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Hi, friends! I don’t know how many of y’all focused on nonfiction or were keen on it during our program, but this is a great list of 161 pubs to pitch to. I’ve been putting out loads of pitches (and getting many rejections, or worse, radio silence!). It’s great practice and *eventually* someone bites :).
Thank you! This is a decently-paying “in” for the future that I really am carving for myself, and is only 20 hours a week, so I get to work on my novel/poetry/lyrics 5 days a week as well. I’m so grateful that it’s only taken a year since graduating to get there.
Y’all! Big news for me! My hard work writing a piece on sex/endometriosis for a volunteer-run (read: unpaid) publication that I love, Salty World, has paid off! I just got hired as a sex writer for a new blog, and it’s the best-paying and most consistent work I’ve gotten since graduating last year. I know sex/relationships writing isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s the topic I love exploring the most with fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and lyrics, so this is so joyfully fitting. I’m thrilled, everyone!
Sally, send me an email: nikitaandester@gmail.com. Generally I give feedback the way we did in the program: in-line and then a letter at the bottom. Let me know if that’s too much!
I just saw this and I love this approach. It kind of goes back to what Joe M. was saying about how he was too focused on making his work *writerly* (forgetting his exact wording here). Sometimes I get bogged down by the details of making it too perfect, but at the risk of losing its livelihood or authenticity.
Haha, it’s basically me just listening to/watching inspirational Oprah videos, working maniacally, panic-eating a piece of fruit and staring into space, and then getting back to work (oh, and disappearing on Instagram). So far, this method has worked surprisingly well!
I’m always so wary of a beta reader who doesn’t want me to change a thing! If you want eyes on it, I’m also more than happy to be a beta reader :). I’ve thought about getting involved with Twitter but am so overwhelmed by how big it is and how much I feel like I’ve “missed” by not getting on before, but it’s refreshing to see how much engagement you get!
Thank you! Living in a camper and not paying rent makes the career shift easier, lol.
I’m kind of bizarrely organized. I make spreadsheets of every topic that interests me and where I think I should pitch it. I also look for different magazines or online publications that I like, and brainstorm what I should pitch there specifically. Often, it’s something that interests me in the moment: I just pitched an article about an anti-Trump embroidery project I read about to an arts magazine, and I am in the middle of writing an article I pitched on endometriosis and your sex life, so it really varies.
I guess I just ask myself what topics I’m always talking about, researching, or thinking of, and go from there! What are your passions or interests?
It also boils down to asking that question we were encouraged to consider all thru the program: why you? What unique perspective/authority/connections do you have to offer that make you the best person to talk about this story?
I’ve never heard of her, but I’ll absolutely look into her work. I can’t imagine the adventure needed to be a female Alaskan poet.
Thank you for the kind words about my poem. I feel like I’ve evolved a lot since then (and am actively trying to get other pieces published), so it feels good to hear that :). I have really wanted to continue exploring modifications of sonnets, but have lately been wrapped up in writing song lyrics instead of poetry. I have Brian Laidlaw to thank for that!
Yes! You gotta go all in! I’m so happy to hear you’re just going for it. After all, we never know who will say yes. I pitched to a magazine I really admire called Salty, which is a sex-positive magazine for queer and disabled/chronically ill people/people of color, and they took my pitch! I had been so intimidated, and after I sent it off, I felt so silly for pitching, but they got back to me :). It’s a big career move for me, and it just goes to show that we have to go for the big ones!
Joe, that’s an awesome rejection! They are such an exclusive publication, judging by the data Duotrope has on them. It’s so awesome to hear that you just went for it with your own story in mind. Where else do you plan on submitting it?
I’m hopeful that we can all be using this site to keep in touch and share our frustrations and successes with one another!
Sally, absolutely! Sometimes we just need to get moving and try. I’ve been submitting things and pitching articles pretty endlessly this month and am just confident something is going to pan out that really helps me establish my career soon 🙂
Hi! I personally love what this site is doing and really appreciate the effort to connect us all. I wish there was broader engagement, though! I feel like writing is such a solitary act that really blossoms in community, and having the chance to have some virtual cohorts and colleagues is so welcome. 🙂 I’m gonna keep on posting here and trust that others will join in!
Hi again, world out there! I’m very excited to share my website I’ve been working hard at putting together. It’s hopefully going to lend some credibility to my pitches I’ve been slinging for articles. I’d love any thoughts and feedback on it!
My website!
