General guidelines

GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR SUBMITTING WORK TO MAGAZINES AND PUBLISHERS AND AGENTS There are no firm guidelines, but submissions should always be made professionally, showing consideration for both the editor and your intended audience. Never submit blindly. Check back issues to discover what is needed. If you submit poems send six so the editor can choose. Set them out on the paper the way you would wish them to appear in print, not more than one to each sheet. Everything should be typed. Name , address , and submissions. envelope. Use A 4 sheets. Odd sized little bits tend to get lost. Use one side of sheet only and lines of texts should be double line spaced with wide margins for editorial notes. Do not send your one and only copy. Keep the original. Send fresh, clean un-dog eared copies. You should only approach one publisher at a time. Send a stamped, self addressed envelope if you want your material back and put in a note requesting return if needed. You can purchase International Reply Coupons from the Post Office if you are sending work overseas. Unless a journal invites it, do not submit by Fax or by e-mail. Use the right sized envelope. Put please do not fold label on A 4 envelopes. Especially if you are submitting pictures with text, and use right size, stamped, for returns. Your name and address should be on both envelopes, on the title page of text and on any pictures included. Put FBSR on the title page if you are offering First British Serial Rights , FUSSR for U.S.A and FISR or FWSR if you are offering international rights. Include a short covering letter if you wish, but not a biography ! Never write apologetically. Believe in you own work ! For novels , prepar a crisp synopsis, not more than a page, better still a paragraph. Use the novel's title more than once in it. Give the editor about three months before enquiring, and do not expect free criticisms. Editors have enough to do. When your work is published international ethical standards require that you should be sent a free copy, but this does not apply to newspapers.A novel will usually earn six free copies. Remember editors don’t reject, they simply select, so don’t be too down hearted. Keep trying.