Rejection and Reflection for Writers
Rejection is part of the territory when it comes to being a writer. Today we offer reflection for writers to help redirect your efforts after a rejection.
Finding and Working With a Literary Agent
Finding and securing a literary agent is just as difficult as it is to land a good publisher for your book. Susan Ludwig shows us the way in this post.
The Surprising Benefits of Writing a Nonfiction Article
Writing a nonfiction article isn’t easy. However, it may be easier and quicker than writing and selling a picture book and the benefits may surprise you!
What Writers Need to Know About Writing a Book Proposal
When writing nonfiction, editors generally want to see a book proposal before the book is finished. Here’s what you need to know about writing a book proposal.
Dealing with Submissions Failure
Sometimes submissions don’t pay off. Some ideas don’t work like you intend and sometimes they are outright rejected. Here’s how to deal with submission failure.
Do You Need an Agent or a Publisher for Your Manuscript?
You finished your manuscript. Hooray! Now what? Instructor Susan Ludwig guides us through whether you should look for an agent or a publisher for your work.
The First Steps in Contacting Agents
You’ve written a book and now you want a literary agent. Now, the research begins. Get tips for finding the right agent for your work and avoiding scammers.
4 Book Proposal Pitfalls
Creating a fiction or nonfiction book proposal can seem daunting. Let’s look at what editors and agents want from a proposal and 4 things NOT want to do.
Pitching Your Picture Book
Submissions in today’s market often involve new elements of pitching your picture books from social media to comp titles. Here’s how to make them work for you.
Keeping Up to Date with the Institute of Children’s Literature
The Institute of Children’s Literature has a solid reputation for preparing students to be published. We adapt to ensure students are ready for the marketplace.
Writing Scams: A Pair of Potential Problems
Writing scams aren’t new but with a new age of technology comes variations on old tricks. Here’s what two of these scams look like and how to avoid being duped.
3 Ways to Target Submissions
Writing stories and articles is the fun half of the job. The other half is submitting your work to good markets. Here are 3 ways to target submissions.
Busting 3 Scary Writing Myths
Writers tend to build up myths to insulate themselves from the possibility of “breaking” our writing. Let’s look at some scary writing myths we can bust today.
Submissions Research as Inspiration
Did you know market guides can provide writing inspiration as well as help locate a publisher for your work? It’s true. Find out how they can inspire you!
Online Submissions Rule the Day
Online submissions rule the day. You must get the details right to have a chance of an agent or editor reading your manuscript. Here’s what you need to know.
Reading Your Way to Targeted Submissions
Today we’re discussing how reading books in your genre not only improves your writing skills, but it can also help you find the right publisher for your work.
Targeting Submissions = Publishing Success
Carefully researching and targeting submissions is part of a successful writer’s routine saving massive amounts of time and emotional energy. Let’s get started.
Surprising Ways to Use the Rule of Three in Writing
The rule of three is surprisingly helpful in all aspects of writing. Let’s look at the rule of three in titles, query letters, and cover letters.
Prewriting: Essential Writing Groundwork
The first step in writing is not writing. It begins in your head with the spark of an idea. What happens between the spark and writing the book is prewriting.
Breaking Down the Writing Process
Let’s take a broad overview of the writing process and the pieces of the puzzle that go into pre-writing, writing, and post-writing in this post from Jan Fields.
Be a Professional Writer: Your Character Counts Too
3 tips for being a professional writer that editors want to work with in this post from Jan Fields. Take these suggestions to heart and go far in your career!
Submissions: The Search for an Agent
Do I need an agent? What do they do? How do you get one? Are they expensive? Jan Fields answers all these questions and more as you search for an agent.
Submissions: Why Market Guides Are Your Best Friends
Use ICL Market Guides as a launching point for your research and find a variety of publishers, what they publish, and their websites for submission guidelines.
Essential Submissions Tips: How to Write a Synopsis | IFW
Learning how to write a synopsis of your manuscript can be one of the most intimidating steps of submitting your work—but it’s also one of the most important.
Time to Talk About Submissions
Submissions take a lot of courage. In this post, we discuss how to use the skills you learn in writing your book to create targeted submissions.
Online Submissions: 2 Sites to Make It Easier
Online submissions are becoming an industry standard. Let’s explore how Submittable and Query Tracker work and how writers can take advantage of them.
10 Points to Ponder Before You Submit Your Writing
Create a checklist of these 10 tips and review it before you submit your writing. Your submission will be stronger and, more likely successful, as a result.
Introducing Genre Writing
If you can describe your story with genre shorthand, it will help attract the attention of an agent or a publisher. Here’s how to think about genre writing.
