Being a writer is like having homework every night for the rest of your life. ~Lawrence Kasdan

Creative writers everywhere are often tempted to kick back and turn things down a notch during the summer (like kids on vacation from school!), but here at Writer’s Relief, we’re still working hard to send our clients’ books, poems, stories, essays, and novels to literary agents and editors. We’ve also put together this issue of our Newsflash for Writers. We hope you’ll print it out, grab yourself a lemonade, and head out to the pool to do a little light reading about the business of publishing.

Remember: While other writers are slacking off, the publishing business is still moving forward. By sending your work out during the summer, you could position yourself to be at the right place at the right time. So keep at it! And know that Writer’s Relief is here to help.

Our Big News: This issue is our 60th! We’ve been writing and editing this free Newsflash for FIVE YEARS! Hooray for the Writer’s Relief staff! 

In this issue:

** SHOULD YOU SUBMIT YOUR WRITING IN THE SUMMER?

** YOUR PROFESSIONAL BIO: QUERY LETTER AND COVER LETTER TIPS

** IS IT WORTH YOUR TIME TO WRITE A MEMOIR?

** LET US POOFREAD YOU’RE MANUSCRIPT B4 YOU SUMBIT

** LITERARY AGENT MANUSCRIPT REQUESTS: GET THE ADVANTAGE

** RHYMING POETRY: DOs, DON’Ts, AND DEFINITIONS

** WHERE NEW WRITERS CAN GET PUBLISHED

** HOW TO MEET A DEADLINE

PLUS—remember to check our brand-new Writers Classified Pages! Enter contests, submit to anthologies, find writing conferences, featured books, and writers services—all in one convenient place! Seriously, folks. It doesn’t get any better than this!

Enroll in our A La Carte Service in July or August and receive a FREE CONSULTATION WITH ONE OF OUR SUBMISSION STRATEGISTS. Did you know that you can increase your acceptance rate by submitting at this time of year because fewer writers are submitting? Summer submissions face less competition for agents’ attention, so when you submit during the summer, you gain a fantastic advantage!

We can help you submit your book, short prose, or poetry this summer. You’ll get 25+ submissions out into the world in as little as three days!

We offer services for writers of every budget. Take a look at the two A La Carte Services we list below, and call us to discuss whether you and your writing are ready.

$100: A La Carte Service—Get started right away! This is a more do-it-yourself service, with Writer’s Relief targeting markets and guiding you through the process. You’ll get 25+ submissions out into the world within three days. This service is simple, quick, and affordable. We provide the best market research available to creative writers.

$200 - $250: A La Carte PLUS Service—Everything that’s fast and affordable about our regular A La Carte Service, with the time-saving bonus of Full Service cover and/or query letter preparation. We will target 25+ of the best markets for your work, prepare mailing labels, and create personalized, professional cover and/or query letters.

Learn more about why summer submissions are effective submissions!

Writing a bio for a cover letter or query letter is difficult, whether you’re a new writer with no publication credits, a mid-level writer with significant publications, or a professional writer. Literary agents look to authors’ bios to ascertain whether writers are dedicated craftspeople or well-intentioned amateurs. Editors look to a writer’s publication history to support a tough decision to fill tight page space, or to include in the contributor’s notes.

The biography in your cover or query letter should be good—and while this article stresses the importance of having strong publication credits, it’s not unheard of that a writer with no experience at all will gain national attention. Just be sure that the bio in your query or cover letter is professional, succinct, and helpful to literary agents and editors of literary journals.

Length Of Your Writing Bio

DO keep it short. Your professional bio should be no more than one paragraph—two at the most.

DON’T attach your resume, CV, or other professional documents unless they are specifically requested. Editors and agents won’t read them; they might skim them (if you’re lucky). And if you don’t prominently emphasize what is most important, your best credits may be overlooked.

Your Creative Writing Publications

DO put your best writing credits first, where they’ll get noticed. 

DON’T include credits that will peg you as an amateur, like disreputable poetry contests or shady Who’s Who listings.

DO stick to the facts. Don’t overinflate or falsify. Don’t get gooey and sentimental about your past successes.

DON’T list your self-published book projects (or any pay-to-publish projects) unless you’ve received some kind of noteworthy accolades or had strong sales. Here’s more information: Self-Publishing: When (Not) To Include Your Self-Published Book In Your Cover Or Query Letter Bio.

DO list any books you’ve worked on, including the publisher and the date of the release. Example: The Book I Wrote (AnyName Publishers, 2010).

Your Personality

DON’T say things like, “It’s my dream to be a writer,” or “I’ve been writing since I was five.” Ask yourself: Of everyone who is submitting, who doesn’t want to be a writer? Also, everyone learns to write at about age five.

DO include personal information if it’s appropriate to your submission or if it might set you apart.

Format Of Your Writing Bio

DO be consistent. You can write your bio in first person or third (though first is more common). Whichever you choose, stick with it.

What To Do If You Have No Writing Credentials

At some point, every writer has NO publishing credits at all. Don’t panic; editors and literary agents know that everyone has to start somewhere—even you.

Here are some things you might consider listing in your cover or query letter if you want to build up your writing credentials quickly. But as stated above, don’t fake it. If you really have no credits at all, don’t fudge.

You may want to say a few words about yourself to indicate that you are dedicated and serious. We’re not talking about lip service. Editors and agents want proof, such as involvement in literary organizations, that demonstrates your commitment.

Writer’s Relief composes cover and query letters on behalf of our clients. For more information on how we can help you write a cover or query letter, learn more about Writer’s Relief author’s submission services.

Guest writer Denis Ledoux has been assisting people to write personal and family stories (since 1988) and training the memoir professionals who work with them (since 1996). For your free memory jog question book, go to http://turningmemories.com/memorylist.html.

