Figuring Out Where to Send Your Work

Okay, I admit it. I wrote a list of goals at the beginning of the year and I'm not living up to the #1 on my list.

My goal was to send out at least one story a month to publishers. Sure I'm sending out my column each month to Two-Lane Livin' magazine. But that would be cheating if I counted that, wouldn't it?

I have to keep pounding it in my head that a story can't get published if you don't send it out.

Don't worry about getting those rejections in the mail. . .they build character.

Don't worry about waiting on the mailman everyday only to get a mailbox full of bills and junk. . . that gives you the much needed exercise your legs need. It gives you a break from sitting at the computer and typing your stories.

I must confess that I love to write. I'm sure that's not news to you. But I hate stopping and searching for publishers to send my stories to. It is time consuming going back and forth from your Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market and their sites on the internet looking for a publisher who still accepts unsolicited manuscripts and would just love my writing.

Don't we all wish we had an Aladdin lamp to rub and the perfect publisher's name popped out for our manuscripts?

That would solve a lot of our problems. Oh well, I've got work to do. I've got to send out some stories before the end of the month and I have to get our garage cleaned out before winter hits again.

Maybe I could write a picture book about a scared and cold little car whose only wish in life is to be able to squeeze inside it's master's garage. But, I don't think that would sell.

Join me in sending out something this month. When you've mailed out a submission, come on over and let me know and we can all celebrate together. Or if you have already mailed out one this month, come on over and brag about it. You deserve to celebrate!

Trip to the Post Office

I took a trip to the post office.

I mailed Run, Betty, Run to Pelican Publishing today!

This is the first trip to a publisher for this children's picture book.
I retrieved it from my computer, did a little cutting and editing, and sent it on it's journey.

Run, Betty, Run is about the heroine, Betty Zane. Every West Virginia school child knows about her, but I thought she deserved a little national attention. There are enough books out there about George Washington, Lincoln, Franklin etc., so I wrote about a lesser known Revolutionary War heroine. Now let's hope Pelican likes the idea, too.

And I sent my article out to Good Old Days magazine.

It is about my trips as a child to the old family cemetery with my grandma.
After editing it over and over again, I got it to where I was satisfied with it.

Two down, and lots more to go!

Call For Submissions

Hi everybody. Hope all of you are ready to write, rewrite or edit.

I've been to Pelican Publishing.

They have a call for submissions on their web page. They want you to send a query letter, but will usually respond within a month as to whether or not they want you to send them your manuscript. I don't think a month is too long to wait for an answer.

It is a very informative sight. They have their catalogs listed so you can visit and see what type of books they publish.

If you think you have something they might consider, send in your query.

Now, come on, what have you got to lose?

You can't get published if you don't submit.

I have a few ideas. I have a picture book where my story happens in Jackson County, WV. I thought with a little editing it could very well be set in the Louisiana area of the country. They state on their sight that they like regional themes.

So go ahead and check it out. We are here to help each other, so I thought I'd pass along the information.

Read their author guidelines, it is very informative and helpful, and necessary if you are to do it right.

Do you have any information you can share with me and my lurkers?
(Soon to be commenters, I hope.)

Good Luck