The Email That Got Published
Gia Sola -- May 14, 2009
Ten stories out, I have a sassy short-short now appearing in SLAB, the annual journal published by Slippery Rock University. "The Corset" began as an email to a man I was trying to make jealous. And since I'd put as much energy into that message as any of my other works of fiction, I decided to go ahead and submit this one too. If I did anything differently, it was that I didn't over-edit the piece, but that's not the (sole) reason it got published.
The purpose of this article is to share a little about how it is that my stories are getting published. Much of the credit goes to my association with an authors' submission service, Writer's Relief. I may have spent a career writing for the corporate world, but when I started writing fiction for myself, it turned out to be a different kind of work, and I wasn't able to be creative while also maneuvering through the business part of the process. Writer's Relief has acted as a kind of management team, performing many of the tasks associated with the writing life, which leaves me free to focus on the story. Since implementing this new strategy for getting published, I've not only become more focused, but more expansive. I'm taking more chances, am more willing to expose myself; and I've begun to see with new eyes, finding ideas embedded everywhere.
It was an article in Writer's Digest that led me to Writer's Relief. I sent three samples of my work for review and was accepted as a full service client. There are several levels of service, depending on what you want them to do for you. I want them to read my stories and to offer minor editing. And then I want them to identify the appropriate journals and the appropriate editor at the appropriate time to submit. I also want them to maintain a tracking service for me. Sometimes I want to brainstorm or ask for advice, which I can do by phone or email; and Writer's Relief also has a blog that offers lots of good info.
The way it works is that I write a story and send them a copy. For me, the most valuable thing they do is locate the markets. But they also print up the cover letters, which they mail to me from their offices in the New York area, along with pre-addressed mailing labels and a master copy of my story. My task is to sign the letters and photocopy the manuscript; to make the SASE, stuff the envelopes, affix the labels, and get it to the post office within three days. When I receive a rejection or acceptance letter, I forward it to Writer's Relief to update my database, which I can access 24/7.
My first submission went to 28 journals, from the Alabama Literary Review to Zoetrope: All-Story. Two expressed a desire to publish, and although they both ultimately decided they didn't have the space, it was heartening to know of their interest, giving me the impetus to continue submitting my work. I haven't needed a motivation to write. It's the submission process that was the problem. Over the course of my association with Writer's Relief, I've made ten submissions to 177 journals. A third asked to see more of my work, and sometimes I'll get a personal note from the editor along with the rejection. (From The Missouri Review: "You do well in creating the very deep, sophisticated voice that seems to so often accompany Parisian stories...Please consider submitting to us again.")
I'm not technically inclined, nor do I like arithmetic. I could be spending less on the Writer's Relief service, but for me, it's about the words, not the numbers--except for the number of journals expressing interest. And I do maintain control. So, although I hope to one day get it together enough to take over my own management, for now I'm happy to sit in front of the keyboard in my nightgown until sometime after noontime, returning after dinner with a glass of wine, without having to worry about where to find the markets and whom to contact; nor do I need to learn new programs to make the mailing labels or design a spread sheet to keep track of things. All I really have to do is write.
This is not an advertisement or solicitation. I just wanted to share my experience with fellow writers. If you think Writer's Relief can help you, check them out at www.writersrelief.com.