I’ve Finished My Manuscript, Now What? Part 1

A few times each month, beginning writers contact me asking for directions, primarily, what to do after they finish their manuscripts. First of all, congratulations are in order. Finishing a manuscript is no small task. 

My initial reaction is to advise the writers to do nothing with the manuscript for a month or so, and in the meantime, begin another writing project and find a critique partner to read the manuscript and offer feedback.

After revising the manuscript and polishing it, make a submission list of appropriate publishers. If a publisher doesn’t accept unsolicited manuscripts or accepts only middle grade and young adult, sending a picture book will garner nothing but a rejection. The goal is to submit to a particular editor or agent. Writers need an individual who will love the work and promote it within the publishing house or literary agency.

Editors and what they are looking for in manuscripts can be found in  Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market, a book that is sold or can be ordered at bookstores or online. Guide to Literary Agents is another source if you choose to go the agent route.

In my next blog, I’ll continue with more tips on marketing a manuscript.

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

SPIDER, a literary magazine for children, features fresh and engaging literature, poems, articles, and activities for newly independent readers. Editors seek energetic, beautifully crafted submissions with strong “kid appeal” (an elusive yet recognizable quality, often tied to high-interest elements such as humor, adventure, and suspense).  

Submission guidelines at http://cricketmedia.com/spider-submission-guidelines

Nancy Kelly Allen has written 40+ children’s books and a cookbook, SPIRIT OF KENTUCKY: BOURBON COOKBOOK. Check out her blog at www.nancykellyallen.com

Perseverance

Riding the Rejection Train is a tough route for any writer. Not only is the failure to get a contract disappointing, it also undermines our psyche. We question our talent. We question our choice of manuscript subjects. We question everything related to publishing. But perseverance trumps talent. I should know. I’ve been rejected so many times, I lost count years ago. 

According to Richard Bach, author of JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL, “A professional writer is an amateur who didn't quit.” Writing requires an investment of time, lots of time, and energy. Inspiration and a vivid imagination are good components, too. There’s no doubt, writing is work. It’s also fulfilling, and at times, joyful (when an editor calls and says the magical word: Yes).

When I began writing, I read picture books to my students daily, and the stories drew me in to worlds of strange and astonishing characters. Those stories enticed me to write about my own characters. Reading does that to me. When I read I am more compelled to write. Characters, one after another, staked a claim to my brain and refused to leave. Editors passed on all. I lost interest in writing until I picked up the next picture book, the next day. Reading it boosted my creative energy. I kept getting rejected, but sometimes an editor would ask to see something else I had written. My heart fluttered with hope. Finally, I hooked an editor and held my first book, ONCE UPON A DIME. Now, I’m striving to garner the 52nd contract.            

Every writer is different. Some become discouraged more easily than others, but all writers get rejections. The more we write, and the more we read, the better writers we become. 

Call for Submissions for Young Writers:

Magic Dragon, a quarterly publication, presents writing and art created by children in the elementary school grades in a magazine of quality four-color printing and graphic display. We believe that our objectives are special – to encourage the development of creativity in children and to provide a medium to share their creative efforts. Our conviction is that encouraging children in the elementary grades to be unafraid to express their creative ideas will increase their chances of becoming adults unafraid to apply a creative approach to all aspects of their lives and work.

Submission guidelines at http://www.magicdragonmagazine.com/

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

Genre: Short story or nonfiction up to 5,000 words. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: November 30, 2018.

Deadline: November 30, 2018
https://www.servicescape.com/short-story-award 

Nancy Kelly Allen has written 40+ children’s books and a cookbook, SPIRIT OF KENTUCKY: BOURBON COOKBOOK.

Leave a message or check out my blog at www.nancykellyallen.com

Writing Children’s Books with Child Appeal, Part 3

 

 

A character can be a spider, monster, dragon, witch, cloud, rock, or whatever your imagination creates. Think about how the character might act in situations you construct: bossy, loud, shy, intimidated, etc. Whatever the main character is, it should exhibit characteristics of a child.  

