I’m ready to take the next step in building my platform. I’ve already got the blog going (thanks for following!!), I’ve got my name in two local papers on a regular basis (and a couple of times in a national market), and I’ve been doing my best to meet agents, editors, and other writers at conferences. Now I’m ready to move forward, and I’ve got a few directions that I’d like to go:
1) Large-readership submissions
2) A portfolio
3) Public speaking
I’d like to address these one at a time to get some good feedback. Let’s start in the most logical place: #1.
Large-readership submissions: I’ve been blessed to have had an article appear in Evangel last year and a short story on Christian Fiction Online Magazine this month, but I’d like to submit more frequently to periodicals with a larger readership. Whenever I think about it, though, my brain freezes. Here’s why:
a. I don’t subscribe to any of these magazines. I have an idea of what they’re about, but I don’t regularly read them all (very few of them, actually), so I don’t feel like I should query them.
b. I don’t know what to write. I just – BLANK. I have some essays and stories that I’ve written just to keep on hand, but I’m never quite sure if I should try to find a market for those, or if I should pick a market and try to create something to fit in it.
What do YOU do? How do you decide where to query and what to submit? Do you submit to magazines that you don’t regularly read? What are your tips for broadening your writing base (getting more by-lines in more places)?
I'm not sure how much help you'll think this is, but you could also try adding to your resume with contests. They may be less intimidating to enter, but your work can still be noticed by editors and agents.
As for submitting to magazines you don't normally read, spend time on their websites. A lot of major publications put a good deal of material online. I've also heard it said that it's a good idea to study at least three issues of a magazine before submitting.
Best of luck!
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[…] had some good info on expanding my readership (here), but didn’t quite get the results I was looking for regarding portfolios and public speaking. […]