Knowing that we were going to be dedicating an entire radio show to advice on getting started in writing, I approached Jeani Rector, editor of award-winning The Horror Zine,for her advice on submitting your short story.
I did this, as I know that you can ruin your chances of success even before they have read a single word, and then you need to grip them with your story, but what can you do to do this?
Well, I will leave that up to Jeani to tell you herself. At the end, there is a link to her book on Amazon, which I strongly recommend getting for those little things can help you on your journey. So, in her own words, I pass you over to Jeani.
Do Your Research
First, read the submission guidelines before you submit to any magazine!
Grip Your Reader
The first three paragraphs of any story is known as “the hook.” You need to hook your reader right away or they could stop reading. I can tell by the first three paragraphs whether this will be a good story or not.
The best way to “hook” your reader is to start with action, in the middle of the story. You can weave any explanations and background (sparingly!) into the body of the story. Starting with action (especially in the very first paragraph) is an attention-getter. If you cannot start with action, at least start with something intriguing. For example, I wrote a story where the entire first paragraph was only one sentence, and it was “The flea was hungry.” That was my opening sentence for a story about the 1348 bubonic plague. That one sentence is intriguing (I hope!) and gets the reader’s attention.
When Submitting
On submission emails, the preferred greeting would be “Dear Ms. Rector,” but “Dear Editor” is perfectly fine. It is my opinion that “Dear Sirs” is in bad form even if the editor is male, and I would not recommend using “To Whom it May Concern” because not only is it cold, but it has been my personal experience that it screams “This is a simultaneous submission.” Still, the worst, the very worst greeting I have ever received was “Dear Wordsmith.”
Be Precise & Be Your Character(s)
A short story does not have the luxury of dwelling on back-stories, descriptions and explanations. Unnecessary details will only bore your reader. You must be stingy with information. Stick with action and feelings.
Aha, feelings. This is vitally important to character development. Always put yourself in your character’s shoes. How would you feel if you were confronted by a monster or something else equally scary? Write how you would feel. How would you react? That is how your character should react.
I have received way too many stories where the protagonist is strangely nonchalant when confronted with a fearful event. That is not realistic. The way to write a great protagonist is for your character to be genuine. The only way your character can be genuine is for you to imagine that you are that character. Showing your character’s fear is exciting to the reader and adds a lot of suspense to your story.
Jeani Rector’s book, Jeani Rector’s Advice on Writing, is available on Amazon and It is only £6.67 for the paperback and £2.22 on Kindle .
Jeani Rector has edited her successful online magazine titled The Horror Zine since 2009. Over the years, she assisted hundreds of emerging writers to bring their work up to a level that merits publication. She works with writers to transition their stories from good to great. How does she do that? What kind of things does Jeani tell these writers?
Jeani Rector’s Advice on Writing is a folksy, easy to comprehend step-by-step process that covers in detail such techniques as character development; substance, structure and style; pacing suspense; suggestions about promoting your work and other valuable information.
What makes an editor choose one story over another for publication? What are the secrets to make your work stand out from the pack? How can you bring out the best in your potential? This book shares insider information to help you succeed in the competitive world of writing.