A low word count is necessary for books for the youngest audience. Their attention span is short so the text should reflect this. Picture books are usually less than 1,000 words, but the latest target seems to be under 500 words with many publishers. If writers go beyond that, the likelihood of a rejection is greater. 

Is the story delightful? Does it make the reader laugh or contain repetitive phrases the reader enjoys listening to or repeating as the story is read aloud? Are the characters and their antics enjoyable, entertaining, or engaging? Keep the humor and the language of the text age appropriate. 

Picture book plots are simple and fast-paced. Keep them sequential, and based on the character’s actions. A wild, wacky story should have some logic in the cause-and-effect unfolding of events. The plot works best when the main character is highly motivated and likable. A strong character drives the story forward and holds the interest of the reader. 

Transport the reader into another world with a book that has child appeal. 

Call for Submissions for Young Writers:

New Moon Girls. Ideas, Articles, Inventions, Fiction, Gardens, Poetry, Music, Opinions, Apps, Global Villages, Recipes,

Plays, Buildings, Puzzles, Projects, Jokes, Speeches, Games, Screenplays, Sports, Emotions, Equations, Painting, Art, Experiments, Costumes, Activism, Photos, Rockets, Crafts, Designs,Gadgets, Dances, Solutions, Hats and Everything Else You Imagine and Make.

Submission guidelines: http://newmoon.com/how-to-get-published/

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

Narrative Magazine. Our fall contest is open to all fiction and nonfiction writers. We’re looking for short shorts, short stories, essays, memoirs, photo essays, graphic stories, all forms of literary nonfiction, and excerpts from longer works of both fiction and nonfiction. Entries must be previously unpublished, no longer than 15,000 words, and must not have been previously chosen as a winner, finalist, or honorable mention in another contest.

 

Submission guidelines: http://www.narrativemagazine.com/fall-2017-story-contest

Nancy Kelly Allen has written 40+ children’s books and a cookbook, SPIRIT OF KENTUCKY: BOURBON COOKBOOK. Check out her blog at www.nancykellyallen.com

Looking Back Gives Perspective

 

“Sometimes, you have to look back in order to understand the things that lie ahead.”
― Yvonne Woon

My first book was published seventeen years ago. At the time, I was working on a full-time basis, plus writing manuscripts and wondering if I was spinning my wheels, wasting time. The process was frustrating. I spent vast amounts of time writing, researching, targeting publishers and reading interviews of editors in attempts to hone in on the publisher that best fit my manuscript.

Sometimes I became distraught when the turnaround time produced a rejection letter in less than a week. Did an editor even read the manuscript? I wondered more than once. My frustration level grew; then I’d get an encouraging note from an editor rejecting a particular manuscript but asking to see more of my work as I produced it. Hope soared once again.

Today, I’ve gained perspective as if looking backward through time with a telescope. My eyes focus on things that were impossible to notice when I was living the moment, when rejections embraced every manuscript. Rather than remembering the frustration, I look back on the experience fondly. What was frustrating at the time—rejections—whetted my appetite even more to prove I could write a marketable manuscript. Rejections served as inspiration to fuel my creativity and imagination.

The built-up frustration made the first contract all the more sweet. Would I have appreciated THE CALL from an editor as much if I had received it with the first manuscript from the first publishing house I submitted to? Probably not.  

Glancing in my rear view mirror, I see those days as a period in which I grew as a writer. Every rejected manuscript served a purpose to help me learn to become a better writer.

Call for submissions for Young Writers:

Apprehension Magazine. At Apprehension we look for writing that is experimental or modern, and we publish writers in the age range of 14-21. We publish quarterly in December, April and August. We strive to reach out to those who are afraid to submit, and we reach out to those who are on the road to becoming professional and published writers.

