What is an author platform? The term platform is generally most relevant to writers of nonfiction (especially those working with book proposals); however, novel and memoir writers can also be included in terms of their platforms. Literary agents and editors use the word platform within the publishing industry to talk about an author’s relationship with his or her audience. Let’s get into the specifics of what a platform is, why literary agents and editors take them seriously, and whether or not you, as a writer, need one.

Author Platforms in Real Life

When you write a proposal for a nonfiction book, you’re expected to have a good, strong platform. A platform involves many components: the author’s expertise in the field that he or she is writing about; the author’s preexisting popularity, notoriety, and status as a leader in his or her field; the author’s personal, already-established connection to the readership that will be interested in his or her book.

In short, a platform is the author’s background within a given field that establishes him or her as the right person to publish (and sell) a book on the subject.

Most of the time, writers of self-help, how-to, or even biography proposals will need a strong platform.

What Is A Strong Platform? A Weak platform?

Let’s say you’ve written a nonfiction book proposal to publish a book about a brand-new diet: The Lima Bean Diet.

An author who has a strong platform:

Is a highly educated nutritionist with multiple degrees and special studies about lima beans

Has written and published many peer-reviewed articles on lima beans in science journals

Has written and published many popular weight-loss articles about lima beans in major commercial magazines

Has a blog with a strong following of people who have had success with The Lima Bean Diet

Has gained some preliminary media coverage (local TV spots, articles, interviews) that suggests The Lima Bean Diet is the next big thing

Has led high-energy seminars all over the nation about The Lima Bean Diet and has a growing mailing list

A writer who has a weak platform:

Has minimal or informal education in his or her field (relies on personal experience to prove The Lima Bean Diet works)

Has published a few articles on The Lima Bean Diet with “underground” blogs, websites, and zines

Has not published anything in commercial magazines or has published only in small-circulation periodicals

Has a blog, but not many followers—and few followers are active

Has a following of family and friends (with some friends of friends and some strangers)—but that’s where it ends

Has had little to no media coverage

Has no reputation for being an expert, leads a couple of local seminars in libraries or health food stores

What Your Platform Means To A Literary Agent Or Editor

To make “big numbers” on a nonfiction book, a literary agent will look for an author who comes with a built-in audience (an audience that depends on and trusts said author’s expertise). Many writers believe that they “have a great idea for a book.” And still more believe that their personal experiences alone make them the authority about their subject.

Nonfiction writing is especially competitive. If a literary agent “falls in love with” a project, he or she may be willing to work with an author to build up a platform (in order to impress an editor), but this happens very rarely. Instead, writers should build their own platform before querying an agent.

How To Build Up A Better Platform For Your Writing

1. Be (or become) an expert in your field.

2. Establish a strong online presence via an author website, a blog, and social networking.

3. Write articles for major commercial magazines.

4. Be approached as an expert source for other people writing about your subject.

5. Offer seminars and establish yourself as a speaker.

6. Hire a publicist who can help with media exposure.

One last note: if you’re writing a memoir, it helps to be high-profile, but it’s not necessary. Memoirs are not sold via proposal, and, therefore, their authors don’t necessarily need a platform. For all intents and purposes, a memoir works like fiction: The book must be complete, not pitched via proposal.

Writer’s Relief has been helping writers of fiction and nonfiction connect with the best literary agents since 1994. We’ve successfully helped many creative writers build up their publication credits (and platforms) within the literary-magazine market. When you have a strong writing bio or platform, you’re more likely to receive interest from a literary agent. So check out Writer’s Relief today!

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.

Whether you are hoping to have your book represented by a literary agent, or have an essay, poem, or short story published in a journal, it is imperative that you understand the language of publishing. Being fluent in this terminology will give you greater control over the sale and distribution of your creative writing, and you’ll demonstrate to literary agents and editors that you know everything from the formal vocabulary to the popular lingo.

Here is a list of commonly used (and confused) terms in the publishing business:

What is an SASE? Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope. When submitting your writing to publications, send an SASE for the journal or literary agent’s response. You can also send a larger envelope if you would like them to return your writing if it is rejected. We at Writer’s Relief recommend that you simply send a business-sized (#10) envelope for their written response, not for the return of work. 

What does previously published mean? As online publishing increases, the term previously published gets increasingly murky.

What is media rate at the post office? Media rate can be applied to mailing packages containing books, scripts, sound recordings, video tapes, and computer-readable media (such as CDs, DVDs, and diskettes). Media rate is slower and less expensive than first-class mail. 

What are simultaneous submissions? When you make a simultaneous submission, you send the same submission to more than one editor or agent at the same time.

What are multiple submissions? When you make a multiple submission, you send many submissions in one letter or e-mail to one editor or agent.

