Getting Published: Tips from the Bamboo Ridge editors

 

Getting Published: Tips from the Bamboo Ridge editors

There’s no magic to getting published. The secret is to figure out where you’d like to be published. In terms of Bamboo Ridge Press, books by individual authors are planned 2-3 years in advance. All book authors have had their work previously published in the regular BR anthology issues. These are usually done once a year and have an open submission period announced on our website.

So here are some suggestions on how to get published (in Bamboo Ridge or anywhere else).

1. Do your homework. If you want to be published in a journal, READ as many issues of the journal as you can. If you write haiku, see if the journal publishes haiku.
2. Follow the rules. Submission guidelines can be found online or in the publication itself. If a journal does not accept email submissions, DO NOT send them an email submission. Some journals will not return your manuscript even if you enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE). Check if a journal accepts simultaneous submissions. If no preference is indicated, it still is courteous to notify the publisher that you are making a simultaneous submission.
3. Accept rejection and don’t expect to be told explicitly why you were rejected. Selections simply reflect the tastes of the editors. It may be one person or a whole committee of them. And sometimes editors will pass on a great piece of writing. Perhaps at another time it might have been selected, don’t take it personally.
4. Try again. If you believe that your work is a good fit for a particular journal, try submitting a different piece. You might also look at the author bios to see where else they have been published to expand your possibilities.
5. Keep writing. Perhaps the most important tip of all. Good luck!