Answers to Go with Pamela Carlile
Q.How can writers of poetry and short stories get their work published? Do I need to copyright my work before I try to publish it?
A. Most short story writers and poets begin by submitting their work to literary magazines or journals. This is a good way to make your entrance into the publishing world and get the attention of editors, agents, and other writers.
As far as copyrighting, in the FAQs on Copyright. gov, it reads the following, “Your work is under copyright protection the moment it is created and fixed in a tangible form that it is perceptible either directly or with the aid of a machine or device.” While original writing (published and unpublished) is immediately protected under copyright law, you may choose to register a copyright to create a public record, which makes it easier to defend your copyright in a court of law. That decision is completely up to you.
Now, let’s get into submitting your work for publication. You’ll first need to decide where you want to submit your work. I recommend reading literary magazines and journals to find out which ones are a good fit for your work. You can find print versions of The New Yorker, The Paris Review, Harper’s Magazine, and The American Poetry Review available for circulation at the San Marcos Public Library.
As for finding online literary magazines, Poets & Writers’ website is a good resource to check out. They are the nation’s largest nonprofit organization serving creative writers. On their site you can find a database of literary magazines that includes editorial policies, submission guidelines, and contact information (pw. org/literary_magazines).
After you have done your research, rank the magazines you want to be in into tiers, and submit to four to eight of them at a time (per story/ poem). Check to see if your selected magazines allow simultaneous submissions. Some magazines don’t allow simultaneous submissions because they don’t want to waste time considering a piece that is no longer available. If your piece is accepted by a magazine, promptly inform the other magazines to which you’ve submitted that the work has been accepted elsewhere.
When ready to submit, make sure you carefully read and follow submission guidelines for each magazine, or else run the risk of your work not being read at all. Be aware that some magazines charge a reading fee, which is usually a couple of dollars. While this fee may not sound exorbitant, it can add up quickly if you’re submitting your work to multiple magazines and journals.
The hardest part is waiting to hear back. Response times can be quite long, sometimes well over six months. Don’t be disheartened when (not if) you receive rejection letters. Many great authors receive rejections. “Stick to your teaching, Miss Alcott. You can’t write.” Those were the words of one publisher who passed over Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. So, keep writing and keep trying!
