Blog re-vamp and finding submission windows

 

Photo by Joshua Woroniecki on Unsplash

Yesterday I re-vamped my blog. I do hope you like it. I realised that this was long overdue, and some things weren't working properly. I've fixed that now. However, I know some people have said they find it hard to leave comments. Not sure how to fix that as I think it's more a Blogger problem than mine. I will see if there is a way round that, but I'm not holding my breath. You can still re-blog and send my posts elsewhere!

I have checked all the links and taken out ones that no longer work and changed the theme, added a sub-heading and am pretty pleased with it.

As I said, I want to be more active on my blog. So today, I'm starting by talking about where to find submission windows for your poetry and stories.

Submission windows

I subscribe to Mslexia who list submission windows, as do Writing Magazine. However, I have found that these aren't always up to date. Do check the websites first as sometimes submission windows are only open two or three times a year. Writing Magazine has a lot of US websites listed. Quite a few of those charge a reading fee. I don't mind paying for a competition now and then, but reading fees? Maybe that's why it's mainly US publication that can afford to pay their contributors. I guess it's down to what you can afford and whether you feel it's worth it.

Another good source for finding open submission windows is, I hate to say it, X (formerly twitter). I've had some success in having my work published through several zines I've found there. They are all worth checking out to see if what they publish suits you.

Finally, Robin Houghton's list (see side panel of blog for link) is brilliant. Again, I use it quite a lot.

Do your research with any publication. Often I find they don't want the type of work I write, or are exclusive to certain groups of people. Check word counts, the total amount of submissions you can send, and please, please read all the rules for entry and the format they want them in. Ignoring these things will get your work dismissed straight away. After all the work you put into writing, you can't afford to ignore the rules. Each publication has its own style. Admittedly, some can get a bit picky, but it's their baby, often run by volunteers, so please respect them.

One other thing, please support one or two magazines/zines where you can. Subscriptions keep them running. You can support one for a year and then switch if you want, unless you get hooked by one. My current favourite is Streetcake. It is experimental, which kind of goes against what I write (though I did get one poem in there). It's interesting, different and gives me inspiration to occasionally write outside the box.

Happy submitting!