddled with errors.
Remember, an editor's interview with a writer isn't with the writer herself but with her writing.
Make sure you flaunt quality writing.
One of my favorite resources for a spell check/thesaurus is dictionary.
com.
General use is free, but you can also upgrade to premium service which provides ad-free use, audio word pronunciations, word games, and more.
4.
Incite gossip:Ms.
Missy next door may give you something to talk about, but you want to prattle on about your work.
The internet is a great resource for getting talk and feedback about your writing.
Don't under estimate internet "gossip"!!!Author Karen P.
Fowler knows the power of internet gossip well.
In her article, "Workshopping Your Fiction," (http://writingfiction.
suite101.
com/article.
cfm/workshopping_your_fiction) she describes her experience in using peer review websites.
Another great thing about internet gossip, is that word spreads fast.
If your work is good, gabby mouths flap.
Let them! 5.
Read great works:The literary canon is great for example and inspiration, but don't forget other great works (and the ones that'll help you get published) such as writer's guidelines and works published already with the editor.
If writer's want to know what I like to see, I say please read a few of the work we've already published.
I get tons of submissions where it's obvious that the writer didn't bother doing her homework.
It is worth the time and effort to read a publication's submissions policy and frequently asked questions (FAQs).
Nothing creates a worse impression than when a writer asks a question that has already been answered in the guidelines or FAQs.
Do diligence, as with job interviews, is just as important when you want to sell your work.
6.
Flattery...
will get you everywhere:Delivering roses isn't necessary, but a kind (and sincere) word about the publication would not hurt.
Caroline See in her book, Making a Literary Life talks about "charming notes" to editors, as a means to getting "face time" (a book, by the way which is a must read for writers).
Editors receive hundreds of submissions from virtual strangers wanting to be featured in their publication.
A nice note to the editor could help in the long run and perhaps establish a rapport.
You'd be a familiar name in a sea of submissions.
Not easy, but doable.
Continue reading to learn how...
1.
Woo with originality:There's nothing new under the sun--or so the old saying goes.
But, there's always a fresh slant to a worn topic.
Find ways of tapping into your "otherness" and pouring that into your writing.
"Girl meets boy" was the underlying subject of author Jessica Brody's short story "Hu-Man Resources," but the subject did not stop there.
Imagine a group of men-deprived girls plotting a scheme to use their positions in personnel as a dating service.
Now that's a story!And a hilarious one at that.
2.
Seduce with your opening:There's nothing wrong with a tease.
Captain Ahab was neither my first husband nor my last--the opening sentence of the best-selling novel Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund--bewitches readers.
Hummm...
we all know the memorable character of Moby Dick and wonder what shenanigans lies within his home front.
And the bit about multiple husbands before and after Ahab entices...
3.
Befriend the spell/grammar check:Nothing is a larger turn-off than seeing a writer's work riddled with errors.
Remember, an editor's interview with a writer isn't with the writer herself but with her writing.
Make sure you flaunt quality writing.
One of my favorite resources for a spell check/thesaurus is dictionary.
com.
General use is free, but you can also upgrade to premium service which provides ad-free use, audio word pronunciations, word games, and more.
4.
Incite gossip:Ms.
Missy next door may give you something to talk about, but you want to prattle on about your work.
The internet is a great resource for getting talk and feedback about your writing.
Don't under estimate internet "gossip"!!!Author Karen P.
Fowler knows the power of internet gossip well.
In her article, "Workshopping Your Fiction," (http://writingfiction.
suite101.
com/article.
cfm/workshopping_your_fiction) she describes her experience in using peer review websites.
Another great thing about internet gossip, is that word spreads fast.
If your work is good, gabby mouths flap.
Let them! 5.
Read great works:The literary canon is great for example and inspiration, but don't forget other great works (and the ones that'll help you get published) such as writer's guidelines and works published already with the editor.
If writer's want to know what I like to see, I say please read a few of the work we've already published.
I get tons of submissions where it's obvious that the writer didn't bother doing her homework.
It is worth the time and effort to read a publication's submissions policy and frequently asked questions (FAQs).
Nothing creates a worse impression than when a writer asks a question that has already been answered in the guidelines or FAQs.
Do diligence, as with job interviews, is just as important when you want to sell your work.
6.
Flattery...
will get you everywhere:Delivering roses isn't necessary, but a kind (and sincere) word about the publication would not hurt.
Caroline See in her book, Making a Literary Life talks about "charming notes" to editors, as a means to getting "face time" (a book, by the way which is a must read for writers).
Editors receive hundreds of submissions from virtual strangers wanting to be featured in their publication.
A nice note to the editor could help in the long run and perhaps establish a rapport.
You'd be a familiar name in a sea of submissions.