Plan for When You Finish the Book
You finished writing your book. Yay! Now what? Jan Fields helps you make a plan for when you finish the book. You might be surprised at what comes next.
How to Write a Personal Essay
Personal essay writing offers endless opportunities for personal expression and publication. Find out how to write a personal essay that gets noticed.
How to Write a Short Story That Gets Noticed
Short story writing can be fun and rewarding. Karen Hammond shares tips for how to write a short story that will get noticed by editors and readers alike!
Trade Publishing: Single Book or Series?
Trade publishing recognizes a simple truth: when selling a series to individual readers, the first book gets the most readers. Jan Fields shares tips for increasing your series odds.
Planning Ahead for Timely Submissions
What’s going to be happening? Victoria Sherrow helps us plan for timely submissions for holidays and commemorative events. Look for new angles into the market.
Writing for Holidays in Books and Magazines
Most publishers (including books and magazines) produce some holiday pieces each year. Here’s what you need to know to take advantage of these opportunities.
244: Industry Insider Tips from Hannah Holt
244: An Interview with Hannah Holt
May 21, 2021
Why Try Writing for Children’s Magazines?
Why should you try writing for children’s magazines? Let’s look at the benefits of breaking into the magazine market. They just might surprise you!
Let’s Talk About Now
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > April 2021 is almost over and many writers are feeling a little discombobulated. The past year has been challenging, but change is coming, and we have questions. Should we start sending out…
240: Interview with a Writing Contest Judge
240: How Entering Contests Helps You
April 9, 2021
Magazine Sleuth: What to Study Before You Write | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > When people think of writing, they might picture themselves with their hands eagerly curled over the keyboard waiting for inspiration to strike. Then, once the frenzy of inspiration has passed, they hit the save button, and wonder what…
232: Editor Insight with Talia Benamy
232: Interview with Talia Benamy
February 12, 2021
Cover and Query Letters
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > The vast majority of submissions you will make during your publishing career will include a letter. If the letter travels on its own, it is a query letter and must carry a…
231: Cringeworthy: Mistakes Editors Hate
231: Things That Make Editors Cringe
January 22, 2021
The Odd Bits of Submission
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Not all publishers ask for the same things during the submissions process, and sometimes the listed requirements for a submission or a proposal can be confusing. After all, surely all they really…
The Submission Train is Leaving the Station | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > In my previous post, I highlighted common roadblocks writers may experience when it comes to submitting their work or even thinking about submitting their work. Now that these have been explained and hopefully eliminated, you should be able…
230: Agent Adria Goetz
230: Agent Adria Goetz
January 15, 2021
Electronic Submissions
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Wouldn’t it be nice if you only had to learn one set of rules about how to make a submission to a publisher, and that way would always be exactly right? There…
Five Strategies For Successful Submissions | IFW
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > There are few things more frightening than submitting your work for publication. First, there is always the chance of rejection, which is painful. And then, there is the worry that you’re simply…
Jump on the Submission Train This Year
Make this the year you create a submissions plan so you can confidently get your writing into editors’ hands. Let’s tackle each potential roadblock head-on.
229: Submissions
229: Submissions
January 8, 2021
Maybe What You Need Isn’t a Market
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Maybe It’s An Agent For writers with high concept books (works that can be summed up in a few, movie-poster type words) or who are writing primarily young adult novels, you may…
Finding Markets in Difficult Times
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > As with virtually every industry, publishing has faced new challenges during the pandemic, even though book sales have stayed strong (especially in children’s books). The issues aren’t with lack of sales, but…
You Only Need One
The whole publishing process is a journey up a mountain after the path has been washed out. Remember, it only takes one editor to connect with your work.
From Writing to Selling
Once you decide that publication is part of your writing journey, you have one of two choices: self-publishing or trade publishing. Which one is right for you?
How To Write a Rhyming Picture Book – Institute for Writers
195: How To Write a Rhyming Picture Book
April 10, 2020
Children’s Poetry for Magazines
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > 6 Hot Tips Finding a market for poetry can be tough. It’s not that children don’t enjoy poetry. In fact, many young children love verse. The even meter and the rhyme make…
189: Interview with Talia Benamy
189: Interview with Talia Benamy
February 28, 2020
187: 10 Things That Make Editors Cringe
187: 10 Things That Make Editors Cringe
February 14, 2020
Perfectionism Alert
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > How Polished Does It Need to Be? In the many views about the importance of polishing a manuscript, there are two opposite ends of the spectrum. First are the writers whose work…
Your Year in Review
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > December is often a terrible time to try to get any writing done. We’re pulled in different directions socially since so many events pop up. Also, for anyone who gave NaNoWriMo (National…
Okay, I Sent My Submission. Now What?
