Writing & Selling Short Stories & Personal Essays

by Windy Lynn Harris

  —ELIZABETH PETTIE

  Visit AWP

  Another great way to make connections in the world of short creative writing is to attend the annual AWP Conference & Bookfair. AWP is the Association of Writers & Writing Programs, a literary body that provides support, advocacy, resources, and community to nearly 50,000 writers across the United States. The AWP conference is the place to meet journal editors in person. It’s the best conference for anyone writing short stories and essays because it is the only conference in the country that features literary magazines and small presses in a big way.

  The AWP Bookfair features more than eight-hundred exhibitors, making it the largest marketplace in the country for independent literary presses and journals. Magazines that you’ve heard of and researched will have a booth there. Visit the magazines you’d like to submit work to, and introduce yourself to the editors. Buy a few copies of their latest issues. Take the time to meet new magazines, too. Ask them what they’re looking for in submissions. Shake hands, trade business cards, and most importantly, be yourself. These are your colleagues, people whom you’ll want to know for years to come. If you have landed bylines, make a point to visit those magazines that have published you and say, “Thank you!”

  With more than 12,000 writers and editors in attendance each year, networking at AWP couldn’t be easier. There are panel discussions, readings, presentations, and craft lectures, with journal- and press-sponsored after-parties each night. You’ll find terrific connections in the lobby, in the elevator, and waiting in line for the bathroom.

  The AWP conference venue changes annually. The next one might be in your area of the country. If you can’t attend the conference in person, follow AWP on social media. They’ll post information about upcoming events and lots of great moments from the current conference. Visit www.awpwriter.org for more information.

  “Writing is lonely. Solitary. It’s all in your head. I don’t know if I could maintain a writing life if I didn’t have others, both in real life and on Twitter, with whom I can ask advice and share my successes and failures. Who else would empathize with me when I gripe that the Harvard Review has let my submission languish in their slush pile for 594 days? Who else will shout ‘You go, girl!’ when my essay that has been rejected over seventy times finally (hopefully) finds a home?”

  —SUSAN LERNER

  Go Behind the Scenes

  If you’d like to work side-by-side with editors, consider volunteering as a reader for a literary journal. Many are looking for help sorting through their slush pile. Assisting in the selection of submitted work helps you understand what the magazine is looking for, and it gives you a clear view of how publishable contemporary literature reads. You’ll gain an inside track to getting published there. It’s enjoyable work, even though a lot of it involves saying “no” to people. When you find standout work and vote for it to be published, it’s a terrific feeling.

  You might hear about volunteer opportunities at the magazine’s website, but an even easier way to find a magazine open to volunteer positions is to search the journals being published in your state. Send the editor a note saying that you’re a local writer looking to learn more about the business. If he doesn’t have an opportunity for you, at least you’ve made a personal connection with an editor whom you can mention by name when you submit your writing to his magazine.

  Connect by Having a Blog

  There was a time when having a blog felt like a mandatory requirement for writers. Blogs were going to be the new “in” to getting your work noticed. As a result, nearly every writer I knew started a blog. I did, too. Many have stuck with it for nearly a decade. The results for getting work noticed have varied, but all writers will agree that blogs turned out to be a great way to connect with other people writing short fiction and essays. Blogging isn’t for everyone and isn’t guaranteed to help you find publishing success, but if you’re interested in investing time into a blog project, you’ll have another great networking avenue in your life.

  Blogging 101: An Interview with Rudri Bhatt Patel

  Rudri Bhatt Patel is a lawyer turned freelance writer, essayist, and editor. She’s also the cofounder and co-editor of The Sunlight Press. Her popular site, “Being Rudri,” has many regular followers. Rudri is published often with bylines in The Washington Post, Brain, Child, Literary Mama, and ESPN, to name just a few. She credits her blog as the catalyst for her success. I sat down with Rudri to find out how she got the project started. Here’s what she had to say.

  WINDY: When did you start your Being Rudri blog, and why did you jump in?

  RUDRI: I started Being Rudri in October 2009 as a way to cope with the loss of my father after he fought his four-and-a-half-year battle with cancer. Writing has saved me in a way that I find difficult to explain—I thank my blog for facilitating my journey. My mantra is to negotiate the pendulum between joy and sorrow and to seek contentment. I find my way by writing about this dicey terrain and learning to try to live with uncertainty. Other than my musings on my blog, I write essays and am currently working on a memoir about the Hindu culture and grief and how it provides perspective on life’s ordinary graces.

  WINDY: What connections have you made by running a blog? Has this ever led to a publishing opportunity?

  RUDRI: I’ve made a tremendous amount of connections with other writers by blogging. Conversations with other writers and exploring online resources have provided me with ongoing confidence to continue to blog and pursue other writing projects. Online publications have looked at my body of work and asked me to write for them, and consequently, many of my paying and nonpaying writing leads were born out of my blog.

  WINDY: How can a writer start his own blog today?

