Do you submit your work to literary magazines often? How many times a week/month/year? I'm only curious because I can only submit about once a month (same story to many places) just because I'd feel more confident if it were a story I'm more passionate about. I only started submitting my work about two months ago. I got one piece accepted, so yay for that! For a while, I was submitting like crazy, but now I realize that I should slow down and only submit my best work. I really enjoy reading literary magazines too, so if you have a story published somewhere..I would love to check it out! Thanks, Abbi
Congrats on the acceptance. Different people are going to submit at different rates, mainly because the time it takes to write and polish a story varies from person to person. Are you saying you wait a month before submitting the same story to a different magazine? A lot of magazines accept simultaneous submissions, so you can submit the same story to various magazines at the same time.
Thank you! It was my first and I got the acceptance letter a little bit before Christmas so it was great! I meant that it takes me that long to actually write another adequate piece that I feel I could submit. I would usually produce about 1-5 pieces during a month but usually only one is worth paying any attention to.
congrats! what magazine took your piece and when will it be published?... did they pay well? i'm curious about why you only submit to 'literary' mags... what is it you write?
Thank you. I only submit to literary magazines because that is where my work fits--contemporary literary fiction. It just means that it's not genre fiction (romance, sci-fi, horror, etc.) It's an e-publication. I didn't get paid at all. I'm just grateful to get accepted anywhere since it was the first time I put my work out there (I'm 21). But if you look into it, you will find that most literary magazines cannot afford to pay their writers. Payment comes in the form of a few free prints of the magazine itself. There are some exceptions of course. One Story pays up to 300 dollars per short story. I'm subscribed to them and so far I have only seen work from already established writer. Anyway, my concern isn't money. I just want my work to be read and enjoyed. If you want to check it out, here is the link: http://www.blazevox.org/index.php/journal/ Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page. My story is titled "The Foreign Dream" by Abbi Nguyen.
Writing for no compensation kinda goes against the grain for me I've been published in one form or another since 1979. I average about 20-25 articles a year in magazines/trade journals, etc. and I have to say; if they don't want to pay for my expertise - they's outta luck. I work hard at what I do and both my partner and I are at the top of our game in the field of modular & prefabricated agricultural buildings, so if a publication wants to print something based on our experience or designs they're paying for that info. I understand that you want to get your work out in front of people so that you can start building a portfolio, but don't keep working for free past a half dozen pieces or so. The simple fact that you have finished works that you have started puts you head and shoulders above the majority of those who dream and toy with the idea of being a writer. (This site seems to have a lot of members who are far more than just non-action dreamers.) If a magazine can't afford to pay its writers for their work then the powers that be had better sit down and take a long hard look at their operation. Find publications that will pay you fairly for what you create so you can continue to do what you love. Ron ...
Thank you Ron, you have a valid point there. Do you write fiction or non fiction articles? In my experience, it has always been easier to get paid for non-fiction. I do some of those sometimes. What are some magazines that you would recommend for a young writer of contemporary fiction (with not many published work)?
'articles' are, by definition, 'non-fiction'... for the best publishing venue listings, go to www.duotrope.com
