Friday 7 December 2012

Submissions: Get Your Writing Read!

There is a great satisfaction in submitting your writing and to be honest, I don't do submissions as often as I'd like.  However, the latest call for narrative non-fiction submissions in the form of memoir for the New Writing section - a substantial section of poetry and prose on a particular theme - of the March 2013 issue of Mslexia Magazine caught my attention as it's a genre I've been experimenting on this year.

I took advantage of this opportunity by submitting two pieces (of up to 2,200 words); one I'd already written, which needed some re-writing and editing and another one I reworked.  I'm not sure what gives me the most satisfaction, the actual writing process or completing the pieces...both call for creative choices and despite the outcome of whether any of my submissions are selected/published, the journey is as important as the destination.

It's the fact that there is a purpose to the writing that has a positive effect on what you end up writing; the awareness that my submissions will be judged by a high-profile guest judge who introduces and comments on each piece, all play a part and that is what makes the writing of value - regardless of whether it is selected or not.

I would definitely recommend submitting your writing out there to magazines, journals, books as it will force you to develop your writing skills.  I would also suggest you're selective, choosing a well-known magazine, etc, and write for the experience.  Who knows your work may be selected - an invaluable addition to any writer's CV.





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