Tips For Selling Your Work

By Sharon Grehan-Howes

 

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.

 

 © 2001 Sharon Grehan-Howes