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > For many of us, the hardest part of the submission process comes after you’ve finally gotten brave enough to send off the submission. Whether you’re submitting to an agent or an editor,…
The Waiting Game
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Things to do while you’re out on submission You’ve just hit send. Your query is off to your dream agent. There are only so many times you can hit the refresh button to your email before becoming dejected.…
176: Break into Publishing
176: Break into Publishing
November 22, 2019
Tips for Winning Our Mystery First Pages Writing Contest
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Advice to take your entry to the top. Have you heard the exciting news? The Institute for Writers is now accepting submissions for its Mystery First Pages Writing Contest! Every quarter, IFW hosts a contest, and this time…
Tips for Getting Past the Gatekeeper
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > 10 reasons manuscripts are automatically rejected Before the internet, if you didn’t have a way to contact an agent, you had to mail your manuscript to their office. If the agent had not requested your manuscript, it would…
175: 6 Steps to Submission Success
175: 6 Steps to Submission Success
November 15, 2019
Crossing Over Into Writing for Adults
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Throughout my career, I’ve written for children and for adults. My magazine work covers both. And I have books for kids and books for adults. For me, writing is about freedom. I…
How to Avoid an Automatic Rejection
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > How to avoid an automatic rejection You’ve worked so hard to put together a submission package to an agent. You don’t want to waste all that effort only to get an automatic rejection. The best way to avoid…
177: Browbeaten into Submission
176: Break into Publishing
November 22, 2019
174: Assembling Submissions Package
174: Assembling Submissions Package
November 8, 2019
Submissions: Preparing to Send
Successful submissions require research and using my market guides. Putting time into pre-submission activities decreases the number of avoidable rejections.
What Are Agents Looking For?
Each literary agent has unique interests, specialties, and dislikes. Your submission to each agent should be personalized for that person. Find out how.
Interview with Emma Walton Hamilton – Institute for Writers
173: Interview with Emma Walton Hamilton
November 1, 2019
Researching Agents
Researching agents is the key to finding one that is a good fit for you and your work. Here’s what to look for in an agent and when you to run the other way.
Finding Markets for Your Writing – Institute for Writers
170: Finding Markets for Your Writing
October 11, 2019
164: Interview with Pascale Duguay
164: Interview with Pascale Duguay
August 30, 2019
How to Get Published in a Magazine
Magazine writing differs from book writing in several ways. Reading one issue of a magazine can offer many useful insights. Let’s look at a few important ones.
Scoring a Regular Freelancing Gig
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Increasing your chances of becoming a regular freelancer Getting a one-off acceptance is always a cause for celebration. Getting offered a regular paying gig is even better. Learn ways to increase your chances to become a regular freelancer.…
Top Ten Questions to Ask Before Submitting | IFW
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > The moment when you submit can be an interesting mix of exciting and terrifying. It’s easy to forget small details. So a good checklist can help. Before you send, make sure you…
Crafting the Perfect Pitch
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Tips for getting closer to yes! Editors are busy, often juggling multiple duties. That means it’s important to grab them with a quick, precise query letter. Learn what works and what doesn’t. Learn how to query even if…
Increasing Your Successes in Writing for Magazines
Writing for magazines can be challenging AND rewarding! You may even see your name in print far faster than with book publishing. Grab these tips for success!
Yeah, It’s Work
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Writing is work. Now, I’m not one of those who think writing is suffering or agony. Honestly, if it were agony, I’d do something else with my time to make money for my family. But it is work.…
A Letter from Editor Eileen Robinson – Institute for Writers
140: A Letter from Editor Eileen Robinson
March 15, 2019
Beware Bears: Problems to Avoid
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Having been writing professionally for a lot of years, I have sometimes been asked how do you build a career that has legs, one that will last. This is a valid question…
Setting Up for Success: Excel Spreadsheets | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > One of my favorite author stories revolves around Dave Barry and Stephen King. Dave Barry tells this story of when he had writer’s block. He didn’t know what to do so he went over to Stephen King’s place…
Cleaning Up Misconceptions
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > January is a great time for a good cleaning. There’s something heartening about starting a new year with a clean slate. So let’s sweep away writing myths that might still be clinging…
Preparing for Next Year’s Success
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > As the last days of 2018 tick off, it is a good time to prepare for a successful new year. I always find a special hope in a new year. No matter…
The Unorthodox Way I Got a Nonfiction Book Deal | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > There’s no one way to sign on the dotted line. Hi there. My name is Chaunie and I’m a published author. I say that to you, not to sound like a conceited jerk, but to remind myself that…
Break Free from Pretending
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > “Fake it ’til you make it. How many of us have heard that advice? Sometimes it’s a good thought. It doesn’t hurt to step out boldly sometimes, even when you’re not 100%…
Query Writing 101
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > When you’re ready to submit your novel to an editor or an agent, you start off by sending a one-page letter called a query. The purpose of the query is to make the editor or the agent request…
113: Where Should Your Money Go? Part 2
113: Where Should Your Money Go? Part 2
August 24, 2018
101: Listener Q & A
101: Listener Q & A
May 25, 2018
100: We Celebrate!