“Worth the time to write?” I repeated—raising my voice into a question—when a man said to me recently that most people didn't have a memoir that was worth their time to write.

“Not only is every life worth writing about,” I countered, “but the writing of a memoir is a healing and developmental process for the writer. There is something precious in the telling of every tale.”

“I don't know about the healing,” he said, “but I do know that most people haven't done anything interesting enough to write about, let alone have someone else read it.”

“I don't think children and grandchildren feel that way,” I answered. “I've never met anyone who wasn't happy to have a memoir of a father or mother.”

“Well, okay,” he conceded, “but who else is interested?”

“The breadth of the audience is not what makes the writing of a memoir significant. There is worth in the telling itself.”

There continues to be an insatiable hunger to know about one's family and culture. Writing a memoir is a meaningful way one generation can transmit stories to another.

In the man's commentary, of course, there is an important point to consider. If one has not led a momentous life, are there things one can do if one wishes to write a memoir that goes beyond the interest of a small family readership?

Let me emphasize that it is appropriate to write stories solely to family readership. There is nothing “wrong” with a small audience. The value of any piece of writing is not measured by how many people—total numbers—have read it. This emphasis on size is a spin-off of the commercialization of worth. It is a result of the creation and promotion of the “superstar” in our culture.

But the true worth of a memoir is better measured by the inherent value to the writer and to its selected audience. The act of writing will change you and your relationship to your life. Writing is significant for itself.

Begin writing your memoir today!

Want to find a literary agent for your memoir—an advocate who will help you submit your memoir to major publishing houses? Writer’s Relief helps writers of memoirs get published by managing the submission process and targeting the best literary agents and editors who want to read true stories.

Have you finished a novel? Are you submitting your poetry manuscript to competitions? If so, your manuscript should be proofread and prepared to publishing industry standards. The format and presentation of your manuscript matters in the same way as how you present yourself at a job interview. Show up in jeans at your own risk!

Writer’s Relief offers a proofreading and formatting service (novels, nonfiction, and poetry manuscripts included). This service is designed to help writers prepare their manuscripts for publication and/or for submissions to literary agents and publishers, as well as contests and competitions.

Want to get a proofreading and formatting quote? Send us an electronic copy of your book manuscript (Proof@wrelief.com). Include your contact information: mailing address, phone number, and e-mail address. We’ll evaluate the manuscript and quote a price to prepare it for you. Be sure your subject line refers to the project you want proofed.

You can also call our proofreading department today at (866) 405-3003 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. ET.

You’ve done the work of writing a great manuscript, so don't skimp on the final steps. Make sure that your pages are ready to pass muster with the agent or editor who receives them. We will format the manuscript to meet industry standards, and we can assist with special formatting for contests and/or competitions. Remember, presentation is everything!

If a literary agent asks to read your entire manuscript, pat yourself on the back! Something in your book or novel piqued the agent’s interest—not an easy thing to do. The literary agent believes you may have something that he or she could sell to an editor.

BUT—before you bundle up your manuscript and send it off in the mail, there are a few things to consider. You’ll want to get the most mileage out of the agent’s interest in your book. A savvy and diplomatic writer may be able to use one agent’s request to stir up interest from other agents.

Here are some options and tips to help you decide how to handle an agent’s request for a complete manuscript:

Of course, the easiest thing to do is to simply send the manuscript ASAP, as per the agent’s request. No questions asked.

But sometimes, it’s not that simple.

Has the agent requested an exclusive read? If so, you may want to put the brakes on. There are a number of ways to handle a request for an exclusive, and we’ve written a post to help you make the right choice. READ MORE: When A Literary Agent Requests An Exclusive: Solutions For Sticky Situations.

If the agent is your top choice and you know that you’ll sign with the agency given the opportunity, then you do not necessarily need to drum up enthusiasm at other literary agencies. Doing so might feed your ego, but it may not be conducive to a strong partnership built on mutual respect and trust.

If, however, you’re hoping that a literary agent other than the one who requested your book will rep your writing, you may want to contact the agencies who have already received your query in order to inform them that you’ve received a request from another agent.

(TIP: Don’t call. Agents hate that. Email is fine. State simply that you want to let so-and-so know that another literary agency has requested your complete manuscript and that you want to extend the courtesy of informing said agency.)

You don’t need to drop the names of the people who are reading your book, but by informing the parties involved that your full manuscript is currently being read by others, you may just get bumped to the top of the slush pile. After all, no literary agent wants to get scooped by another agent.

Need help negotiating the finer points of the book publishing industry? Writer’s Relief submission strategists are here to help!

Editors hate rhyming poetry. Or do they? Rhyme has become something of a sore subject in the world of contemporary poetry, but to many poetry editors, there’s good reason for the shift. A number of writers who work in rhyme have yet to distinguish between the nursery rhymes of childhood and more adult types of verse. Recollections of the fun, frilly words that cheered and delighted us as children may be the reason editors tend to avoid rhyming poems.

If we are to write rhyming poetry that transcends childhood nursery rhymes, we must understand the importance of alliteration, assonance, and consonance and what they can bring to our work. These elements of rhyme become useful tools when used effectively.

Rhyme does not have to be an ABAB rhyme scheme. The rhyme scheme is the pattern of rhyming words in a poem. A typical rhyme scheme may look like this:

I went to the store
To buy some milk
But I found something more
A scarf of silk.

In the example above, store/more and milk/silk are examples of perfect rhyme (when the words sound the same because of the last syllable). Many poets find it difficult to handle perfect rhyme, since they run the risk of writing poems that sound forced or even clichéd. Mastering the different types of rhyme beyond ABAB improves poetry techniques and also creates a more sophisticated style of poem.

