How to Get Published by Being Less Work
Editors and publishers are just like everybody else: they’ve got jobs and a finite amount of time to do them. That’s why editors are partial to stories that won’t give them a lot of extra work. So here’s how to make your story easier to accept:
Proofread
Grammar can be confusing (looking at you, its and it’s). Even if you’re a writer, it’s not a moral failing if you can’t wrestle commas into the right places. But before you send in your story, find somebody who knows their there from their they’re and have them proofread for you. Because if you don’t, an editor will have to do it themselves, and that is extra work.
Remember, even if your story is fantastic, which it probably is, it’s not the only fantastic story that editor is going to get. If yours is well proofread, that’s a leg up for you.
Follow the submission guidelines
In another article I’ve said following the editor’s guidelines makes a priceless first impression. But there’s another angle to this: the guidelines are there for a reason, and that reason is the editor wants to do less work.
An editor isn’t arbitrarily picking a font for submissions: they’re asking for something easy on their eyes. They want file types that work with their computer and specific email subject lines so they can stay organized.
If an editor needs to change formatting on your story, they want to use a quick document setting. They don’t want to discover you manually hit “tab” every time you started a new paragraph, and “enter” to double space your story, because that is all work the editor has to undo, line by line. Do they want to do that? No.
(Here’s how to understand and follow submission guidelines)
Hit your deadlines
Your story was accepted! Congrats! Now you’ve got some more work. Depending on the publication, you may have to do edits, approve layouts, and/or participate in advertising. The press will usually ask you to get back to them in a week or two. So do that.
Yeah, it’s that simple. The last thing an editor wants is to have to chase down a writer who is delaying the project by not answering emails. If you’ve got a real-world reason for running late, that’s fine, it happens. But let your editor know, and do your best to work something out.
Remember, short story publication is not necessarily a one-time thing. If an editor knows you’re not a lot of work, they’re much more likely to buy from you again, or even invite you onto a future project. We all want to work with people who make our lives easier. So when you send in your story, be that person.
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