It’s that time of year again! Classes are
starting up and we’re busy trying to brush away the end of summer blues. We're
back to keeping up with our assignments and remembering when all our club
meetings are, etc. Yet that shouldn’t stop you from looking for places to
submit your work. That’s right, the fall is a great time to get some of your
polished pieces out there into the market, either through small presses, big
and well-known presses (if you’re lucky!), or even some of Emerson’s own
anthologies. There are many opportunities out there for eager writers looking
for their chance to build their resume and perhaps make a little pocket change
on the side (from paying anthologies).
I’ve been on a roll myself with sending out
to companies, both small and large, over the last few weeks trying to get what
I’ve had lying around out there. While I’m definitely expecting some rejections
from the bigger publishing companies, I’ve got my fingers crossed for the
smaller ones. As a writer, that’s something that you have to be prepared for,
especially when going out in the world and trying to get your work published.
Rejection isn’t fun, trust me, we’ve all gone through it, but when you do get
that acceptance letter, it makes it all worthwhile.
So, while you’re thinking of what to do
with the stories you have lying around, here’re a few places that are looking
for brilliant young writers like yourself:
Glimmer Train ($)
- An extremely prestigious publisher, Glimmer Train is rather difficult to get published in, but it’s worth a shot for anyone willing to take a dive. They’ve got stuff going on all year on their site: contests, new anthologies coming out, etc. There’s always something you can submit to, no matter the time of year. While contests have a fee to enter (the Fiction Open anyway, I believe it’s about $20 now), submitting your stories for their anthologies is completely free—and you can send up to 3 at a time! For the fall, there are 3 events going on you very may want to check out: Standard Story Submission, Short Story Award for New Writers, and the Fiction Open.
- If selected to be published, Glimmer Train pays the author $700 for their story, and they receive 10 free copies of the anthology, as well as a year subscription to the anthology (Which is great! Glimmer Train has some beautiful work in it). The Short Story Award 1st place winner is awarded $1,500 for their story and is given 20 free copies and a year subscription; 2nd and 3rd place receive $500. And, for the Fiction Open, the first place winner receives $2,000 and 20 copies of the anthology, as well as a year subscription; 2nd and 3rd place receive $1,000.
- You can check out all the details for these events, and more, at their website: http://www.glimmertrain.com/
Writer Advice ($)
- Okay, this one’s a little different from a lot of writing competitions that you may be expecting, but it’s certainly helpful for those of you who want to be novelists and have a story already in the works. Writer Advice is currently holding a competition for “openings” to books. That’s right! You just submit the opening paragraphs or first chapter of your novel/novella, and enter it. There’s an entry fee of $20, but it’s definitely worth it if you think you have a gem just waiting to be read and you need that extra push to make agents say “wow”.
- The winners of the competition receive a divided $250 and have their opening chapter published on their website. Agents who you later pitch your manuscripts to often check the site, and if you make a note in your query letter that your first chapter had won, who knows? Maybe you’ll have a better chance of getting signed! Even if you don’t end up getting a place on their page, those at Writer Advice send a written evaluation of your work! Not bad, huh?
- The deadline for the competition is October 15th! Start sending soon! For more information on the competition, or just advice for the everyday writer in general, check out their site, here: http://www.writeradvice.com/
Briar Cliff Review ($)
- A contest for writers of all sorts—fiction, nonfiction, and poetry! There are some specific guidelines of how the work needs to be formatted (it has to be physically sent to them; no electronic submissions) and there is an entry fee of $20, but it’s definitely a great place to send your work if you feel confident! For short story and nonfiction writers, only one story is allowed for submission, but for poets, you can send up to three! Even if you don’t win, everyone who enters gets a free copy of the magazine.
- The winner of the competition (there’s one winner from each of the three categories of writing) receives $1,000 and their story featured in the Spring 2013 issue. Not too shabby!