Understanding how to use rhyme effectively may give you the confidence you need to submit your rhyming poems to poetry editors (who may just be waiting for someone like you to get “rhyme” right). But in order to do that, you’ll need to see how good rhyming verse offers much more than words that merely “sound the same.”

While perfect rhyme is often found at the end of a line, there are a number of ways good rhyming poetry makes use of other kinds of rhyme. Internal rhyme (or middle rhyme) is rhyme that occurs in a single line of verse. Internal rhyme is a more subtle way of creating rhyming poetry. Edgar Allan Poe provided an excellent example of internal rhyme in “The Raven.” Take a look:

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
“'Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door —
     Only this, and nothing more.”

Here are a few types of rhyme that go beyond that singsong meter of childhood nursery rhymes.

Alliteration is when the same initial consonant sound repeats in close succession. You can see an example in the Poe verse above: “While I nodded, nearly napping…” Alliteration brings a more subtle form of music to an otherwise flat line.

Assonance is when the vowels in a given line rhyme. For example, “weak and weary” offers both alliteration and assonance.

Consonance is when one or two consonants in the words of a given phrase repeat in close succession, although the words themselves may not technically rhyme in the traditional “hat, sat, cat” sense. The rhyme is created within the internal structure of the words, based on the consonants. Examples: clip, clop.

Half rhyme is when the final consonants repeat: bowl, trawl.

Pararhyme can have much in common with the forms above. Pararhyme is when the consonants match, but the vowels are different. The consonance examples are also pararhyme (drip, drop). Sometimes, pararhyme may be called partial rhyme or imperfect rhyme.

Reverse rhyme is the opposite of what we think of as typical rhyme. Instead of the like sounds coming at the end of the words (fighter, lighter), the like sounds arrive at the beginning (gorge, gourd).

At Writer’s Relief we have worked with poets who specialize in rhyme, but the poetry must be exceptional. Learn how you can submit your poems for publication through Writer’s Relief.

Who is publishing work by new writers? If you’ve been in the publishing industry long enough, you’ve probably heard a writer lament, “In order to get published, you have to be published already!” And yet, if having publishing credentials in order to get published was truly necessary, no one would be published at all.

There are many publishers, presses, literary magazines, and publishing houses that acquire the books, short stories, poems, and novels of new, unpublished writers. It’s just a matter of being at the top of your game, and knowing where to look.

Local Papers, Private Publications, and Specialty Publications

While having your work published in a small, monthly hometown paper (whose editor was at your barbecue last year) might not be the most glamorous publishing credential, smaller publications in your region are a great place to start. Often, editors of local magazines, e-zines, and community newsletters are thrilled to print the work of up-and-coming writers from their area.

If you want to tap into this market, be sure you’re the right person to do it: If you’re not truly enthusiastic about participating in your community with like-minded readers/writers, you might not be a prime candidate for this type of publication.

You might also consider writing for a specialty newsletter. For example, many corporations, religious organizations, and clubs issue community bulletins and newsletters on a regular basis. Why not see about getting your writing published there? Or keep your ear to the ground to learn about local magazines targeted to a specific audience. Many locales will have smaller poetry magazines or periodicals about nature, education, or local living. Those are great venues for new writers.

Once you have a few smaller publications under your belt, you’ll be ready to take the next step: publishing your creative writing in literary magazines.

Online Literary Magazines

New writers would do well to take the booming world of online literary journals very seriously. As the Internet continues to evolve, a writer’s online presence (and online platform) will become increasingly important. Ignore online journals at your own risk!

We’ve been writing a lot about online literary magazines in recent weeks (we love them), and we hope you’ll check out some of our articles listed below. In the meantime, here’s what you—as a new writer—need to know about online journals.

Because online journals don’t typically have the same kind of operating costs as print literary magazines, they do have a little more leeway to take a risk on a new writer. Choose your online journal submissions carefully, and you could end up with a fantastic portfolio. Don’t know which online magazines are best for your work? Writer’s Relief can help.

Articles About Online Literary Magazines:

Online Literary Journals: How To Determine Quality And Reputation

Online Writing Submissions: Mistakes Writers Make Submitting To Literary Agents And Editors

What Is Considered Previously Published Writing?

Print Literary Magazines And Journals

For new writers of poetry and creative prose (short stories and essays), literary journals are a rite of passage into writing maturity. While online journals are increasingly important, many literary journals are also available in print editions (though the number is shrinking).

Print literary journals DO frequently publish work by new writers. At Writer’s Relief we’ve been helping writers submit their work to literary magazines since 1994—and we’re not going to tell you that it’s easy to be accepted for publication in a print magazine. Generally speaking, only about one or two of 100 submissions make(s) it all the way to publication.

That said, literary magazine editors truly are on the hunt for exciting new writing. And to many editors, your writing background matters very little. It’s the quality of the writing that dictates whether you’ll get published—that and how well you researched and targeted your submissions.

At Writer’s Relief we’re proud that we’ve helped writers publish their work more widely. Some writers-turned-clients came to us with no publishing credits at all and left with many publications AND a literary agent. Learn how you can become a client of Writer’s Relief.

Whether we write for work or pleasure, deadlines are necessary in the game of Get It Done. Unfortunately, there is a stigma that comes with the dreaded D-word, and it often causes writers to drag their feet until they’re behind schedule.

Here are some tips to keep yourself on track so you can meet those deadlines with ease:

It’s no big deal. One of the biggest reasons people procrastinate is because their minds make monsters out of duties that really aren’t that bad. Stay positive and recognize the fact that the sooner you finish, the sooner you can move on.