100: We Celebrate!
May 18, 2018
095: Nancy Coffelt – Why Entering a Contest Helps YOU
095: Nancy Coffelt – Why Entering a Contest Helps YOU
April 13, 2018
Tighten Up the Weakest Link for a Contest Win | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Judging a contest is an interesting activity because it happens in layers. The first layer is simply removing from consideration all the entries that are not appropriate at all (prose memoirs sent to a poetry contest for young…
Tweet Your Way To Representation
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > No, seriously. One of the ways social media can be a writer’s best friend is by allowing you to be up-to-date on trends. On Facebook, we’ve seen a rise in online selling. Whether it’s ads on your wall…
Hello, Editor? Here’s a Submission. – Institute for Writers
089: Hello, Editor? Here’s a Submission.
February 23, 2018
How to Choose Your Educational Writing Sample | IFW
088: How to Choose Your Educational Writing Sample
February 16, 2018
What’s Your “Elevator Pitch”?
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Query letters, cover letters, pitches, and proposals all have one very important thing in common. They all require an author be able to describe the story in few words. This is sometimes…
(Brow)beaten Into Submission?
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Submit only when your work is ready, not when your family or friends think you should. Sometimes, the most well-meaning folks can do the greatest harm to an aspiring writer. If Great Aunt Harriet insists your writing is…
087: Making Your Submissions Plan
087: Making Your Submissions Plan
February 9, 2018
Projecting Confidence Without Being Obnoxious | IFW
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Your first contact with a publisher or agent does a lot of things. It presents the project you’ve created (or wish to create) in a clear, concise, lively manner. That’s hard enough,…
Julie Hedlund- Top 3 Submission Tips – Institute for Writers
086: Julie Hedlund – Top 3 Submission Tips
February 2, 2018
The First Step to Getting Published…Submissions
Once you decide you want to be published, the first thing you need to do is decide how to target your submissions. Here’s how to outline your first steps.
Self-publishing v. Traditional Publishing
What’s the difference between self-publishing and traditional publishing? Which is the right path for your writing project. Discover the pros and cons here.
How to Know Where You Can Get Published Part 2 | IFW
078: How to Know Where You Can Get Published Part 2
November 24, 2017
How to Make Money as a Writer: A Primer
Some books make lots of money and others have more modest sales. It’s important to think about the money-side of things so we can make wise decisions.
How to Know Where You Can Get Published Part 1 | IFW
074: How to Know Where You Can Get Published Part 1
October 27, 2017
071: Five Things to Worry About
071: Five Things to Worry About
October 6, 2017
060: Show Some Respect
060: Show Some Respect
July 14, 2017
058: Catch ‘Em with the Query
058: Catch ‘Em with the Query
June 30, 2017
8 Must-Know Facts About Magazine Nonfiction | IFW
056: 8 Must-Know Facts About Magazine Nonfiction
June 16, 2017
041: Explaining the Advance
041: Explaining the Advance
March 3, 2017
Do You Know the Answers to These Submissions Questions?
036: Do You Know the Answers to These Submissions Questions?
January 27, 2017
032: How Submissions Work
032: How Submissions Work
December 30, 2016
How to Get Your Nonfiction Rejected – Institute for Writers
024: How to Get Your Nonfiction Rejected
November 4, 2016
023: Querying About Query Letters
023: Querying About Query Letters
October 28, 2016
014: Nonfiction Does Not Mean Nonfun
014: Nonfiction Does Not Mean Nonfun
August 26, 2016
008: How to Deal with Rejection
008: How to Deal with Rejection
July 15, 2016
What Rejection Really Means
All writers face rejection. The key is to realize it isn’t personal. Here’s how to use the takeaways from your recent rejections to improve your writing.
Avoiding the LONG Short Cuts
New publishing opportunities pop up and make it seem like a writer has found a short cut to getting their book published. Beware of the long short cut.
In My Day (How I Started Writing)
Your writing journey may be different from Jan Fields’ and it might not have any snow on the way to the mailbox, but it’s the right path for you. Keep going!
Two-Layered Writing
Children’s writing has a dual nature—an objective story. what happens, and a subjective story, the emotion of the story. Today, we discuss how to include both!
Three Agent Myths: True or False?
There’s much to be said about working with an agent, so what’s true and what’s not? Here’s what you need to know about working with an agent.