Submission Deadlines:

Issue 1: December 5th, 2016

Issue 2: April 5th, 2017

Issue 3: August 1st, 2017 

Submission guidelines at http://www.apprehensionmag.com/

Call for submissions for Adult Writers:

ONE STORY seeks stories "between 3,000 and 8,000 words. They can be any style and on any subject as long as they are good. We are looking for stories that leave readers feeling satisfied and are strong enough to stand alone." Pays: "$500 and 25 contributors copies for First Serial North American rights."  

Submission guidelines at http://www.one-story.com/?page=submit

Dealing with Rejection, part 2

 
"A rejection is nothing more than a necessary step in the pursuit of success."-Bo Bennett 

If a story is rejected several times, I shelve it for a few weeks, or months, and then reevaluate it. When I reread a shelved manuscript, I look for reasons the story is NOT publishable. If enough reasons pop up their ugly heads and I can’t figure out a way to correct the ugliness, I reshelve the rascal. Not all manuscripts are publishable, but I never discard one. Maybe I’ll figure out a way to rehab at some point in the future. Maybe my skills as a writer haven’t developed enough to write in a particular style. Maybe I’ll hone those skills and produce a better story later. Maybe I’ll use bits and pieces of a non-publishable work in another manuscript where they are a cozy fit. 

I try to appreciate the rejections. Hard to believe, huh? Some editors provide notes on what didn’t or did work. That gives me a basis from which to reevaluate the piece. Or a string of rejections with no comments also speaks volumes. Either way, I’ve learned.  

Fact: I can’t change the marketplace, but I can change what I write, so I focus on what I can control. I work to improve my writing and place all my energy on what I can change.

Develop a thick skin so rejection can’t become disabling. I’ve received so many rejections over the years, hundreds really. They still perturb me with a wasp-like sting, but I never think that I’ll quit writing because of one or two or more.  

Every writer works at his/her own pace. There is no right or wrong recipe for success. Try writing  in different genres and follow work schedules that adapt to your lifestyle. When I’ve done everything I can and still receive a rejection, I think of it as proof of my efforts. I finished the manuscript and shipped it out so that’s worthy of celebration. Pass the chocolate, please. 

Call for submissions for Young Writers

Ember is a semiannual journal of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction for all age groups. Submissions for and by readers aged 10 to 18 are strongly encouraged.

Submissions are managed through our Submission Manager, powered by Submittable. If you submit by e-mail, we will direct you to use our Submission Manager instead. A link to the submission manager can be found at the bottom of this page, after you have read through the submission guidelines.

 Submission guidelines at http://emberjournal.org/submission-guidelines/ 

Call for submissions for Adult Writers

Intergeneration Storytelling Contest rules:

1. Stories must include characters from more than one generation.
2. Stories must be original and unpublished, and may be fiction, non-fiction, or a combination.
3. Stories may not exceed 400 words.
4. Stories must be provided via copying and pasting the text into the body of your e-mail submission.
5. Your e-mail submission must be sent through our website’s submission form, and include the author’s name, exact mailing address and e-mail contact in order that all winners may be advised immediately upon winning (contact information will remain private).

Deadline:  September 30, 2016.

Submission guidelines at http://intergenerationmonth.org/enter-the-contest/

 

Dealing with Rejection

Rejection hurts. That’s the simple truth. But if a writer garners contracts, s/he has to put up with rejections. I was asked to blog about ways to deal with rejection by several people, so here’s what I do. 

I moan to my critique partner, who understands completely because she, too, is a writer. (Hugs to you, Sandi.) Understanding that I’m not alone in the volume of rejected queries allows me to have more perspective. All writers receive rejections. 

Sometimes I mumble and gripe to my literary muses (two miniature schnauzers) that the editor didn’t “get” the story (but of course she “got” enough of it to understand it wasn’t right for the publisher). My reasoning can be a little warped when the rejections pour in, but the mental warp makes me feel better.  