  RUDRI: Starting a basic blog is easy. These three steps will help you secure a blog:

  1. Find a host. There are several places to choose from, but I recommend Blue Host or Go Daddy as potential hosting sites.

  2. Secure a domain name. What do you want to call your blog? A domain name is the web address people will type in to access your blog. If you are a writer, I suggest using your full name for your web address.

  3. Install WordPress. WordPress is the structure for your blog where you can design your home page, “About Me” page, as well as compose your blog posts.

  If you want more thorough instructions, a simple Google search will yield several helpful resources to help you start a blog

  WINDY: What should a writer have ready before she begins?

  RUDRI: There are several blogs on the web. I’d encourage writers to devise mission statements for their blogs. If you are working on a longer project, do you want your blog to promote that work? Do you want to write about life, writing, reading, or crafts? I recommend narrowing your focus to three interests so you can decide what you want your blog to say about you. Brainstorm before jumping into blog … posts.

  Second, writers should devise an “About Me” page to explain why they are blogging and to provide the reader with some background on who they are and what visitors can expect out of the blog. The “About Me” page is usually the second most visited, following the home page.

  Third, I’d plan ahead for at least three to five entries to provide a running start for your blog. To keep the momentum going, devise an editorial calendar to plot out your blog posts for every month.

  WINDY: What are the dos and don’ts for a writer running a blog?

  RUDRI: Your blog is what you decide to make of it. There aren’t any rules per se, but if you want to gain confidence and a following, here are a few pointers:

  1. Blog consistently.

  2. Always focus on writing good content.

  3. Make posts about the universal—readers don’t want to hear ramblings that sound like a diary entry.

  4. Interact with your commenters, and respond to all comments to build a following.

  5. Promote your blog on social media.

  6. Focus on the writing, not the numbers; this is a process,
and blogging is ultimately about improving writing and practicing mindfulness about the practice.

  WINDY: How do you get followers?

  RUDRI: You build followers through writing good content. People like stories where writers are vulnerable and willing to be authentic. Once readers start frequenting your blog, make certain that you connect with them by answering questions and responding to comments. In addition, building a following requires interacting on social media. I’d recommend Facebook and Twitter as … starting point[s]. Each writer and blogger has to find the right balance between generating good content and building a following for their work.

  WINDY: Is the material you post on your blog considered published?

  RUDRI: Most traditional publishing outlets consider pieces on blogs as previously published. With that said, some will consider previously published work for their site. When in doubt, ask or look at the submission guidelines.

  WINDY: Can you repost other people’s blog posts?

  RUDRI: You can repost or cite other people’s blog posts as long as you give them credit. Most bloggers might quote a line or two but typically don’t repost another blog piece in its entirety on their site.

  WINDY: What kinds of topics work best?

  RUDRI: Generally, the best topics are the ones [with] which a writer feels a particular kinship. If you don’t have a particular affinity for a subject, readers are smart and will pick up on your lack of interest. I’d recommend making a list of topics that interest you and determining their appeal to you and your readers. Universal themes tend to do well in most blogs. Always, though, if the writing is stellar, people will read your work.

  WINDY: How often should writers post a new entry? And how long should it be?

  RUDRI: For a beginner blog, statistics show that posting three times a week is an ideal schedule. It gives a fair amount of consistency and expectation for the reader. Whatever blogging schedule you choose, make it a routine. To maintain any kind of momentum on a blog, you cannot post pieces erratically. You can build more freedom in your schedule once you get some traction and a devoted following.

  BE TENACIOUS

  Continue to study your craft year after year. Stay hungry for stronger skills and braver words. Challenge yourself to finish your pieces, and then edit them thoroughly. Share them with other writers and mentors. Accept feedback. Keep working. Polish again.

  “To me, the main quality for finding success as a writer is tenacity. Not brilliance, not connections, not buckets of available time—though all those things would certainly be nice. But nope, the main quality is tenacity: You must have it to return to the page day after day, year after year. You need it to hone and shape. You certainly need it to ‘kill your darlings’ and create a story that is as strong as you can build it. But all of that occurs in the comfort of your own world or perhaps with a few close friends. Be tenacious. Keep writing. Art belongs in the world.”

  —JENNIFER KIRCHER CARR

  I want you to get published, but it’s up to you from here. Joan, Samantha, Hershel, and I (and thousands of other writers out there) are working on short stories and essays this week. We’ll be editing and polishing and rewriting our work until it’s ready. We’ll be finding potential markets and tidying up our pages. We’ll be sucking in our breath and sending out our work, hoping to hear good things. We’ll be cheering each other on and lifting each other up, learning together and growing in our craft. You can be part of all this, too. I invite you to join the fun.

  APPENDIX: THE STEP-BY-STEP SUBMISSION PLAN

  STEP ONE: CATEGORIZE YOUR WORK

  Short Story Categorization

  What is your word count? Remember: Word count for short writing means the words on the page without the title or byline.

