FIVE TIPS TO GET PUBLISHED – ASAP!
By Beth Ann Erickson, FilbertPublishing.com
There are hundreds of variables that can determine how quickly you’ll get published. The economy and financial condition of a publication can determine how many freelance articles they purchase. Maybe you can hit an editor on a bad day and he/she hates everything he/she reads, even your manuscript.
As you can see, many of these variables are out of your control.
That’s the bad news. But here’s the good news. There are variables you control, and how you treat these variables will have a direct influence on how often you get published.
Here are five basic tips you can use on a daily basis that will enhance your chances of hitting pay dirt. Here they are:
- Learn everything you can about your craft.
Attend classes. Read writing books. Subscribe to e-mags that will help your career. Just like a carpenter who must purchase tools so he can practice his craft, you must invest in the tools that will make you a better writer than your competition.
- Read everything you can get your hands on.
Read fiction, nonfiction, direct mail, read everything you can find. When you become a voracious reader, you become a better writer. There are no short cuts. So turn off the television. Crack open a book. And have a ball.
- Target the publications you want to write for – then become familiar with them.
Subscribe to the magazines you want to write for. Purchase books in your genre. Get on GOOD direct mail mailing lists. If you’re short on cash, visit your library on a regular basis and read books and magazines there.
When you’re paging through your target magazines or books from a publisher you’re planning on contacting, try to visualize their ideal reader. Then as you write, write directly to that reader. An editor who knows you’ve taken the time to research their company will be FAR more willing to give your manuscript a read-through.
- Read EVERYTHING you send out aloud.
You’ll catch typos, grammos, and generally dumb sentences when you read EVERYTHING you write aloud. I read The Almach aloud at least three times. Jumpstart went through the same process. Reading your manuscripts aloud will not guarantee that they’ll be perfect, but you’ll discover that your writing is much easier to read after this exercise. It takes time but it’s worth it. Just purchase some throat lozenges (I use Jolly Ranchers) and get going.
- Never give up, never give up, never give up.
Write on a daily basis. It’s easy to get discouraged when a rejection letter flows in. But having a number of queries floating around in cyberspace keeps that little flame of hope burning bright. I’m thoroughly convinced that the only way we can fail as writers is if we give up. As long as you don’t give up, you’ll definitely be published. Eventually.
If these tips sound like a lot of work, they are. But the work you put into honing your writing and researching your target publications will be reflected in the number of acceptance letters you receive.
These simple tips will make your writing absolutely sparkle when the editor reads your words. You’ll outshine your competition. And when you outshine your competition, you’ve just enhanced your chances of getting published.
Beth Ann Erickson is the publisher of Writing Etc., the free e-mag for serious writers. Make Your Writing Sparkle. Write Killer Queries. Get Published. Subscribe to Writing Etc., the FREE e-mag for writers. Receive the e-booklet "Power Queries" when you subscribe. You'll also receive special access into our article vault... but only if you subscribe now. http://FilbertPublishing.com
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