I don’t fret beyond the day I receive the rejection. I move on with another project or send the rejected manuscript out to another editor. Remember, it only takes one editor to love the work and deem it contract worthy. Different editors have hugely different opinions about what is a great story. 

If a story is rejected several times, I store it away, temporarily. After a few months (sometimes, years) I reexamine the manuscript with fresh eyes. If my story seem to have merit, I rewrite and resubmit. (That’s what I’ve been doing the last few months and snatched a few contracts.) Sometimes the rewrite bears little resemblance to the original story. AMAZING GRACE began as a picture book (rejected). I rewrote it as a chapter book (rejected). After I rewrote it as a middle grade novel, it found a home with a publisher. 

Next week, I’ll look at other ways I deal with rejection. 

Call for submissions for Young and Adult Writers:

Submissions for Wee Tales and Refractions must be age appropriate for the journal (7 to 12 for Wee Tales, 13 and up for Refractions). If you have something more geared toward an adult market please still submit it for our next possible run of Deep Waters. General and Refractions short submissions should be between 1000 and 5000 words, Wee Tales submissions should be between 600 and 2000 words. Adult and teen writers are invited to submit. 

Submission guidelines at https://goldenfleecepress.com/refractions/

Remaining Positive in a Negative Atmosphere

My journey into the world of writing started later in life, age forty to be exact. A late bloomer, that’s me, but I had a big dream: writerdom (a homemade word). At the time I failed to realize writerdom was not in my immediate future. I put my dream into action and began writing, collecting rejections and an occasional tidbit of encouragement from editors, and creating a host of manuscripts that would never wrangle a copyright date. ONCE UPON A DIME, my first book, showed up on my doorstep almost ten years later. I was thrilled beyond belief and knew I could knock out another book lickety-split. Wrong! Overnight success bypassed me, but five years later, I held my second book, ON THE BANKS OF THE AMAZON. On a positive note, I had cut the waiting time in half.

The primary element that kept me thinking positively was my job. Every day, I read picture books to students in the school where I was a librarian. I continued to fall in love with new stories, watched students’ reactions to the stories, and read a wide variety of authors and types of picture books, on the job training at its best. Seeing how authors approached and plotted stories, developed characters and hooks, and played with words immersed me in lyrical literature. My daily activities forced my dream to stay alive.

Rejections poured in but so did new children’s books. The excitement of finding authors, whose words tingled and teased my senses, balanced the disappointment of “No, but thank you” letters.

I learned to embrace failure—to view a rejection as a challenge—and accept those tidbits of advice and encouragement the occasional editor sent my way. Still, I struggled to write a publishable manuscript, but I recognized that the business of publishing is frustrating to all authors. I’m not alone. The struggle is real as much today as when I first began, maybe more so. I’ll continue to accumulate rejections, but more importantly, I’ll continue to write, learn, and grow as an author.

On another note, beginning this month, I’m including markets for young authors to submit work.

Call for submissions for Young Writers:

Amazing Kids! Magazine is excited to announce our first Money Smarts contest, which is now open for submissions! September is the time kids start getting back into school and learning. For our contest, we want you to write a story about a character that learns a money lesson. We are looking for creative and fresh stories about learning a money lesson. Let your imaginations soar!

This contest is open to kids all around the world in ages 7 – 15. We have split the categories into the following age groups: 7 – 9, 10 – 11, 12 – 14, and 15 – 18. One winner will be chosen in each category to win a Solitaire Chess game and FootBubbles along with an official certificate verifying their winning entry and publication in the Amazing Kids! Magazine.

