GET PUBLISHED - GET PAID
Prior to the digital age, other than paying to self-publish, there was just one route to becoming a published author. That road is still open: a manuscript is submitted to an editor (or agent or publishing house) for consideration. It is wise to ascertain the prospective buyer's preferred method of receiving submissions i.e. a hard copy by post or via e-mail. It is usual to include a brief covering letter. Today most publications are happy to receive digital submissions but you need to know whether or not they prefer an e-mail attachment or text in the body of the e-mail. These facts are usually mentioned in their guidelines.
Before you do the hard work you could pitch an idea to an editor. Here's how: firstly, introduce the story idea and define the angle. Explain what you want to write about and explain your point of view and argument. Explain why your piece timely, important, different and/or of interest to the particular audience and readers of the publication you are approaching. Follow the same plan should you wish to pitch an idea for a factual article. Again, consult the guidelines to see how a particular magazine/publishing house operates.
The Writers' & Artists' Yearbook is a mine of information about manuscript presentation, copyright, who publishes what. It lists publications, magazines, agents, editors etc. There is also an edition aimed at authors who write for children. There are many other worthy books on the subject of getting published but these are ones I've used. You may find a copy in the library, maybe not a current one as they are updated annually.
Be as professional and business-like as you possibly can. Your work must be edited, grammatically perfect, well presented, i.e. very well polished indeed. DON'T flower your work with exclamation marks - editors hate them. They are intended for exclamations: Help! Stop thief! They are not to be used for highlighting a punch line - emphasizing a point - or to make your words sound wonderful. This advice was given to us by Peter Rhodes, Express & Star journalist.
If you plan to submit to a particular publication e.g. a magazine, whether it be a factual article, or a short story, study several issues of your chosen target market. You need to ascertain the house style, the type of articles / stories that are included. Pay attention to word count, voice, and genre. It's essential that you know the, age bracket, socioeconomic position of the readership as the editor's aim is to publish items of interest to the readers. Even the advertisements he/she includes will be chosen to suit a specific readership.
Visit the magazine's website to get their guidelines. Writers' & Artists' Yearbook will give the website address but it's just as easy to find via a Google search- it will also be stated in the magazine - look through the small print, the bits you don't usually read.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
A useful website: https://womagwriter.blogspot.com/ this website is concerned with writing for women's magazines - scroll down a tad and on the right of your screen you'll find a list of publications - a quick click will take you to their guidelines. A site worth further exploration.
Become an expert "Googler" - there's a wealth of info on the World Wide Web. Bear in mind that you can also submit to other English speaking countries - e.g. Australia, USA.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
NEW WRITERS: beginners usually think 'short stories'. It is a limited market, but once you've sold a story to a publication they are likely to give due consideration to anything else you submit.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
ARTICLES: consider factual articles. Do you have a particular expertise? There are trade magazines as well as magazines dedicated to particular hobbies and they all need to fill their pages every month. The range of subject matter is vast and diverse - have a look through the mag rack in a large newsagent - you'll find ones you've never heard of. Remember, they all need to fill their pages.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
FILLERS & LETTERS: some publication welcome very short pieces which are used to fill a gap in a page layout - it may be a one paragraph block. Such little pieces are known in the trade as "fillers". Look at a variety of publication to see if they use such items - an idea piece should be topical, pertinent to the publication, of interest to their readers. You might be successful and the confidence boost will spur you on to greater things. There is no shame in writing letters to magazines. Respond to an earlier article, follow the trend of letters you see published in your chosen publication. Some editors offer a substantial prize for the 'Star Letter'. Some offer extra money if you include a photograph. Look at the mags you wouldn't usually read - some pay for recipes, family stories, strange happenings, poems... do the research to find a market.
The bottom line is if you wish to be a published and paid author you have to write what an editor wishes to pay for and print. You are selling a commodity and the omnipotent editor calls the tune.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
WRITING COMPETITIONS: Try your luck. Google writing competitions UK - you'll be stuck for choice. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
BROADEN YOUR HORIZONS: writing markets proliferate... to name but a few...
