Ready to see your work on the shelves at your local bookstore? You could write a 70,000-word book and thirty-page proposal… or you could submit a 1,200-word story to one of the many compilations in need of writers just like you.
I met Dianne Butts at the Colorado Christian Writers Conference in 2009, and was immediately impressed with her extensive understanding of the nonfiction short story market. She has graciously agreed to take questions about how to become a player in the compilation game.
1. What kind of compilations do you submit stories to?
I’ve submitted to, and been accepted in, Chicken Soup for the Soul, A Cup of Comfort Devotionals, God Encounters, What I Learned from God While Cooking, the New Women’s Devotional Bible, and others. For awhile, I made it my goal to submit to every Christian compilation I heard of, but I couldn’t keep up.
2. How do you find out about authors and publishers who are looking for stories?
1.) Check the web sites of compilations regularly, such as Chicken Soup (http://www.chickensoup.com/form.asp?cid=possible_books), Cup of Comfort (http://www.cupofcomfort.com/callforsubmissions), Hurray God! (http://www.hurraygod.com/), and Christmas Spirit (http://christmasspiritbook.com/), the sequel to Christmas Miracles.
2.) Get connected. Besides checking websites like the above, many of the opportunities I know about come to me from someone else. Get connected to other writers who will share the opportunities they know about and when you hear about an opportunitiy do share! Get on mailing lists from authors who regularly look for stories. For example, contact Jeanette Littleton at incredibleprayers@earthlink.net and asked to be put on her e-mail list for when she is looking for stories.
3.) I publish a free e-zine (electronic magazine) for writers every month where I list upcoming opportunities. You can subscribe using the form in the upper right of my web site at www.DianneEButts.com. Don’t neglect to respond to the confirmation e-mail you’ll receive from Bravenet.com by clicking on the link in it (it is safe to do so), or you won’t be subscribed.
3. What recommendations can you give to first-time authors searching for a place to publish their short stories?
Follow the guidelines! Get the guidelines. Read the guidelines. Adhere to the guidelines. Send something that fits what they are looking for. It really helps to read any samples they provide. Get a feel for what they’re trying to do and tweak your submission to the same flavor. Also, read previous books in the series to get a feel for what they will accept.
Second, you must submit your work. Don’t chicken out. Try. Then try again. An acceptance will come when you least expect it, for a submission you weren’t sure had a chance. So send it in! If you don’t, you truly don’t have a chance of having your writing in one of these books.
4. What pitfalls should authors avoid when submitting to compilations?
I’m not sure there are any pitfalls. If you check their guidelines, do your best to send what they want, within the word counts, etc., then you should avoid any pitfalls. There are some frustrations sometimes. I remember one place that accepted three of my submissions and paid me for them. But when the contributor’s copy came, I only found two and both were so heavily edited I hardly recognized them! Only a part of one sentence of my submission remained, yet my name appears in the back of the book as a contributor. Those things happen.
Another compilation still has not sent the contributor’s copy, even though the book has been out for months. Further, this publisher did not include in the contract that contributors could purchase copies at a discount to resell. I recommend writers look for this–contributors should get at least 50% off the cover price. We can then sell copies on our book tables and add to our income. But if the publisher won’t let us buy copies to resell… Well, it’s really hard to help promote and market a book if you can’t get your hands on it!
5. Have you ever submitted a story that was not accepted? How did you react?
No. This has never, ever happened to me. Every single story I’ve ever submitted has been accepted and the editor has just gushed about how grateful he is to have the honor of including my work in his compilation… I’M KIDDING! Of course I’ve had stories rejected. It’s disappointing, but what can you do? Well, actually, there is something you can do: send that story somewhere else. Send it to another compilation or send it to a magazine or Sunday school take-home paper or some other periodical. And try another story for that compilation if the opportunity is still open or try another story at another complication. Most freelance writers, I believe, get at least 10 rejections for every acceptance. So don’t let rejections get you down. They are part of the game.
And as for reactions, never react badly. You can be angry, sad, frustrated, disappointed, or whatever in private, but don’t express that to the editor. Don’t argue with the editor or send him or her a nasty note. Unbelievably some writers do this. Don’t you do it. Reply to the rejection with a nice e-mail thanking the editor for his/her time and consideration, and stating you’ll hope to work with them in the future. Then they will happily send you a notice when they have another project and they need submissions.
6. Is anyone looking for stories now?
All those I’ve listed above, with the possible exception of Hurray God!, are looking for stories right now. Jeanette Littleton is working on a 12-book project about prayer, so if you don’t have those guidelines write and ask for them right now and you might still have time to get in the next book under the deadline. Visit the web sites listed above for more information. Chicken Soup has several books in the works, including a devotional for Moms. Cup of Comfort has one going on love. Of course the Christmas Spirit book is Christmas stories. All of these have deadlines, so you can’t put it off. Do it now!
Just last week I had an opportunity shared with me, but this one is limited to ONLY women who attend a church that has a Girlfriends Unlimited ministry. They are putting together a devotional book which will be published by Group Publishing. If you attend a church with a Girlfriends Unlimited group, ask the leadership of that ministry to send you the e-mail with the link to the guidelines. Or, write to Amy Nappa at Group and ask for them.
A Little about Dianne:
Because she enjoys studying God’s Word in depth and then sharing what she learns with others, Dianne’s motto is “gathering manna and giving it out.” She has written for over 50 Christian print magazines and seventeen books including Chicken Soup for the Soul: 101 Best Stories of Faith (2008) and God Encounters: Stories of His Involvement in Life’s Greatest Moments (Howard Books, 2009). Dianne is currently blogging about her adventures and challenges in self-publishing her book at www.DeliverMeBook.blogspot.com. She offers a free, monthly e-zine for writers and every month she includes the compilation opportunities she’s aware of. To subscribe to Dianne E. Butts About Writing, use the form in the upper right at www.DianneEButts.com.