Submission guidelines at http://mag.amazing-kids.org/ak-contests/amazing-kids-money-smarts-contest-create-a-money-lesson-story/

Call for submissions for Adult Writers:

 

Alphie Dog Fiction. We will consider stories from 1,000 words to 10,000 words for adult stories and 500 words to 10,000 words for children’s stories. The minimum word count is not flexible and does not include the story title. We consider a wide range of genres, including children’s, but not including stories which are graphically violent or pornographic in nature or erotica. Please don’t be put off if your story does not fit a classic genre, but give the best description you can of where you see it sitting. We want to offer our readers variety and enable them to choose stories to fit their mood.

 

Deadline: from 19th September to 16th October

Submission guidelines at http://alfiedog.com/fiction/submissions/submission-process/

Editor Request to Rewrite

I’ve been fortunate this year to receive contracts on three books, possibly a fourth if my revision holds up to editorial scrutiny. About a month ago in my mailbox, I received a return on a manuscript, which usually means a rejection. Not this time. The editor asked me to change the character from an adult (king) to a child (prince) protagonist. Normally, my characters are children, but some popular pictures books of late have quirky adult character so I gave the idea a try.

My quirky character didn’t resonate with the editor but she liked the basic story with its universal problem, so she asked me to rewrite with a child as the main character. No problem. I’d change some narrative, some dialog, some events. Easy peasy!

As I began revising, I soon realized that what worked well for a quirky king didn’t work at all for a young prince. Much of the story (as it turned out, ALL of the story) was not appropriate for a child protagonist: the world view was too mature, the dialog didn’t fit the characters, and even the names had to be changed. 

So what does a writer do? This writer does a complete rewrite. When I completed the revision, about fifteen words matched the original story. That doesn’t mean that the text of the original has to be discarded. Mary Higgins Clark offered sage advice about cutting large blocks of text from a manuscript. She keeps it in a file to be used in a future book.   

Not only do I have a new manuscript, I now have a few bits of dialog and narrative in an old manuscript from which I can pull as some point. Those bits are gold in my literary vault. 

Call for submissions for Adult Writers

NewBBay’s Science Fiction Contest is open to all eligible writers submitting original works of 1,000 words or greater. We suggest a range of 1,000 to 30,000 words per piece, total. Each writer may submit up to two pieces. International entries are welcome, though submitted pieces must be in English. Writers must sign up at NewBBay.com, submit a “Writer Petition”, and post their work through our publication platform. Writers must include the word count and appropriate contest tag ( #SciFiContest ) in the description.

Deadline August 15, 2016.

Submission guidelines at http://www.newbbay.com/

Write. Revise. Submit. Repeat.

Bad news. I haven’t received a book contract in about a year. 

Good news. I have two books scheduled for publication this summer/fall.

Bad news. I have NOTHING with a contract attached to it after birthing those two literary babies.

This hit me full force back in January when I was assessing my New Year’s Resolutions. I had been writing faithfully but had not submitted the manuscripts. My focus was writing and revising. At some point shortly thereafter, I changed my goals. Since I had so many manuscripts written, new ones as well as numerous rejected manuscripts going back years, I decided NO MORE NEW manuscripts. I have been retooling the older manuscripts to add spice and new life into them. The new manuscripts still need revision. 

I wrote and rewrote revisions on three manuscripts; then sent them out to publishers. I’ve had a couple of rejections, but both were as positive as rejections go. I was encouraged to send the manuscript to others because the editors though it would work for some, just not that particular publisher. So I did.

Two weeks ago, I must have irritated some muse somewhere. I received three rejections, two in one day. I don’t deny it, rejections pack a powerful punch, but I have tough skin (working on developing rhino hide). I checked my level of stubbornness (still high) and decided to view this whole process as a challenge. I am now revising the same manuscripts, once again. (My writing always leaves ample room for improvement.)

What a difference a week makes. Last week, I received two acceptance notices. One is for a chapter book and the other for an educational picture book. Happy dance time.

What a difference a revision makes.

