Methods of submission...

[Maria2394]

To those of you here who have poetry published elsewhere, I have a question.

I have noticed that some of you have several poems in many ( different) issues of the same ezine.

So, here's the question..

Do you keep submitting where you have already been accepted because you feel safe there?

Your work has been awarded a home at one particular site, is this now a refuge; a place where you feel comfortable and no longer fear rejection?


or is it that you feel you may not find another place that would place your work?

How does your perception of your own work fit into where you submit and again, I ask, why keep submitting to the same place?

When I submit, I look at each "new" place as one to conquer. I guess that's just me.

And i am just curious as to the motivation of others when it concerns his/her writing.

Thanks in advance..

julie

 

[annaswirls]

Do you keep submitting where you have already been accepted because you feel safe there?

Your work has been awarded a home at one particular site, is this now a refuge; a place where you feel comfortable and no longer fear rejection?


or is it that you feel you may not find another place that would place your work?

Good question.

Neither.

Here is an example (from a person who generally sends stuff all over, rarely in an issue more than once.)

I submitted to thieves jargon a few times because:
1. I like their site and found that I had some readers there that enjoyed my work. I figured it was nice to give them more to read


2. I like how the editor was respectful, prompt, courteous



Note: being accepted once is no guarentee that you will be accepted again: I have been rejected there after being published in several issues. Sometimes it is actually harder to get in to the same place more than once.

I have also had work published twice in the same journal when the editor sent a request for more poetry for an upcoming issue.


I am starting to re-think my shotgun approach, or notch on the bedpost method for a couple of reasons. One being the more I learn about the editors and journals out there on the web, the more I know that there are people who do not like me <?> or maybe just my work (I know this is not saying it is "bad" but that it is not what they are looking for. ) Sounds insane because there is so much out there, but I sometimes click around for hours and do not find any place I would want my work (too many ads, awful layout, poetry-machine cranking out anything etc, or I like the journal itself but I just know that my work would not fit in there.


I would like to turn the question around: why do you like to spread your poetry around?

 

[Maria2394]

Anna,
I have not submitted but 3 poems to anywhere in almost a year. Thats why I asked the questions I did.

I have a better than 60% acceptance ratio to non acceptance, but the more poetry I read online, I realize, I am not good enough to be there. I havent found a site that particulary cares for my nature poetry and my metaphysical crap most people dont even understand.

When I was submitting, I managed work in thieves 2 times, and I submitted there the second time because my daughter asked me to submit with her.

I do agree with you about some of the zines being places I wouldnt even want my worst poems. For some of the same reasons that you gave.

I just began thinking, I read somewhere here about someone having close to 11 poems in an issue of some ezine and I thought, wow! does anyone else even submit to those places?

For now, until I grow, in my attempts, or at least grow out of this depression I am just wading around the pools of internet poetry, hoping to learn...something.




thanks for responding you had better KNOW i love you and your poems

 

[Sara Crewe]

I don't tend to send work to the same place more than once with the exception of one site because it was the first place to accept something of mine. It feels kinda like an alma mater, although, the editor probably doesn't realize that. I have been in that one three times and each time I submitted it was more stressful because you don't want to fail where you once succeeded. Who cares if some new faceless person rejects a poem but someone you know a little, well that matters a little more...

I find submitting things difficult because it is time consuming and not in the least bit creative but it is a necessary evil if you want a wider audience. I go in spurts much in the same way as I write mainly because my free time is very limited due to job and family responsibilities.

I think the best submission tool I have seen is duotrope.com. They even have a lists of the most approachable places or equally as encouraging 'the swiftest' responders. Of course, I am perverse and like to pick places off the 'least approachable list. It's like waving a red flag in front of my nose.

It's huge though (their database) so I would quickly make a list of twenty places, get the info and leave or you will suddenly look up and a day will be gone!!

Pick your five best poems and send 'em out. That is the hard part part but just do it! Pretend someone has pitched the ball and you just have to take a swing. Who the fuck cares if you miss? Swing again till ya hit it.

 

[Tzara]

I probably shouldn't comment, as I haven't sent anything out in six months. I think I'm suffering from the self-doubt thing that Ms. M. is talking about, along with my usual lethargy and finely honed procrastinatoriness.

When I have sent things out, I normally send to different places. But I certainly would send more things to some of the sites I'm been on. I guess I don't want to rely too much on a few sites. Variety is, I think, a good thing. But so is working with people you like.

There have been some places to which I've sent work that, while they accepted it, I would not consider again.

 

[Sara Crewe]

Um, I cant believe no one has said , "handcuffs and spanking" with a thread with this title on this site...

I'm just sayin'

 

[Maria2394]

Um, I cant believe no one has said , "handcuffs and spanking" with a thread with this title on this site...

I'm just sayin'

well, sara, I have to admit, when I titled the thread, that DID cross my mind

isnt it nice to see so many respectful people here?



thank you for the link to duotrope, I will take a peek into that...I have a few poems I have been working on, trying to edit into submmission quality, but I get so frustrated with them. One minute they're alright then I go back next day and its like my head says, WTF were ya thinking?? lol. A week of temps in the 80's will cure it, just have to wait!!!

and,

I think i have what T has, but Im too lazy to type it...


thanks everyone