Establish a half deadline. It’s Monday and your goal is to write six chapters of your book by Saturday. It’s tempting to put it off, but you know you’ll end up spending your entire Friday night pounding out pages. Break up the work into smaller pieces. Set out to write three chapters by Wednesday, and finish the rest by Saturday. Who knows? Maybe you’ll hit a productive stride and finish early!

Do your chores. Why is it that when we have work to do, it suddenly seems like the best time to rearrange the refrigerator? If you know you have a deadline approaching, get everything tidied up ahead of time. Not only will a tidy workspace help you focus, but you won’t be tempted to meticulously dust each knick-knack in your living room.

Keep a list of tasks and prioritize. This can work differently for different people, so make an honest assessment of your own work habits. For example, if you like to ease into things, do the simpler tasks first and use them to build momentum for the larger tasks on your list. If, on the other hand, you're the kind of person who prefers to pull a Band-Aid off quickly, front-load your schedule with the hardest tasks—with the bigger time commitments out of the way, the easier tasks will feel like a breeze to complete.

There's a reason Post-its were invented. The colorful ones are the most fun!

Allow yourself breaks. Don’t think you’re chained to your desk. Know that it’s okay to get up every once in a while and rest your eyes. It may feel like you’re wasting time, but it will actually help keep your productivity level up.

Give a hoot. If you don't care about what you're doing, the chances of you caring about your deadline are slim to none. Even if you have no choice in the matter, think about why your assignment is important. Eliminating the frivolity factor and recognizing that other people might be depending on you to get things done can lessen the urge to procrastinate.

Make sure not to bite off more than you can chew, and remember to do your best. Your best is different from day to day, but if you put your head and heart into a task, you’ll find that meeting deadlines is easier than it sounds!

Want help staying on track with your self-imposed deadlines? Want a reason to write more regularly? Writer’s Relief helps keep our writer clients on track with both their writing and submissions (plus, we help them increase their chances of publication too!). Learn more about how Writer’s Relief can help you get published.

Creative Writers: What are you doing with your summer? Are you going to submit your poems, stories, essays, and books this month? If so, our free Newsflash for Writers can help! Use these hints and tips to find a literary agent, publisher, or editor for your writing! 

Share our articles with your writing group, pass links along to friends, or repost our articles on your blog or Web site with proper attribution.

In this Issue:

HOW TO RESEARCH THE BEST LITERARY AGENTS FOR YOUR BOOK

PSEUDONYMS: USING A PEN NAME IN A COVER OR QUERY LETTER TO AGENTS OR EDITORS

LITERARY JOURNALS AND MAGAZINES: WHAT THEY ARE, WHO RUNS THEM, AND HOW THEY BENEFIT YOU

TEN WAYS TO MAKE YOUR POEMS STAND OUT IN A CROWD

HOW TO PUBLISH A COLLECTION OF ESSAYS

* * You won’t find a better list anywhere (AND IT’S FREE!) of upcoming ANTHOLOGIES, SPECIAL-THEMED JOURNALS, and CONTESTS. Visit: http://www.writersrelief.com/writers-classifieds.

We know you love our free list of publishing leads, writing contests, calls for submissions, writers conferences, and more. The free publishing resource you love just got even better!

We’ve added new conferences and expanded our lists of writing contests and anthologies, and we’re offering information about hot new recommended reads and writers’ services! Get your poems, stories, essays, and books published with our directory of leads.

And as usual, it’s FREE!

Bookmark this page and return often to see the newest publishing opportunities. E-mail this link to your friends, post it in your writing forum communities, or link to it on your blog and social-networking sites.

http://www.writersrelief.com/writers-classifieds/

See you there!

So you’ve finished your book. Now what? How do you start researching literary agents who will want to represent your novel, memoir, or nonfiction book? Finding a literary agent is tough, but every year, writers just like you are landing reputable agents. Writer’s Relief can do the literary agent research for you if you don’t have the time or would rather be writing than sifting through market books. But if you’re planning to find a literary agent on your own, here’s how to get started!

Step 1: Finish your novel or memoir. Literary agents are not interested in ideas for books (unless you’re aiming for a specific nonfiction market, in which case a book proposal is appropriate). Have a complete and polished manuscript ready, and make doubly sure the submission is perfect.

Step 2: Get your bearings in the publishing industry. Get to know the market you're targeting—the terminology, the key agencies, the ins and outs of contracts and rights, the actual step-by-step process of publishing—and set realistic goals based on a good grasp of the facts.

Here is a site that contains links to articles about publishing fundamentals that you need to know to get your books published. If any of the titles of these articles seem unfamiliar to you, you may want to give them a quick skim before you dive into the publishing fray. If you want to be taken seriously, you have to take the business seriously first.

Step 3: Define your market. If you are unable to categorize your book, an agent won’t be able to either. An agent needs to know exactly which audience will be most receptive to your novel. Is it young adult? Erotica? Science fiction with a paranormal twist? Being able to define your genre will help your agent find an audience for it.

Step 4: Create a list of suitable agents. Based on your particular genre, you can narrow down the list of possible agents to those who represent similar work. There are several ways to do this:

· Trade journals and guides. Research directories that list literary agencies and publishers, such as the most current edition of Writer’s Market or Literary Marketplace. (Remember that these listings are often out of date by the time they hit the shelves, so verify contact information and agent interests before submitting anything.) Cross-check information as needed for verification.

· Word of mouth. Browse bookstores and find work similar to your own—sometimes authors will mention their agents in the acknowledgments section. Read book reviews and interviews with authors who publish in your genre—they often mention their agents by name.