Greetings Cards Comic Books Graphic Novels Radio
Radio scripts TV scripts Film scripts Playwriting
Copywriting Technical writing Freelance journalism
Blogging (personal) (unpaid unless you agree to publish adverts)
Blogging (community journalism) (unpaid unless you agree to publish adverts)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/
https://www.bloggingbasics101.com/how-can-i-make-money-from-my-blog/
(I did an online mini course in Community Journalism (via Cardiff University). These courses are free and offered by top universities around the country. Visit https://www.futurelearn.com/
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
NOVELISTS: face a "chicken / egg" situation. Ideally you need an agent to hawk your masterpiece round the publishing houses. It's said that an agent is reluctant to take on a newbie, and you can't get a publisher unless you have an agent. BUT good writers DO succeed. I believe their success comes from faith in themselves, patience, stoicism, and a dash of bloody-mindedness. The Harry Potter books were rejected. Cider with Rosie was rejected 30 times. It's a matter of persistence and hard work to make your writing of such a standard it out in the crowd. Before embarking on your novel you can send a synopsis to whet the appetite of a possible publisher. A synopsis must be written in a specific way. (Research) The same comments apply to TV, Film and Stage Scripts.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
MAGAZINES FOR WRITERS: give advice, and list publications looking for submissions. They also run regular writing competitions and give insight to the goings on in the publishing world.
Writing Magazine www.writers-online.co.uk available monthly in large newsagents or by subscription
Writers' Forum available monthly in large newsagents or by subscription
Mslexia https://mslexia.co.uk/ a literary magazine aimed at women - by subscription only
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
You will find there are many websites to which you can submit work - (paid and unpaid) - just think, your wonderful words will be drifting round cyberspace in perpetuity. Many don't give payment but you can enjoy a moment of "fame" when a passing cyber-surfer pops in to read your precious prose. I've been drifting in the ether since 2006 at http://www.synergise.com/tales/tale1047-europe-france-paris.php
Staffordshire born Samuel Johnson, the famous lexicographer, said: "No man but a blockhead ever wrote, except for money."
FINAL NOTE: in this digital age there are other routes to publication the main one being self-publishing, print-on-demand schemes, upload to Amazon etc. etc. A whole new ball game for you to explore.
Betty Taylor / Codsall Writers' Group
Prior to the digital age, other than paying to self-publish, there was just one route to becoming a published author. That road is still open: a manuscript is submitted to an editor (or agent or publishing house) for consideration. It is wise to ascertain the prospective buyer's preferred method of receiving submissions i.e. a hard copy by post or via e-mail. It is usual to include a brief covering letter. Today most publications are happy to receive digital submissions but you need to know whether or not they prefer an e-mail attachment or text in the body of the e-mail. These facts are usually mentioned in their guidelines.
Before you do the hard work you could pitch an idea to an editor. Here's how: firstly, introduce the story idea and define the angle. Explain what you want to write about and explain your point of view and argument. Explain why your piece timely, important, different and/or of interest to the particular audience and readers of the publication you are approaching. Follow the same plan should you wish to pitch an idea for a factual article. Again, consult the guidelines to see how a particular magazine/publishing house operates.
The Writers' & Artists' Yearbook is a mine of information about manuscript presentation, copyright, who publishes what. It lists publications, magazines, agents, editors etc. There is also an edition aimed at authors who write for children. There are many other worthy books on the subject of getting published but these are ones I've used. You may find a copy in the library, maybe not a current one as they are updated annually.
Be as professional and business-like as you possibly can. Your work must be edited, grammatically perfect, well presented, i.e. very well polished indeed. DON'T flower your work with exclamation marks - editors hate them. They are intended for exclamations: Help! Stop thief! They are not to be used for highlighting a punch line - emphasizing a point - or to make your words sound wonderful. This advice was given to us by Peter Rhodes, Express & Star journalist.
If you plan to submit to a particular publication e.g. a magazine, whether it be a factual article, or a short story, study several issues of your chosen target market. You need to ascertain the house style, the type of articles / stories that are included. Pay attention to word count, voice, and genre. It's essential that you know the, age bracket, socioeconomic position of the readership as the editor's aim is to publish items of interest to the readers. Even the advertisements he/she includes will be chosen to suit a specific readership.