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

Frankenstein Bicentennial Dare: Seeking New Stories about Science and Creation

Two centuries ago, on a dare to tell the best scary story, 19-year-old Mary Shelley imagined an idea that became the basis for Frankenstein. Mary’s original concept became the novel that arguably kick-started the genres of science fiction and Gothic horror, but also provided an enduring myth that shapes how we grapple with creativity, science, technology, and their consequences.

Two hundred years later, inspired by that classic dare, we’re challenging you to create new myths for the 21st century.

 Celebrate the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein by writing your own scary story! Tell a short fiction story about the complex relationships between creators and their creations, or write an essay about the evolving relationships between humans and technology in real life. Presented by Arizona State University, National Novel Writing Month, Creative Nonfiction magazine, and Chabot Space and Science Center.

Submission guidelines at frankenstein.asu.edu/dare

Deadline: July 31, 2016

Inspiration, part IV

If we are inspired to write, we are much more likely to spend the time doing just that, but when rejection letters outnumber bills, it’s easy to become discouraged. Here are a few more tips on finding the “gold” called inspiration. 

Join a writer’s group or critique group. These members understand how difficult it is to write a story and get a contract. You’ll share tips, offer feedback, give encouragement, offset rejection with humor, and find comfort in the camaraderie of like-minded people. You’ll read their work and grow as a writer.  

Stuck in a story and don’t know what to do? Leave it and go for a walk. Let your mind drift as you enjoy the park, lake, nature walk, city mall… Exercise stimulates the blood flow to the brain and fresh air makes us more relaxed. As the tension eases, enjoy the sunrise or songs of the birds. Watch children play. They have a brand new outlook on life that may offer a fresh way of looking at the problem and solution of your story. Many times, I figure out the plot of a story by relaxing rather than hammering on a keyboard. Try different experiences. One may lead you to the  rainbow's "gold."  

Call for submissions for Young Writers

The Youth Honor Awards recognize creative and artistic works by young people that promote multicultural, international and nature awareness. You might like to read the Youth Honor Award winning entries in our recent issues (Vol. 25, no. 4 or Vol. 26, no. 4) before submitting your entries for the 2016 Youth Awards.

Submission guidelines at http://www.skippingstones.org/youthhonor-02.htm 

Call for submissions for Adult Writers

#storieseverywhereTwitter Writing Contest Stories are, truly, everywhere—every place you look, everyone you meet, everything you experience.

Each month we invite you to post a story on Twitter using #storieseverywhere for a chance to win a free class. Your stories (which can be true or made up) will be inspired by what you see, know, or do, and they should relate in some way to our monthly “themes”:

May: Saying goodbye
June: Superhero
July: A revolutionary act

Staying Positive

I’m often asked how I maintain a positive attitude after 27 years writing in the hard-as-nails publishing world. The truth is I’m not always positive. I am sometimes shaken clear to soles of my boots when I receive a rejection on a manuscript that has bounced between an editor and me over a period of months. I can almost feel the contract offer; instead, a jolt in the form of “No thanks” is the stark reality.  How do I rebound time after time without some form of long-term depression setting up shop in my noggin or throwing up my hands, burning my manuscripts, and forgetting it all? Several ways, actually.  

First, I love the process of creating characters and choosing words that strike a chord with my emotions. Writing is hard, but writing is therapeutic too. If one manuscript is not opening doors, that doesn’t mean others won’t. So I begin a new manuscript and focus on the writing, not the rejection. 

I talk with writer friends who are making the same journey along their own paths, who hit as many stumbling blocks as I and they pick themselves up and go on. If they can, I can. The important thing is to talk with others who experience the same difficulty to gain a cleared perspective of your own literary process. 

I also make a couple of  lists : TO-DO and DONE DID (pardon the grammar). 

My TO-DO lists includes ideas for books, editors or publishers I plan to contact if I produce the type of manuscript that corresponds to the publishing need, updating blog or website, contacts I want to remember, etc. 