· Networking. Ask other authors who have published work in your genre for agent recommendations, and, if at all possible, get a referral. Attend writers conferences and workshops where you can meet agents and successful authors. Writers groups can also be good networking opportunities.

· Internet. There’s a wealth of information online, but the Internet can also be a breeding ground for disreputable agents and unfounded gossip within the writing community. Do your research in advance to check on an agent’s background. How many books has the agent successfully published in the last year or two, and are they books you admire? Check out online writing forums for feedback, both good and bad.

Step 5: The perfect query letter. Once you’ve compiled a well-researched list of literary agents, arm yourself with a masterpiece of a query letter. The goal is to get the agent’s attention—ideally in the very first sentence—and make him/her eager to read more. Then, begin sending your query letters out, via mail or online submissions, to literary agents.

For more information on finding the best literary agent for your book project, see our article on How to Land a Literary Agent.

At Writer’s Relief we have been helping writers connect with agents since 1994, and we are happy to share what we’ve learned over the years. Sign up for our free monthly Newsflash for more articles on writing and the publishing industry!

If you’re writing a novel under a pen name—and you’re querying a literary agent—there’s a right way and a wrong way to use your pen name in your query letter and on your manuscript pages. And if you’re writing poems, short stories, or essays under a pen name, there’s etiquette for submitting them under a nom de plume too. So here is Writer’s Relief’s best advice on how to use your pseudonym in your cover and query letters as you try to publish your book, poems, or short prose.

Should you include your real name in a query or cover letter?

Yes. Absolutely. Here’s the rule of thumb: Submit without hiding your real name. Publish under your pen name.

All dealings with agents, editors, publicists, and other industry professionals (like the staff at Writer’s Relief) should be conducted under your real name. Why? Because it’s good business. Think about it this way. “Pen name” is a nice way of saying “fake name.” And there are very few of us who use aliases in our everyday lives—at least, very few of us who are not violating parole.

You wouldn’t introduce yourself at a job interview using a fake name, and since a cover or query letter acts as an introduction, the same rules apply. Using your real name suggests that you’re honest and open—not trying to hide anything. Plus, if your editor or literary agent is going to draw up a contract or write a check for you, he or she would use your real name. So why introduce yourself with a fake name unless you were trying to be cagey? Honesty is always the best policy.

Click to learn more about how you get paid and how you interact with publishers when you write under a pen name. 

Writing nonfiction? Learn the truth about using a pen name to protect your identity and prevent lawsuits. 

Where in a query or cover letter should you mention a pen name?

One sentence somewhere in the body of a query or cover letter mentioning that you write under a specific pen name should be sufficient.

Where on a manuscript should you write a pen name?

On book manuscripts, one common practice is to list your real name with your contact information and your real name as your byline. Then, beneath your real name, you will include something along the lines of:

The Best Book Ever Written

by

Jane Doe

(writing as Arabella Von Pseudonym)

Sometimes “writing as” will be abbreviated as “w/a,” but in your query letter you should spell it out. If you don’t want to use the “writing as” approach, you can simply opt to write:

The Best Book Ever Written

by

Arabella Von Pseudonym

The important thing is to be forthcoming about your real name on your letter and with your contact information.

In your submissions to literary magazines (if you’re submitting poems, stories, and essays), you’ll want to include your real name with your contact information on the first page (typically upper left corner) of your manuscript. Then if you’re writing a story or essay, you can do something like:

The Best Story Ever Written

by

Arabella Von Pseudonym

There are no hard and fast rules about pen name format on manuscripts: The important thing is to be sure to distinguish your real name from your pen name—and to always associate with fellow professionals using your real name, but to publish under your pen name.

Confused? Writer’s Relief helps guide our clients through the etiquette of the publishing industry, including issues of pen names. Our submission strategists are here to help!

There is plenty of talk in the writing industry about the importance of literary magazines, but what exactly is a literary magazine? If you are uncertain about submitting your poems, short stories, and essays for publication, the information below will help you improve your submission strategy by shedding some light on the way that literary journals work.

What is a literary magazine?

Not to be confused with commercial magazines like Time or Newsweek, a literary magazine is a publication that focuses on creative writing. It can be print (perfect-bound or tabloid) or online, and associated with a university or an independent literary press. Funding for literary magazines usually comes from monthly or yearly reader subscriptions (which may number a few hundred subscribers or as many as tens of thousands). Many literary magazines are also funded by government and private subsidies that support the arts. More often than not, literary journals are unable to pay their contributors. They exist to showcase writings (and artwork) that would otherwise not find an audience in mainstream, commercial publishing.

In the past, literary journals were confined to the realm of hardcopy and print. But the Internet, along with economic factors, has driven many print journals online. Learn more: Online Literary Journals: The Cutting Edge Of Traditional Publishing.

What is the difference between a literary magazine and a literary journal?

For the most part, the definitions of literary magazine and literary journal are pretty much the same. Sometimes a tabloid-sized publication may be referred to as a magazine, and a perfect-bound publication may be referred to as a journal, but the terms are used interchangeably by most people. You may also see the term lit mag as shorthand.

What do literary magazines publish? Do they publish new writers?

Literary magazines typically publish short fiction, poetry, essays, book reviews, and sometimes art and photography. Some magazines specialize only in poetry; others will publish only stories. The focus can range from mainstream literature to specific topics, such as nature, politics, or Americana.

Many, if not all, literary magazines encourage submissions by new writers. Their goal is to shine the spotlight on great writing, regardless of the author’s experience level. In fact, many well-known writers got their start in the pages of literary magazines.

Overall, literary magazines and journals tend to have a literary feel—emphasis is on style and insight rather than a fast-moving plot intended for escapism. However, some literary magazines do cater to readers of genre fiction (horror, mystery, science fiction, etc.) that have universal appeal.