Visit the magazine's website to get their guidelines. Writers' & Artists' Yearbook will give the website address but it's just as easy to find via a Google search- it will also be stated in the magazine - look through the small print, the bits you don't usually read.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
A useful website: https://womagwriter.blogspot.com/ this website is concerned with writing for women's magazines - scroll down a tad and on the right of your screen you'll find a list of publications - a quick click will take you to their guidelines. A site worth further exploration.
Become an expert "Googler" - there's a wealth of info on the World Wide Web. Bear in mind that you can also submit to other English speaking countries - e.g. Australia, USA.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
NEW WRITERS: beginners usually think 'short stories'. It is a limited market, but once you've sold a story to a publication they are likely to give due consideration to anything else you submit.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
ARTICLES: consider factual articles. Do you have a particular expertise? There are trade magazines as well as magazines dedicated to particular hobbies and they all need to fill their pages every month. The range of subject matter is vast and diverse - have a look through the mag rack in a large newsagent - you'll find ones you've never heard of. Remember, they all need to fill their pages.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
FILLERS & LETTERS: some publication welcome very short pieces which are used to fill a gap in a page layout - it may be a one paragraph block. Such little pieces are known in the trade as "fillers". Look at a variety of publication to see if they use such items - an idea piece should be topical, pertinent to the publication, of interest to their readers. You might be successful and the confidence boost will spur you on to greater things. There is no shame in writing letters to magazines. Respond to an earlier article, follow the trend of letters you see published in your chosen publication. Some editors offer a substantial prize for the 'Star Letter'. Some offer extra money if you include a photograph. Look at the mags you wouldn't usually read - some pay for recipes, family stories, strange happenings, poems... do the research to find a market.
The bottom line is if you wish to be a published and paid author you have to write what an editor wishes to pay for and print. You are selling a commodity and the omnipotent editor calls the tune.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
WRITING COMPETITIONS: Try your luck. Google writing competitions UK - you'll be stuck for choice. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
BROADEN YOUR HORIZONS: writing markets proliferate... to name but a few...
Greetings Cards Comic Books Graphic Novels Radio
Radio scripts TV scripts Film scripts Playwriting
Copywriting Technical writing Freelance journalism
Blogging (personal) (unpaid unless you agree to publish adverts)
Blogging (community journalism) (unpaid unless you agree to publish adverts)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/
https://www.bloggingbasics101.com/how-can-i-make-money-from-my-blog/
(I did an online mini course in Community Journalism (via Cardiff University). These courses are free and offered by top universities around the country. Visit https://www.futurelearn.com/
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
NOVELISTS: face a "chicken / egg" situation. Ideally you need an agent to hawk your masterpiece round the publishing houses. It's said that an agent is reluctant to take on a newbie, and you can't get a publisher unless you have an agent. BUT good writers DO succeed. I believe their success comes from faith in themselves, patience, stoicism, and a dash of bloody-mindedness. The Harry Potter books were rejected. Cider with Rosie was rejected 30 times. It's a matter of persistence and hard work to make your writing of such a standard it out in the crowd. Before embarking on your novel you can send a synopsis to whet the appetite of a possible publisher. A synopsis must be written in a specific way. (Research) The same comments apply to TV, Film and Stage Scripts.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
MAGAZINES FOR WRITERS: give advice, and list publications looking for submissions. They also run regular writing competitions and give insight to the goings on in the publishing world.
Writing Magazine www.writers-online.co.uk available monthly in large newsagents or by subscription
Writers' Forum available monthly in large newsagents or by subscription
Mslexia https://mslexia.co.uk/ a literary magazine aimed at women - by subscription only
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
You will find there are many websites to which you can submit work - (paid and unpaid) - just think, your wonderful words will be drifting round cyberspace in perpetuity. Many don't give payment but you can enjoy a moment of "fame" when a passing cyber-surfer pops in to read your precious prose. I've been drifting in the ether since 2006 at http://www.synergise.com/tales/tale1047-europe-france-paris.php
Staffordshire born Samuel Johnson, the famous lexicographer, said: "No man but a blockhead ever wrote, except for money."
FINAL NOTE: in this digital age there are other routes to publication the main one being self-publishing, print-on-demand schemes, upload to Amazon etc. etc. A whole new ball game for you to explore.
Betty Taylor / Codsall Writers' Group