What is a literary agent? The best way to have your book published is to send your work out to literary agents first. These are professionals who can target your writing to publishers and make sure you get the best possible book deal.

What is an editor? An editor works at a publishing house or literary journal. An editor reads submissions, acquires the rights to publish them (sometimes paying for that right), and often edits the content. People who acquire short works for inclusion in a collection or anthology are also editors. 

What is a proofreader? Proofreaders edit your work for grammar, punctuation, spelling, and formatting.

What is a copyeditor? A copyeditor edits a manuscript to meet the house style, which includes reading for accuracy and formatting. 

What is a query letter? What is a cover letter? The difference between a query letter and a cover letter is that while a query letter is an introduction to a literary or book agent, a cover letter is used when sending poetry and/or short stories to literary journals. Writer’s Relief can help you write both!

What is an exclusive read from a literary agent? If you grant an exclusive read (or right of first refusal) to a literary agent, you are granting him or her the right to read your book before any other agents see it. For more detailed information, see our article When A Literary Agent Requests An Exclusive: Solutions For Sticky Situations.

What is the difference between a short story and an essay? A short story is a work of fiction; an essay, whether personal, academic, or instructional, is nonfiction. While the lines between a personal or creative essay and a short story are often blurred during the creative formation of a piece, it is important that you decide on the genre of your short prose piece in order to market it to the right editor. Learn more: Short prose genres: Defining Essay, Short Story, Commentary, Memoir, and Mixed Genre.

What are galleys for books or novels? A galley is an unformatted version of a manuscript. Galleys are sent out to reviewers and blurb writers a few weeks before the book is put in stores in its formatted version.

What is the slush pile? A slush pile is a stack of unsolicited submissions to book agents, literary journals, or publishing houses.

What are solicited and unsolicited submissions? A solicited submission is work that an editor or literary agent has asked for. An unsolicited submission is work that an editor or literary agent has not asked for.

What is an advance on a book or novel? An advance is payment a publisher gives a writer for a book or novel before it is written.

What is a writer’s backlist? A writer’s backlist is a list of his or her older publications.

What is the masthead? The masthead refers to the "behind the scenes" information about a publication, such as the editors, publishing information, etc.

Writer’s Relief often helps writers with their submission strategies and the questions that arise during the manuscript submission process. We target submissions to literary agents and editors, write cover and query letters, proofread and format manuscripts, and track submissions. Click for more information about Writer’s Relief.

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.

Writers: Once your book is finished—edited, formatted, and proofread—it’s time to look at submitting it for publication. If your novel is accepted by a literary agent or a publishing house, you will most likely be dealing with an acquisition editor, a developmental editor, a copy editor, and/or a proofreader. What’s the difference between the different types of editors, and what are their functions? Here's a quick breakdown of the publishing industry’s editing professionals:

An acquisition editor works for a publisher and makes the decision whether your work is something their house is interested in or not. He/she generally won't offer much in the way of editorial comment, other than "please send more" or "no thank you."

In developmental (or substantive) editing, the editor works closely with the author, offering suggestions on subject, format, organization, and general style. In some cases, this consultation begins before the actual writing. Throughout the editing process, the editor will suggest ways to improve readability, overall flow, and the general tone of the piece; he/she will identify gaps in the plot, pacing problems, and faulty character development. The focus is on the overall content, and the development editor will not be looking for spelling errors or punctuation problems.

Next comes the copyediting, which focuses more on the technical than the content. The copy editor makes sure your spelling, grammar, and punctuation are correct, your similes make sense, and your villain doesn't tie up the heroine with "duck" tape. This editor will also check for awkward sentence structure, confusing metaphors, and subject/verb agreement. Consistency is also checked so that the spelling of the main character's name doesn't change halfway through the work and the name of the planet she lives on stays the same throughout.

Copy editors in publishing houses often work off style sheets to ensure that the house style is consistent, and freelance copy editors usually defer to style manuals such as The Chicago Manual of Style, unless otherwise instructed.

Proofreading is much the same as copyediting, unless it's production proofing. Technically, production proofreaders check the final galley proofs before they go to print. They check for formatting issues (margins, fonts, headings) and catch any errors the copy editor may have missed. They may also check two manuscripts against each other for uniformity.

Also see: The Difference Between a Literary Agent and an Editor and Basic Vocabulary and Terms for the Publishing Industry

If you need help with submission strategies, query letters, or proofreading, Writer’s Relief has been helping writers get published for well over a decade. Give us a call!

When you’re writing a story, be it a short story or a full-length novel, you will have to decide on the point of view. What is the best point of view for a book or story? Whose point of view will engage the reader most effectively? Writer’s Relief offers the following hints and tips.

