Horror Market - Cryptopedia

Whatever would we have done if Al Gore hadn't created the internet?

Ok, let me get the ol' tongue out of my cheek and discuss online submissions. Yes, you save on postage. And yes, the internet itself presents a creative medium in which to publish your work (hey, look at me! I'm blogging!). And there are many great markets that will accept your work online.

That said, resist the urge to saturate the net with substandard work. It's not outside the realm of possibility to think you might wake up in the morning with a real gem of an idea. Then, the planets align and you write a clean first draft in the morning. Then, divinity strikes and you revise it quickly, submit it to a publication online and then...you get a decision that night. Might be an acceptance. Might be a rejection. More than likely it's the latter.

My point is, it's best to develop a routine concerning your submissions. After you've finished a draft, let it sit a day or two before revisiting it and then trying it out on your trusted reader. Think carefully about the markets you want to submit to, and follow their guidelines carefully. Don't make simultaneous submissions without mentioning it to editors. If you sell a piece, be sure to contact those editors still looking at your work and let them know with a short, polite note.

Keep track of your submissions!

The urge can be to blast product into the cyber-world and then start a new story. But the accessibility of the internet is also its curse. These editors have been inundated with work (not all of it great) and they will come to recognize yours over time. Always put your best foot forward and be as professional as possible; the submissions process is probably the best place to practice this ideal.

That said, here's a great market.

So you tell me. How have things gone with your online submissions? Any markets to share here at The Byproduct?

See you back here tomorrow when we chat on the topic of organization (chapter size, numbering, dates, etc).