The DONE DID list focuses on what I have accomplished or attempted. In 2015 I sold two manuscripts, wrote three chapter books (still in revision phases), participated in new events in which I publicized my books… You get the idea. This list focuses primarily on positive energy, a powerful way to offset the stream of rejections. 

Call for submissions for Young Writers:

The Student Stowe Prize, established by the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center in 2012, recognizes outstanding writing by United States high school and college students that is making a tangible impact on a social justice issue critical to contemporary society. Issues may include, but are not limited to, race, class and gender. Entries must have been published or publicly presented. The Student Stowe Prizes will next be awarded in June 2016 at the Stowe Center’s fundraising event, the Big Tent Jubilee. The Student winners will also be featured at the Real Stories of Social Change panel, a free public program immediately preceding the Big Tent. The recognition includes a $2,500 prize for the college winner and a $1,000 prize for the high school winner. The winning entries are printed in the Big Tent program book and posted on the Stowe Center’s web site.” No entry fee indicated. Deadline has been extended to February 1, 2016. 

Submission guidelines at https://www.harrietbeecherstowecenter.org/worxcms_published/programs.items_page869.shtml 

Call for submissions for Adult Writers:

YARN is an award-winning literary journal that publishes outstanding original short fiction, poetry, and essays for Young Adult readers, written by the writers you know and love, as well as fresh new voices...including teens. Since this is a YA literary journal, we ask that the material be appropriate for, and of particular interest to, young adult readers, 14 years old and up.  We have no age restrictions for authors (fogies over the age of 18 write YA, too), no genre restrictions (if you’ve got a story set in 2060, bring it on!), and no geographic restrictions (we have published teens in China and other similarly far-away places, and would love to see more international submissions).  We only ask that the writing you submit be original and publishable, with some literary merit (in other words, if you’ve written a slasher thriller with lots of smooching and slaying, we recommend sending it to Hollywood and not to us).  Send us only your very best. 

Submission guidelines at http://yareview.net/how-to-submit/

Evaluating Writing Habits

In what direction would you like to see your writing venture toward in 2016? Of course, every writer is yearning for the ultimate: a contract…or three.

The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to reevaluate our writing habits and schedules. Here are some of mine:  

If I do not have a deadline for a piece of work, I will set one. By establishing a date to finish the first draft, I will feel more pressure to get the job done. I use the term “job” because writing is not easy and a manuscript can be so difficult to write I’m tempted to set it aside. I’ll muddle through; that’s what it takes to finish the first draft as my timeline approaches.  

Read articles/books on the writing process. Since I write picture books and MG, I will focus on those two areas.  

Read a variety of picture, chapter, and MG books to study how other writers develop stories. 

Remain positive, even with a landslide of rejection letters. I’ll measure my literary worth by my dedication to the writing, not by a contract. If I continue to write and study the process, my manuscripts will improve.  

Celebrate the small victories.  If an editor makes a comment on a rejection, I must have done something to warrant his/her time, effort, and energy.  

Make 2016 the year to realize your dream. 

Call for submissions for Young Writers

Ember is a semiannual journal of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction for all age groups. Submissions for and by readers aged 10 to 18 are strongly encouraged. Ember is looking for great writing that tells a compelling story, regardless of length. Even very short pieces, like flash fiction, should tell a story, though there will certainly be fewer dramatic elements developed than we’d see in a longer piece or novel. The presence of “story” is what distinguishes flash fiction from “vignette.”

Submission guidelines at http://emberjournal.org/submission-guidelines/

Call for submissions for Adult Writers

The Crawl Space Journal, a small place for big imaginations, is looking for great writing, especially short forms: poems, prose, and flash fiction, within the realms of magical realism, fabulism, and fantasy, for our Spring Issue. We do accept novel excerpts (up to1,500 words) if they stand alone. Our readers are mainly between the ages of 11 and 14.

Submission guidelines at http://thecrawlspace.me/category/young-reader-flashlight/