What Is Point Of View In Books And Stories? Point of view (sometimes abbreviated as POV in writing groups) can be defined as the narrative perspective from which a story or novel is told.

First Person Point Of View:
Many editors and publishers will tell you that a novel written from the first person point of view (I, we) is often a sign of an inexperienced writer, and—toss!—into the trash it goes. Check your local bookstore and take note of how many best-sellers are written in first person. They exist, but novels are far more often written in third-person narrative, and for good reason.

In first person, the character is also the narrator, either playing a central (active) role or a peripheral (sideline) part. As the first-person narrator, you have but one point of view to offer, and this can be limiting. There’s simply less opportunity to bring depth to the story. On the other hand, a first-person narrative creates an undeniable intimacy with the reader.

Poems and short stories don’t necessarily need to delve into other characters’ viewpoints, thoughts, and feelings, and writing in a first-person narrative works quite well. There are also a great many well-received novels out there written in first person, so don’t let sweeping generalizations deter you from choosing the point of view (POV) that works best for you.

Second Person Point Of View
This is a difficult and uncommon style to pull off successfully. Imagine an entire novel where the character, narrator, or even the reader is referred to as “you.” (“You walk down the street and notice the wide array of street people tucked into corners and alleys.”) Often considered an experimental form, this type of narrative would be nearly impossible to sustain through a full-length novel and would be more successful in a short piece. Examples include “How-To” stories, such as “How to Date a Brown Girl…,” by Junot Diaz.

Third Person Point Of View
Storytelling from a third person point of view (he, she) offers a clear distinction between the author and the characters, allowing the author complete freedom to travel through the story and its characters. The narrator is not a character and can therefore comment on every aspect if so desired.

Omniscient Narrator (Omniscient Point Of View)
Usually reserved for longer fiction, this narrator is all-knowing and can enter any character’s thoughts, interpret any character’s speech or actions, and provide commentary on their backgrounds and motives. As an observer with the knowledge of the characters’ history, the omniscient narrator makes judgments and offers opinions along the way. This is a technique that offers a great deal of freedom for the writer.

Omniscient Narrator (Limited Point Of View)
In this technique, the narrator’s knowledge is limited to one character—the protagonist. Other players are seen only externally. The narrator’s voice takes on the flavor and nuance of the main character, and no other information can be brought in from other sources (characters) other than what is observed through plot and dialogue. This is the most commonly used POV in short stories and novels.

Objective Narrator (Objective Point Of View)
An impersonal POV, the objective narrator offers no opinion and no value judgments, leaving the interpretation of events and dialogue up to the reader. The reader’s knowledge is limited to external descriptions, and the reader is invited to infer his or her own meaning from them.

Once you’ve chosen your point of view, consistency is a matter of personal preference. Switching POVs can cause confusion for the reader and interrupt the flow of the story. If you do choose to use multiple POVs, make it obvious when a new character takes over the storytelling. Use a new section (paragraph, chapter) for a new narrator, perhaps even labeling the section to make it abundantly clear whose point of view it’s coming from.

Learn more about prose writing: Short Story Checklist: Techniques for Getting Short Stories Published, Five Strategies To Make Your Short Story Stand Out In A Crowd, and Genre Fiction Rules: Find Out If Your Novel Meets Publishers' And Literary Agents' Criteria For Publication.

You’ve seen our list of the top 20 misused words, as identified by our expert proofreaders at Writer’s Relief. Now read on to learn how to avoid more common spelling errors and definition confusion. 

Altogether or all together
altogether (adv): entirely, completely
all together (as a phrase): in a group

Amount or number
amount (n): used for a quantity that can't be counted
number (n): used for things that can be counted

Bored or bored
bore and bored (v): to dig or drill
bear and bore (v): to carry

Breach or breech
breach (n, v): a break / to break
breech (n): the rear or bottom

Clench or clinch
clench (v): to hold or clutch, like teeth or a fist
clinch (v): to settle decisively, as in clinching a deal, or to tightly hug, like with boxing

Demur or demure
demur (n, v): a protest / to protest
demure (adj): to be coy, modest

Discreet or discrete
discreet (adj): judicious, modest
discrete (adj): separate, distinct

Enervate or energize
enervate (adj, trans. v): lazy, lacking physical energy
energize (v): to be energetic

Gibe or jibe
gibe (n, v): to tease, or a derisive remark
jibe (v): to agree

Inter or intern
inter (v): to bury
intern (v): to jail

Lead or led
lead (v): present tense, to guide the way
led (v): past tense

(Don’t laugh; many, many writers use “lead” for the past tense because it sounds like the other “lead,” the metal.)

