Avoid the
Last Minute Rush When Submitting Seasonal Manuscripts
By Suzan
Wiener
Copyright © 2007 by Suzan Wiener, All Rights Reserved
Are you a writer who waits too late to send out seasonal submissions
such as material for Mother's Day, Father's Day, Easter, etc.? If you
follow the tips listed below, you won't be upset because you missed a
deadline, and you will have a better chance of getting your work
accepted by sending it out in a timely manner. When I first started out
as a writer, I had the misfortune of missing out on acceptances because
I didn't get my work in on time -- but not anymore. Instead of waiting
for the last-minute rush to write submissions for seasonal material, why
not write it year-round in your spare time? This way, when it comes to
sending material out, you will be a jump ahead of the competition
because you will have it ready to be mailed. You can even address the
envelopes beforehand to help speed the process along.
1. File each piece in a separate folder marked in large, red letters
with the month it should be sent, the holiday, and the target
publication. Check the folders on a weekly basis, so you don't miss
important deadlines.
2. Check Writer's Market to see how far in advance each magazine
needs seasonal material. Some need it as far as six months to a year
ahead of time. Write out each market's lead time and keep it by your
computer or typewriter.
3. Keep a list of the holidays and writer's guidelines handy to know
when each publication's holiday deadline is approaching. It is good if
you store them all in one loose-leaf folder, which saves time and
effort.
4. Have a calendar handy so you can check the holiday and remember the
lead times for each publication. If you show them consistency in giving
good seasonal items they can use, the editor could start relying on you
for those items.
5. Always look for unusual holidays to write about, such as Kwanzaa. If
you don't know about that particular special occasion, then research it.
Search engines like Google are a big help in that respect. You will be
glad you did when you get that most-welcome check for your submitted
work.
6. Make sure not to send a religious poem to a magazine geared toward
fashion and vice-versa. You have to know your target audience to make
sales. (See my May, '05 article "Target
Your Audience" in The Writer's Ezine for more information about
targeting your audience.)
7. Pretend you are working at a particular publication. In doing so,
you will read the publication more thoroughly and know what specific
types of seasonal items the editor accepts.
Following the above tips can help you to get more acceptances and that
is what every writer craves.
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