What are the best literary magazines?

While there are many renowned and respected literary magazines that have been around for decades, it is best to focus less on which are the “best” and more on which are the best for your work. It is estimated that there are hundreds of literary magazines in publication in the United States—including both print and online literary journals. This translates to hundreds of thousands of writers who are getting their work published in literary magazines every year. The key to finding the right journals for your work is your ability to thoroughly research literary magazine markets.

Because there are so many new literary journals popping up on the Internet, it’s important to be able to determine if an e-magazine is reputable and right for you. Read more: Online Literary Journals: How To Determine Quality And Reputation.

Do you need a literary agent to get published in a literary magazine?

Because literary journals don’t pay much (if anything at all), literary agents generally will not submit your writing to said magazines for you. You can submit on your own.

How do you get published in a literary magazine? Why do they benefit writers?

To get published in a literary magazine, you’ll need to research and identify those that are appropriate for your writing. Create a cover letter. Then, mail your submissions or submit online. Here’s an article about How To Submit Poems To Literary Journals And Magazines. The process for stories and essays is similar, except that instead of sending three to five pieces at a time, you’ll probably be sending only one.

Plus, see our free online tutorials to learn to make submissions online. 

Why should you support literary magazines?

As stated above, literary magazines are generally not money-making machines because they do not cater to mainstream audiences who have commercial tastes. If you want to see your work published in literary magazines, it’s important that you subscribe to literary magazines in order to help keep the market for creative writing alive and well. Do a Google search to find literary magazines that you might want to subscribe to, and do your part to support what you love!

There are countless market books and websites from which you can determine the best literary magazines for you. If you don’t want to research on your own, Writer’s Relief can help. Our A La Carte services are fast, easy, and affordable for those with a DIY approach to submitting. And our Full Service (invitation only) is for writers who want Writer’s Relief to manage the process of submitting to literary journals.

If you want to publish your poetry in literary magazines or as a collection of poems, you’ll need to know what makes one poem exceptional and another poem merely ordinary. The fact is, when you’re submitting poems to editors, you’re vying with many other poets—you’ve got to be competitive if you want to stay in the game.

1. Read poems. If you’re not reading contemporary poetry, it’s unlikely that you’ll understand how your work fits into the modern poetry scene. Subscribe to a literary magazine or two before you start submitting, and read, read, read!

2. Know what good poetry is. There’s a difference between cathartic, teen angst poetry and well-crafted, thoughtful, challenging verse. Be realistic about your poetry. Look with an undaunted and critical eye. This always leads to improvement.

3. Strive to think like no one has ever thought before. Sure, we all know “there are no new ideas,” but there are ways to see old ideas in new ways. If you look at your writing and think, “We’ve all had exactly this thought at some point,” then it’s probably time to push yourself to make stronger, more attention-worthy connections.

4. Take risks. Once you’re writing poems with a steady hand, it’s time to step out of the box. What can you do bigger, better, wilder—or more quietly? Poems that challenge are poems that catch an editor’s eye.

5. Think like an editor. There are certain things that editors have to take into consideration: word count, format, and of course, aesthetics. Here are some tips to help: Seven Techniques You Must Know To Make Editors Notice Your Poetry.

6. Be brief. Poetry is about condensed language to varying extents, so if your poems are running long, it may be time to adopt the “less is more” approach to poetry.

7. Leave something to the imagination. Leave lots. Resist the urge to describe, to explain, to illustrate. Don’t try to manipulate your reader into coming around to your precise frame of mind; instead, invite your reader to experience your poems in his or her own way. It’s what’s not said in poetry that makes it come alive.

8. Be brave. Explorers don’t make a name for themselves by tiptoeing gingerly into dangerous environments—and poets should not be fearful either. Dig deep within yourself. Be unafraid of what you’ll find when you truly see who you are. And then, let the words fly.

9. Laughter matters. When you let a bit of humor, irony, or whimsy into your poems, you also let in the sunlight. Know when to curtail the urge to be funny and when to just go with it. Editors love a chuckle, nudge, or wink from time to time.

10. Write better. All of these prior tips come down to the same thing—if you want to stand out, write better. Take classes. Learn. Read. And, of course, submit your writing regularly so you can get more acceptances!

Writer’s Relief is an author’s submission service that assists poets and writers by managing the submission process. We help writers publish their individual poems in literary journals by making strategically targeted submissions. Visit the Writer’s Relief home page for more information.

It’s not easy to publish an essay collection unless you’re already a well-known author (or a celebrity), but it is certainly not impossible. There is a market for individually published personal essays—for example: newspapers, themed anthologies, literary magazines, trade and professional journals—but selling a compilation of them takes extra marketing savvy.

At Writer’s Relief we are often asked how writers can get their collection of essays published, and we recommend the following tips to help essay writers approach editors and literary agents with greater confidence and success.

How can I generate an editor or agent’s interest in my book of essays?

Publication credits. If you’ve previously published essays in reputable literary journals, make sure to include these credits in your query letter. We highly recommend that you build your publication credits before approaching an editor or agent with a collection of unpublished essays. The market for an essay collection is limited unless you have significantly newsworthy experiences or have a background that proves your writing has mass appeal. Wide publication credits will help indicate readers’ interest in your work.

If you are still in the process of building credits, investigate local venues for your essays—newspapers, newsletters, etc. There are also free specialty publications covering every imaginable topic (check out coffee shops and bookstores) that may be receptive to personal essays. (Hint: you can find many of them in our Writers Classifieds!) Start locally but aim for national exposure for the best results. If you’ve published a personal essay in a reputable national literary magazine, you’ve increased your odds of selling a collection by quite a bit.

