Tips
For Selling Your Work
Purchase an email
mailing list of every publisher in the country. If you live in a small country
it may be worth your while to branch out.
Compile these
addresses into one list and send out a mass email.
Don't bother
to address the letter as obviously each name is going to be different.
Attach your book
or short story to this email.
A gimmick in
the subject line is a great way to get attention for example : "You Could
be Missing the Opportunity of a Lifetime!!!" is a sure-fire attention
getter.
Make sure the
email is in upper case letters only so it will stand out. Choose an unusual
font like "scruff" and include graphics. They don't have to be related
to the material just big and colourful. Video is even better.
Resubmit every
day for two weeks.
If they still
haven't responded, it is time to drop the humor and get down to business.
Telephone the editor and ask why. Remind them that you are a very busy person
and that it is very inconvenient to have to chase them down.
Sometimes lazy
editors fall back on excuses like "this is a Science Fiction magazine,
we have no use for make-up tips" or "have you read our magazine
at all?" Explain calmly that you just don't have the time to read every
single publication you submit to.
There is big
money to be made in short stories, so once an editor has expressed interest
in your work you are in a position to haggle. Calculate the amount of time
it took you to think of the idea, write the story,and send the submission.
multiply this figure by 10 and add the cost of purchasing the mailing list.
Persistence pays
off. Keep calling and emailing until they publish your work or get a restraining
order.
Lastly, guidelines
are only that, you don't have to follow them religiously.
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