Gooood morning Scrawl Nation!
Ever dream of seeing your name in lights, or better yet, on a front cover? This week we brought the beloved Jen Finstrom on the show to talk about what it takes to get published.
Self publishing, ever think of doing it? Well there are some different types that vary by how much work you do yourself. Vanity presses will do some things for you, but true “self-publishing” will have much more work involved. Jen doesn’t self-publish and started out using “snail mail,” an entirely different submission process than the one ruled by the internet today.
Like a trendy cafe or music venue, magazines and journals each have their own vibe. Choosing where you submit your work to means considering who your audience is and what kind of writer you are. Working with other writers to find new markets is not only strategic in a business sense, but Jen said building a writer community made her a happier writer.
Jen was recently published in a couple magazines, which you can check out here! The most recent was for Neat Magazine, where you can read the latest issue here. Jen was also published in Midwestern Gothic. You should also consider submitting your own work to these magazines and build your portfolio!
You can listen to the podcast today by clicking here or clicking the streaming player at the bottom of this post. Be sure to check the UCWbL out on Facebook, Twitter, and Digication!