Theme. Collections do well when they include essays with a common theme. For example, David Sedaris is best known for his humorous essays, and C.S. Lewis once published a collection of religious essays. Other themes may include women’s studies, travel, sports, or city life. Unique themes get attention—people love to read about real-life experiences that are highly unusual—but even the most outrageous stories must be backed by good writing.

How can I find editors or literary agents who work with essay collections?

Research, research, research. Study the essay collections at local bookstores and libraries—and don’t forget to investigate the nonfiction areas such as travel, cooking, or parenting. Note who publishes these collections and what kind of essays are selling. Check the books’ acknowledgment pages for possible references to literary agents or editors.

Study book reviews and buy compilations of essays (for example, The Best American Essays) to learn where each was published. And don’t forget about networking. Writers’ groups, college English departments, conferences—get to know fellow writers and ask questions.

Search for literary agents who welcome  essay collections. You can find thousands and thousands of resources online and in bookstores. You’ll need to examine literary agency listings carefully in order to determine which are best for you. And, if you’re short on time, Writer’s Relief can help you. We maintain a database of information—current and constantly updated—to help you target your submissions more successfully. We’ve been helping writers get their work published since 1994.

REMEMBER TO CHECK OUT OUR LIST OF WRITING CONTESTS and ANTHOLOGIES! You won’t find a better list anywhere (AND IT’S FREE!) of upcoming anthologies, special-themed journals, and contests. 

Free resources for creative writers! The Writer’s Relief FREE Newsflash for Writers is HOT OFF THE PRESS! We love to share our information with writers of poems, novels, stories, nonfiction books, and essays. With the submission strategies we offer in this Newsflash, you’ll be one step closer to making effective, professional submissions to literary agents and editors. PLUS you get DEADLINE-DATED lists of calls for submissions, anthologies, writing conferences, and writing contests at no charge!

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In This Issue:

* * THE FIRST ANNUAL PETER K. HIXSON SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

* * COVER AND QUERY LETTERS: STRIKING THE RIGHT TONE IN YOUR WRITING

* * HOW TO MAINTAIN A POSITIVE OUTLOOK FOR YOUR SUBMISSION PROCESS

* * HOW, WHY, AND WHEN TO WRITE AN INTRODUCTION FOR A NONFICTION BOOK

* * EDITORS 101: WHAT AN EDITOR WILL AND WILL NOT DO FOR YOUR WRITING

* * POETRY IS A LIFESTYLE CHOICE: HOW TO KEEP A POETIC FRAME OF MIND

* * ODDS AND ENDS: SCARE QUOTES, EXCLAMATION POINTS, ALMOST, AND PLURAL COMPOUNDS

* * You won’t find a better list anywhere (AND IT’S FREE!) of upcoming ANTHOLOGIES, SPECIAL-THEMED JOURNALS, and CONTESTS. Visit: http://www.writersrelief.com/blog/post/Anthologies-Contests.aspx

↓ Scroll Down to Read These Exciting and Useful Articles!! ↓

We’ve been very busy over the past few weeks reading through the HUNDREDS of applications entered in the First Annual Peter K. Hixson Memorial Scholarship. Each submission was carefully reviewed and every single one offered elements worthy of appreciation. Some writing samples and personal statements succeeded in making us smile, some gave us pause and offered fascinating insight, and others moved us to tears.

It was VERY difficult to choose winners. Overall, we received nearly 700 applications from all over the world. For that reason, we decided to choose TWO ADDITIONAL “Wild card” winners.

We are so pleased to be able to work with and help the winners as they progress in their writing careers. We know Peter would be thrilled with the promising skill and craft these writers display, and he would be proud of his role in helping them achieve their dreams.

EVERYONE who entered this contest will be receiving a free gift from Writer's Relief—so please keep an eye on your inbox if you participated!

And in the words of Peter’s wife Lois, "Peter often counted on the encouragement and support of the Writer’s Relief staff when he hit periods of discouragement that his writing would ever be of interest to anyone. Had a scholarship like this been available to him, I believe he would have jumped at the opportunity, and once involved, would have found a way to stay connected because he so valued the help and encouragement he received."

As a reminder: Winners will receive two rounds of our A La Carte PLUS Service (which includes targeting the 25+ best agents or editors, creating cover/query letters, individually addressing and printing letters, and providing support from Writer's Relief staff).

And The Winners Are…

Poetry Winner: Kim Waggoner (with honorable mentions for Heather Bartlett, Keith Gaboury, Marissa Mollot, and Adrienne Sneed)

Short Prose Winner: Elishia Heiden (with honorable mentions for Byron Campbell, Pittershawn Palmer, and Maria Carvajal)

Book Winner: Rebecca Elswick (with honorable mentions for Lynda Martin and Lynda Letona)

Wild Card Winners: Jackleen Holton and Daniela Petrova

**With help from Peter’s estate, we will be offering this opportunity to writers again in the coming year. If you would like to know how/when to apply, watch for announcements in our Newsflash.

Also, please feel free to leave your comments to congratulate the winners! These are promising writers who need our support, and we know Peter would be proud of their dedication and skill! 

Thanks to everyone who shared his/her writing with us! We look forward to hosting this award again soon!

Striking the right tone in a cover or query letter is critical. Learning how to write a cover or query letter is like learning how to dress for an interview; while appearances aren’t everything, first impressions can be crucial.

Tone In Query Letters To Literary Agents
When querying a literary agent, be careful not to be too clever, too cute, or too anything! A good query letter doesn’t need to make desperate grabs for attention: It professionally and succinctly reports the facts about a manuscript.