- The deadline for the contest is November 1st, so you still have a little time to polish up that story from workshop you’ve been meaning to get around to. For more specifics about the contests or just to see what else they offer, check out their site: http://www.briarcliff.edu/campus/bc_review/bcreview_new/about.aspx
First Inkling
- Alright, this is probably the coolest literary magazine I’ve come across yet. I’m not sure how high the stakes are trying to get in and their acceptance rate, etc., but it’s definitely worth a try. This is the only national lit. mag. that is published by undergraduate students for undergraduate students. Only work from undergrads across the country is allowed! So, here’s your chance to submit to them! The best thing about them, too, is they take previously published work (if you’ve been lucky enough to have some!) or new work in these categories: fiction (short stories or a chapter from your novel), nonfiction, poetry, scripts, and art! They even allow multiple submissions, so why not send over a little of everything? They’re definitely a place to check out while you’re still here at Emerson.
- To learn more about First Inkling, apply for a position on their staff, or to submit work, go to their site here: http://firstinkling.com/
Tin House ($)
- We’re moving on up… to the BIG leagues! I’m sure you’ve all heard of Tin House in one way or another. They’re the big publisher that only accepts about 10% of the work they receive but are incredibly well known and can basically be the gold star on your resume when you’re looking to get bigger collections/novels published. The best part is, they’re currently looking for short stories for their Spring and Summer anthologies. Their Spring Anthology’s deadline is currently October 31st (so it’s time to get cracking and submit!) and their Summer Anthology’s deadline is January 14th. While the Summer issue has no theme, the Spring one is trying to stick with the theme of “This Means War!”. If you’ve got work, definitely, definitely, DEFINITELY give it a shot and submit!
- To see their more specific guidelines and just check them out in general, visit their site here: http://www.tinhouse.com/home
Enzigram ($)
- Okay, this is probably the second coolest magazine besides First Inklings. Enzigram is put out by the Oakland School for the Arts. But, that’s not the thing that makes it fantastic. They have competitions from time-to-time, as well as just regular submissions to their anthology throughout the year. But, do you know who is the submissions director and who reads and chooses the work that gets published? No, not the students of the Oakland School for the Arts. Daniel Handler. THE Daniel Handler. Name not ringing a bell? Perhaps his penname would be a little more familiar: Lemony Snicket. So, even if you DON’T get your work published the first time you submit, you can at least hold the honour of getting to say “Lemony Snicket read my work!”
- For some information on Enzigram and their upcoming contests and anthologies, be sure to visit them here: http://www.oakarts.org/
Stork
- Yes, a name that’s very familiar to all of us at Emerson. Now that some of the bigger companies are out of the way, it’s important to remember that there are some publications going on around campus that are just as important. Stork is currently taking submissions for their fall anthology (it’s the longer work one; their shorter work anthology will be out in the spring semester). The deadline for submissions is October 26th.
- To submit to Stork or just see how cool they are, check out their submissions information here: http://stork.submittable.com/submit
Whippersnappers
- You’ve heard the whispers around school about the new club for strictly children’s literature (the only one Emerson’s got!), so why not take up their offer? They’re brand new to Emerson and looking for submissions in prose, poetry, comics, and art! If you’ve got anything you think would be suitable for a child to read, why not send it over? You could very well be one of the people featured in their first ever print.
- For submission information about Whippersnappers, check out their page: http://whippersnappers.submittable.com/submit
Gangsters in Concrete
- Probably one of the most well-known literary publications on campus, Gangsters is publishing its fall and spring anthologies again this year! While I haven’t heard anything yet about submission deadlines, it wouldn’t hurt to just hang out and keep checking up and looking around campus for some details. The staff is amazing and they give a great workshop on all stories submitted, so they may just be the place to submit to before heading off to the biggies. Definitely keep your eyes open for any information on when and where to send work.
- Visit and “like” their Facebook page to stay in the loop: http://www.facebook.com/GIConcrete?ref=ts
Undergraduates for
Publishing’s Book Project
- You thought I wouldn’t mention it. If you’ve got a manuscript between 50 and 80 double spaced pages, why not send it over? It never hurts to try. Get to know what it’s like being a published author working alongside the different teams as you see your work come to life in an actual book you can hold. The Book Project is right now taking submissions in fiction, creative nonfiction, and now poetry! So, if you or a friend has a manuscript just lying around, submit it! You never know! The deadline to submit is October 8th at midnight.
- For information about the Book Project, visit the site: http://www.undergradsforpublishing.com/
So, there you have it! Ten great places to
consider sending your work off to this fall. You can have your pick from on
campus and off, from small press to large. Definitely take hold of these
opportunities. You never know what may happen. Best of luck!
Written by Erin Sinnott