  Based on the word count, is this story microfiction? Flash fiction? Or is it best described as a short story?

  Is this a genre or literary short story? If it’s a genre story, what genre is it?

  What subcategories can you identify? Ex: historical, humor, romance, LGBTQ, religious

  What topics can you identify in this story? List as many as you can. Ex: marriage, grief, dog shelters, antique cars, restaurants, the environment.

  Personal Essay Categorization

  What is your word count? Remember: Essay word count only reflects the body of your essay. Don’t count your title or subtitle.

  Which main category of essay did you write? Literary, reported, or “other”?

  Is this essay a piece of creative nonfiction?

  What subcategories can you identify in your piece? Did you write a narrative essay? A travel essay? Political? Parenting?

  Finally, what topics does your essay contain? Identify as many as you can. Ex: mental illness, sailing, safety, seasons, history, sports.

  STEP TWO: FIND POTENTIAL MARKETS

  Begin your market research by opening the pages of Writer’s Market or going online to Duotrope, The Review Review, or Poets & Writers. Read a magazine’s writers’ guidelines thoroughly, and refer to your category list to make a sincere match. Keep working until you have five viable options.

  STEP THREE: WRITE A COVER LETTER

  Write a great cover letter to a specific editor for a specific reason. Remember to say:

  “Hello”

  “Here’s What I’m Sending You”

  “Here’s Who I Am”

  “Thank You”

  Use this example as a guide:

  Dear Mr. Bailey:

  I’m submitting my 100-word flash-fiction story, “Everyone Says So,” for your consideration. I am sending you this story because I read in the writers’ guidelines that you’re looking for writing that bridges the gap between dream and reality.

  My work has been published in The Literary Review, 34thParallel, and Poor Mojo’s Almanac(k), among many other journals.

  Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you.

  Sincerely,

  Fabulous Writer

  STEP FOUR: FORMAT YOUR MANUSCRIPT

  Print your manuscript on 81⁄2" x 11" white paper (use only one side of the paper).

  Use 1 to 1-1⁄2" margins all around.

  Use twelve-point standard typeface: Times New Roman or Courier (no fancy script).

  Do not use end-of-the-line hyphenated words or justified right margins.

  Double-space the entire manuscript.

  Indent paragraphs five spaces (this is the preset on your “tab” button).

  Do not use additional spacing between paragraphs. Next, add identifying information, your byline, and the header:

  Type your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address in the upper-left corner, single-spaced. In the upper-right corner, type the word count. You can round the word count up to the nearest hundred or the nearest ten in short pieces if you’d like. If you’re writing under a pen name, place your real name (the person you want the check made out to) in the tonoindent corner on the first page. Use your pen name as your byline underneath the title. It’s always a good idea to mention in your cover letter that you use a pen name.

  Drop down about halfway on the first page, and center your title. Your byline goes beneath it. These are double-spaced.

  On page two (and subsequent pages), add a header that includes your title and last name.

  Be sure to double-check your page numbers and headers. They need to be in the same font as the rest of your manuscript.

  STEP FIVE: SUBMIT LIKE A PRO!

  When you’re ready to take the last step, reread the magazine’s writers’ guidelines for instructions, and follow them exactly. Watch for the words “simultaneous submissions” and “multiple submissions.” If the magazine accepts simultaneous submissions, you can send the same piece to several magazines at the same time. If the magazine accepts multiple submissions, you can send the magazine more than one of your pieces at the time of submission. Stay organized by recording your submission in a tracker of some kind. Be brave; you’re a professional writer. Tak
e a deep breath, and send in that work!

  Snail Mail Submission

  Paperclip the pages of your manuscript together. Never use staples (editors need to make quick copies of your manuscript for editorial boards).

  Fold your SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope) into thirds and tuck it behind your manuscript, under the paperclip. The SASE is addressed to you. Write the magazine’s address in the tonoindent corner, and attach a stamp.

  Place your signed cover letter on top of the manuscript. Remember to sign your name at the bottom.

  Fewer than five pages can be folded into a standard business envelope. Five pages or more should be mailed flat in a manila envelope.

  Mail your manuscripts first class (with a regular stamp). Never certify or register a submission.

  E-Mail Submission

  Begin the e-mail message with your cover letter, minus your contact information.

  Include your manuscript’s text in the e-mail’s body, below the cover letter (unless the writers’ guidelines specifically asked for manuscripts to be sent as an attachment, which is rare).

  In the subject line, write the words “Query: Title of Your Story.” If the magazine’s writers’ guidelines give you other instructions, follow those instead. Some ask that you specify fiction or nonfiction in the subject line.

  Digital Upload Submission

  All uploads have an online form that give you a place to enter your contact information and cover letter. You do not need to change your cover letter to a Word file or PDF; just copy and paste it into the correct box. Your manuscript does need to be a Word file or a PDF. When you select the option to upload your work, you will be able to select the correct file type.