Taking an understated, professional approach suggests that the query letter needs no bells and whistles to be impressive: It’s the manuscript itself that shines.

Again, think of it as if your query letter is on a job interview. Don’t be overly formal and stuffy (you must appear approachable, and you don’t want to look as if you’re overcompensating by dressing your book up to look inappropriately eye-catching). But don’t be too casual either (you wouldn’t show up for an interview in your pajamas!).

Also, in the same way that you would avoid wearing a clown nose or light-up sneakers to an interview, avoid phrases and clever gambits that may come off as ploys to get attention. Clever can be annoying to agents reading letters by the thousands. If your query letter has a gimmick, literary agents may assume your book needs a gimmick to sell!

Literary agents want the facts—not the hype. And when you give a literary agent what he or she wants, you position yourself as a person who is professional, courteous, knowledgeable about publishing, and easy to work with.

The bottom line: Want to strike the right tone? Be straightforward, concise, and professional. Leave cute and clever to infomercials.

Tone In Cover Letters To Editors Of Literary Magazines
Many writers make the mistake of thinking that the cover letter is the key to having their work chosen for publication. The truth is, editors at literary magazines are not normally impressed by what the cover letter itself has to say, and they will skim over it (or not read it at all) in order to spend more time reading your writing.

The key to an effective cover letter is to be selective and succinct. The overworked, underpaid editor’s eyes are more likely to absorb information from three well-crafted sentences than from three well-crafted paragraphs.

At Writer’s Relief we recommend that our clients keep their list of accomplishments and publications to a brief bio paragraph. This means that if your work has appeared in 30 literary journals, it may be a good idea to list only the highest-ranked journals on your list. If you haven’t been published yet, don’t be afraid to throw in a few relevant details (Do you have a degree in engineering? Have you attended writing workshops, etc.?). Read more: No Publishing Credits? Get Publishing Credentials: How To Build Up Your Writing Bio Super Fast.

It is just as important to know what information to omit as it is to include. Therefore, we must stress that you should not describe the plot and themes of your poetry or short prose in a cover letter.

When you send your work to a literary magazine, your submission will be read regardless of the content of your cover letter. By explaining your plot or motifs, you might inadvertently imply that you suspect the editor must be lured into reading a submission (and that means you imply that he or she is slacking off!).

Also, explaining a story, poem, or essay in a cover letter is effectually saying to the editor that he or she is not intelligent enough to figure out the plot and themes on his or her own.

The bottom line: Keep your wording simple. If your cover letter represents that first business handshake, save your creative style for the focus of the presentation: your writing.

Writer’s Relief has been helping our clients prepare (and strike the right tone in) cover and query letters since 1994.

As writers, we've been told time and time again that we need to develop thick skins, deal with criticism constructively, persevere in the face of a thousand rejection slips. And we’ve all heard the stories of how many well-known authors were turned down by countless editors, only to later publish a best seller.

But the reality for most of us is this: Success is hard to measure in the world of fiction writing, and it’s up to you to create a realistic measure for yourself. Take a minute to examine your ultimate goals and determine how to stay focused and positive during the difficult process of submitting your writing.

Do you feel you’ll be a failure if you don’t produce the next great American novel, or if you publish only 7 poems instead of the 50 you promised yourself? If your happiness is tied up in reaching certain goals, maybe it’s time for some reevaluation. Sure, Sylvia Plath’s genius was inextricably tied to her despair and depression, but for the most part, a dejected, deflated writer will produce dejected, deflated writing. It’s time to take charge of your happiness so you can take charge of your writing.

Explore your inner voice. This is the voice inside your head, orchestrating your thoughts and progress. If it says, You’re not good enough, how can it not affect your writing? Be kind to yourself. If you’re new to writing, change not good enough to learning the ropes. If you’ve been at it for years and are still hitting a wall, take a good hard look at the critiques and suggestions you’ve received. Take a class, try a new genre, explore writing groups that offer solid advice and constructive criticism. Above all, put aside your ego long enough to really hear what experts say about your writing.

What would make you happy? An angry, pessimistic, irritable writer may hang all his or her hopes for happiness on publication. But chances are that if this writer gets published, he or she will simply become an angry, pessimistic, and irritable author with a publication credit. It’s kind of like winning the lottery—you may suddenly have a million dollars, but the problems in your life are still there: You’re still afraid of spiders, still estranged from your grown children, still suffering from heartburn, and the cat still throws up on the carpet nearly every day. The process of writing should be a joy in itself. Publication is the icing on the cake.

Are you being realistic? Get-rich schemes don’t work, and magical shortcuts to publication don’t exist. Writing takes time to develop, like a good wine develops depth and character with age. This doesn’t mean that you have to be in a nursing home to finally reach your goals, but looking for instant gratification won’t help either. Patience, persistence, constant and well-targeted submissions—these are what will move you toward your publishing goal.

Set yourself up with small, reachable steps, and celebrate the completion of each one. I will work on my synopsis for half an hour. I will get a good night’s sleep so I can work on a poem early in the morning while everyone sleeps. I will let the machine take my calls for the next two hours, and I will eat a healthy lunch for energy. I will identify the problem with my antagonist and fix it. Each step leads to the next, and the path will slowly unfold before you.

At Writer’s Relief we know how difficult the submission process can be for creative writers. For more tips on staying positive and dealing with rejection, check out our E-book, Rejoice in Rejection. Our submission service targets the markets best-suited for your work, and we see rejection slips as positive proof that our writers are moving forward in the publishing industry (our clients also see an above average number of acceptance letters as well!). Since 1994 we’ve been compiling records of literary agents’ and editors’ personal preferences and keeping abreast of changes in the literary market, all to give our clients the best chance for getting their writing published.