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 | Read, Read, Read...did I mention -
Read! Not only is it an awesome way to spend
some time, it is also important to know who is out there and what they are
writing, as well as what has been written in the past. And from a
publishing standpoint, you want to know what is being published!
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| Before you send any poetry or writing to
a magazine or publisher, you should be sure you've read and understand the
submission guidelines. If the guidelines request that you submit up to 4
poems, typed, name and address on each poem - you don't want to send them 5
handwritten poems, with an email address only. Editors receive loads of
submissions and don't need much of an excuse to toss one in the garbage.
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| Along the same line as the bullet above,
you want to know your markets. If a publication is geared toward music,
you don't want to send them a horror piece you just finished. And if the
publication says no greeting card or sentimental poetry, you probably want to
look elsewhere for a place to send your poem about your new love interest.
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| Be professional if you want to be
treated as a professional.
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| If you are just starting out, don't
expect to be published your first try out there. For most writers, don't
expect to be published your tenth or twentieth time out there. When you
receive a rejection letter (as we ALL do), try to learn from it. Maybe
the topic was not appropriate for the publication. Maybe it was too
short or too long. Maybe it was not the best publication for your work
and you should send it elsewhere. Or maybe the poem needs more work.
Which leads me to...
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Revision is a fact of
writing for ALL writers. I have never met a writer or poet who says
their work comes out perfect on the first draft. Every once in a big
while, it may happen that a poem is written and nothing needs to be changed.
Let's face it though, we are not all perfect. Steve Kowit says it best,
"Rewriting entails an ability to look at one's own work critically - to decide
what is working and what needs to be rethought and revised. If you do
not have the desire to rewrite, you probably haven't been able yet to take a
cold, critical look at your poems and see where they go limp."
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