When publishers are working on a new project, they will often put out a call for submission, which elicits writers to submit their work to be published in an anthology or story compilation. In the call for submission, the publisher will outline several qualities they are looking for in the piece: approximate word count, genre or subject, formatting, payment options, copyrights, and more. When submitting a piece of work to a publisher, it is important to be mindful of whether or not your story aligns with the genre and mission of the anthology for which you are submitting your work, the number of grammatical errors, and if you are agreeable to the terms and conditions of the publisher.
Your writing is a reflection of you and your personal story. Like a job interview, you want to present yourself and your work professionally; that is why it is important to edit and review your work before submitting it. There are several ways that writers can easily check their work: reading the writing aloud to yourself allows you to hear the flow of the words on the page and zero in on areas where it reads as choppy or nonsensical, reading your work to a friend or have a friend read your work to you allows for collaboration and getting a sense of what the reader will be experiencing if the work is published. On some occasions, publishers will suggest edits and send it back to you for resubmission, but if you can avoid it, sending in a polished first draft will substantially increase your appeal to a publisher.
Written By Jessica Miller