When to Pull the Plug on an Acceptance

Having a story accepted is a huge accomplishment for any writer. Unfortunately, having a story accepted sometimes doesn’t turn out as planned. What starts as a celebration sometimes ends in months of waiting and agony, ultimately culminating in us having a story that needs another home. A few months ago, a friend and fellow writer … Continue reading When to Pull the Plug on an Acceptance

What to Write About When You Have Nothing to Write About

Whether you are trying to write a novel, pen an epic poem, or maintain a blog about this or that, it's inevitable that you will at some point experience one of the following: lack of inspiration decrease in motivation general malaise writing burnout general I-don't-give-a-shit Some people refer to these symptoms as "writer's block," but I … Continue reading What to Write About When You Have Nothing to Write About

Writers Don’t Have To Be Cheaters

If things aren’t going your way in the publishing world, you can always try what Michael Derrick Hudson did: write as a different person. We all know the story by now. Hudson, a white poet who somehow arrived at the conclusion that being white was a big obstacle in his writing career, started submitting his … Continue reading Writers Don’t Have To Be Cheaters

Dear Writers, Don’t Be Assholes

This morning I woke up to this little note in my Bartleby Snopes inbox: You motherfuckers have to be kidding me. After some of the shit I've read on your site? Fuck off The offense that warranted such a response? Well, we rejected his story, of course. A little background: this was the 13th time this … Continue reading Dear Writers, Don’t Be Assholes

Submitting Your Writing Can Be As Easy As 1, 2, 3

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Too many writers overthink where to send their work. Even more writers underthink it. While there are plenty of writers who spend more time deciding where to submit than they do writing, many don’t spend any time thinking about it at all. Instead, they throw out their stories and poems in a willy-nilly fashion, believing … Continue reading Submitting Your Writing Can Be As Easy As 1, 2, 3

5 Reasons Every Writer Should Be Blogging

Some writers think blogging is nothing but a big ass waste of time. It’s not too hard to understand why. With millions of blogs and thousands more popping up every minute, it’s pretty difficult to get any real readership. Why spend time writing posts that no one is going to read? You could be using … Continue reading 5 Reasons Every Writer Should Be Blogging

5 Things You Must Do Before Submitting a Fiction or Poetry Collection

How to get a short story collection published

Earning a living from short fiction or poetry is about as easy as earning a living from recycling aluminum cans and plastic bottles. Actually, it's probably harder. In some states, a plastic bottle will get you five or ten cents, but your thoughts are only worth a penny. Your short stories and poetry are often … Continue reading 5 Things You Must Do Before Submitting a Fiction or Poetry Collection

What Common Rejections from Publishers Really Mean

I’m really good at getting rejected. With almost 1,000 rejections to my name, I know everything there is to know about being told “we don’t want to publish this piece of trash.” Unfortunately, rejection letters don’t always say what they really mean. In general, editors try to be nice. They want to spare our feelings. … Continue reading What Common Rejections from Publishers Really Mean