1. Is
this appropriate for our audience?
I always read the publisher’s
submission guidelines before I submit work. If I’ve
submitted manuscripts to
them before I make sure to read them again — guidelines can change. At the
magazine I lost count of the number of submissions I received that were for
younger (or older) readers than the guidelines stated. Other manuscripts were
200 words (or 2000 words) longer than the word limit. There’s often a long wait
between submitting and getting an answer (did I mention that editors are
ridiculously busy?) so I don’t waste my time (or the editor’s) by sending work that
doesn’t meet guidelines.
2. Is
this story trying to hammer home a message?
Editors are always looking
for a good story and today’s readers are not after stories with a moral.
Children are smart. If there is a natural lesson in the outcome, they will get
that. There is no need to hammer home a message. (If a publisher is
specifically looking for stories with a moral they will state this in their
guidelines.)
3. Is
this well-written with no spelling or grammatical errors?
A manuscript is not ready
to submit if it is riddled with spelling mistakes and sections
that don’t make sense.
Even if the plot is brilliant it’s likely that the editor will chooseanother manuscript that is equally as entertaining but doesn’t require a lot of work before it’s ready for publication.
4. Is
this original? Have we published something like this already?
Editors are looking for
fresh material and a good story. A few years ago Alphabet Soup magazine
published a well-known fairytale in verse and a few months after that
another author submitted their own version of the same fairytale and even
though it was beautifully written, we weren’t able to accept it. (Sometimes
this is just plain bad luck and out of a writer’s control but it can help to be
familiar with the publisher/publication before submitting.)
5. Has
this been published elsewhere?
Some magazines will accept
material that has been published before, others won’t. I
always check the
guidelines before submitting. It’s important to remember that even if you have
followed the submission guidelines to the letter, your manuscript may still be
rejected. It could have the perfect home elsewhere — check the next set of
submission guidelines and send it on. Persistence is vital in the journey to
publication!
The
former editor of children’s literary magazine, Alphabet
Soup, Rebecca Newman is now the editor of Alphabet Soup’s blog http://www.alphabetsoup.net.au. In her
spare time she writes children's fiction and poetry, runs writing workshops for
children, and tends a tiny kitchen garden. The School Magazine
has purchased two of her poems for future publication.
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