Tried and True Markets

This week I had a flash fiction story of 250 words accepted for publication by Doorknobs & BodyPaint, an online literary journal based in Berkeley, CA. A few weeks ago, I had an essay accepted by Watershed, the literary magazine produced by Chico State University in Chico, CA.

And what's good news for me is good news for you, in that I can pass along information about markets in which I've had success so you can submit to the same places, or simply expand your knowledge of available markets. Therefore I started the Tried and True Markets feature of this blog, which lists the name an accompanying link to all the journals that have accepted my work. I'm only listing journals that have websites with posted submission guidelines.

I'll also continue to pass on information about contests and journals that are seeking submissions.

Along those lines, the Short Story Award for New Writers contest through Glimmer Train closes on May 31. The prestigious journal — based in Portland, OR, and started by Sisters Susan Burmeister-Brown and Linda Davies in 1990 — is looking for stories from writers who've never been published in publications with a circulation of more than 5,000. Word count can range from 500 to 12,000 (few journals take that length anymore). First- through third-place winners win $1,200, $500 and $300, respectively, while the first-place winner also gets his/her story published. The contest costs $15 per entry and the results will be posted July 31. Best of all, you can submit your story online.

What markets have worked for you? The more we pool our information, the better chance we have to break into new markets, so if you can, let us know.

Happy writing!

The Verbal Author

This era of YouTube viewing has allowed an explosion of visual sharing that can reap vast benefits for authors. Rather than present your work to a handful of people who show up at the cafe to hear you voice your work during an open mic night, record your effort and send me the link so everyone — dozens, hundreds, thousands — can share in the excitement of your live performance.

You can also submit the audiovisual recordings of your writer friends or favorite authors by emailing me the link: martha@engber.com

If recording your performance strikes you as egotistical, think of the exercise as:

• a way to practice your public speaking, which is a crucial skill for today's authors, who publishers expect to be well-spoken and take an active role in marketing via audience appearances and interviews

• a method for spreading your name and work, because we all know how fast friends email one another their favorite YouTube segments

• a pleasure for those who love to hear authors speak, but can't find the time or travel the distance to attend a reading or open mic night

Never done a YouTube recording? Though the process sounds overwhelming, YouTube makes the effort easy with its Help Resources page.

Happy writing, and recording!