Mantel or mantle
mantel (n): a shelf
mantle (n): a cloak, a cover

Plead or pleaded
plead (v): present tense, to beg
pleaded (or pled) (v): past tense (in the similar vein to lead/led)

Principal or principle
principal (adj, n): referring to a person or something which is of high rank
principle (n): related to a law or doctrine

Raise or rise
raise (v): to lift something (transitive: requires a direct object, such as He raised the blanket from the floor.)
rise (v): to put oneself in an upright position (intransitive: no direct object needed, such as He rises in the morning at six o’clock.)

Rational or rationale
rational (adj): reasonable or logical
rationale (n): underlying reason

Shined or shone
shined (v): past tense, to make something brighter, like shoes or a bald head.
shone (v): past tense of all other uses of “shine” (such as The moonlight shone over our nighttime walk last night.)

Other words you might find confusing:

Fitful. Definition: full of fits and starts. It does not mean restful or “fit” as in healthy or good. So if you’re editing or proofreading, watch for "a fitful sleep"—it is often the opposite of what the author means.

Reticent. Definition: silent, tacit, not spoken. It has nothing to do with being reluctant.

Tortuous. Definition: twisted, winding. Something tortuous MIGHT also be torturous (notice the extra “r”), but only if the torture relates to how winding or twisted the torture is, literally or figuratively.

Viscous (vis-kus). Definition: how thick, or not, a liquid is; vicious is, well, vicious (dangerously aggressive).

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. Find it by visiting:
http://www.writersreliefblog.com/post/Anthologies-Contests.aspx

Many writers are confused by the terms active and passive voice. Contrary to their sound, the terms have nothing to do with the tense of verbs. Rather, they refer to the performer of the action in a sentence. While most creative writers shy away from using the passive voice, this does not mean that passive sentences equate to incorrect grammar usage. This article will teach you the difference between the two voices and how to use them properly in sentences in your writing.

What is an active voice sentence? The subject of the sentence performs the action.

Example of active voice: A member of the high school’s National Honor Society planted trees in the park.

Here, the subject of the sentence, member, is performing the action, planted.

What is a passive voice sentence? The subject becomes the receiver of the action.

Example of passive voice: The tree was planted in the park by a member of the high school’s National Honor Society.

This time, the subject, tree, is not performing the action. Instead, it is the receiver of the action. A clue that this is a passive voice sentence can be found in the prepositional phrase that occurs at the end (by a member of the high school’s National Honor Society). Many passive voice sentences contain prepositional phrases beginning with by.

Consider the following sentences. Are they active or passive?
1. Gleefully stomping in the puddles, the little boy ran down the sidewalk.
2. The band was applauded by the audience.
3. The story is being written by a member of the historical society.
4. The robin, searching the sky for its mate, perched on a branch of the pine tree.

The first and fourth sentences are active voice sentences. In each, the subject is performing the action of the verb—the boy is doing the running, and the robin is doing the perching.

The second and third sentences are passive. In each, the subject of the sentence is the receiver of the action. To check, simply look at the sentence and ask yourself if the subject is performing the action. In the second sentence, is the band doing the applauding? No, so that sentence is passive. In the third sentence, is the story doing the writing? No. That sentence is also passive.

How to make passive sentences into active sentences
To make these sentences active, simply rewrite them so that the subject performs the action. In sentence two, the audience is doing the applauding, so in the active voice, the sentence should read: The audience applauded the band. In the third sentence, the performer of the action is a member of the historical society, so we can rewrite the sentence as follows: A member of the historical society is writing the story. (Notice that in both cases the subject is found within the prepositional phrase.)

Consider the following sentence. Is it active or passive?

5. Problems were solved.
Since the problems aren’t doing the solving, we know that this sentence is passive. To make it active, simply add an appropriate subject. For example, the sentence could be rewritten to read: We solved the problems. Now the sentence is active because the subject, we, is doing the solving.

Is active voice always preferable? Not necessarily. Active voice sentences are usually more forceful and precise, and if you want to emphasize the subject, you should use active voice. However, passive voice is best if you want to call attention to the receiver of the action. For example, consider this sentence:

6. The President of the United States was shot by an unknown gunman.
Clearly, this sentence is passive—the subject, President of the United States, is receiving the action rather than performing it. However, in this case, the passive voice is preferable to the active voice since the receiver of the action is more important than the performer of the action. Making the sentence active would delay getting the most important information to the reader.

Both active and passive voice sentences are useful in writing, and understanding the difference between them is helpful in creating clear, strong prose. If you are trying to get your creative writing published, we suggest experimenting with various sentence structures to find what does and does not work. At Writer’s Relief, we target literary journals and book agents for your particular style of writing.

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. Find it by visiting:
http://www.writersreliefblog.com/post/Anthologies-Contests.aspx