Do you have stories that have been hibernating over winter in the caves of your computer files? Poems that have sleepily spent the dark months hiding from the cold snuggled between the pages of your notebook? Blog posts or essays that are destined to fly in the summer breeze and see a new audience?
It’s time for a Submission Bonanza, and I’d love for you to join me!
Here in Alaska, the new, green life is taking shape. The air feels fertile and full of possibilities. Birds are sending their songs out into the world and all this makes me feel like I should follow suit. With the start of summer, there’s the reminder of the possibilities that exist and the importance of our art seeing the light of day, stretching in the sunshine and basking in the warmth of the outdoors.
Two years ago at this time, I began a Submission Bonanza. It was an attempt to start getting my work out in the world, which I had been terrible about doing. It had been a long time since I had submitted anything anywhere, thinking of myself as not-a-real-writer, as someone who just wrote to make myself happy. At some point, I realized that writing, for me, is actually about connection and the real reason I was not submitting my work anywhere wasn’t because it was “just for me” but because I was afraid of the rejection. I mean, this poem is my soul; how could I stomach someone saying it wasn’t good enough?
Two years and hundreds of rejections later, I am stronger. I know now how to take the rejection letters. Being an editor of a magazine myself, I see how subjective the process can be and I know that it’s not a reflection of the worth of my soul.
I also have quite a few publications under my belt, because as subjective and harrowing as the process can be, there will also be moments when your work falls into the lap of someone who gets you, someone who connects with what you are trying to say. And they’ll want to share that with other people. Which, honestly, is kind of magical.
I have to say, I’ve fallen off the wagon a bit, been remiss in keeping my work flying out into the world and, thankfully, nature has reminded me that it’s time again.
So, I’ll be doing another Submission Bonanza this year, 30 submissions in 30 days. For the whole month of June, I’ll be keeping a running list of literary journals that I submit to, and I’ll highlight some of the best ones so that you can submit to them, too.
If you’re new to submitting, check out my Guide to Creating Your Own Submission Bonanza, Choosing and Selecting Submittable Pieces, Finding Literary Magazines, and Six Tips for Perfect (Professional) Cover Letters.
Feel free to use the Submission Bonanza logo and join up. I’ll keep you posted with how things are going. Keep me posted as well!
This is great! I’m finishing up a final round of editing on a piece now and hope to have it out by the end of the month. Best of luck!
Reblogged this on Dana Ellington Myles, MAPW and commented:
For the writers in my readers list – this is a great idea and fun way to celebrate my birthday month with me. Get those stories out into the world! 🙂
I love this! I don’t know that I’ll be able to do 30, but I’m going to set a personal goal of 20, which would still be pretty spectacular for me.
[…] Bergamino over at Lightening Droplets announced her plans to once again do Submission Bonanza, a challenge to send out 30 submissions in the 30 days of […]
Reblogged this on Being Southern Somewhere Else.
I have a few things on the go at the minute but I actually had been thinking about this for the start of next year, so that is my plan to build up a folder of work over the next six months for a submission bonanza in January
I like the idea of building up a supply of ammunition, and then blasting a regular barrage for a while!
Sounds like a great plan for encouraging submissions! I’ve just started off with short stories after working on novels but definitely submitting a lot this year.
Sweet
Will it happen in 2017 too!
Thanks for liking my Potpourri poems
This is such a great idea. I was stressing about trying to find an agent for my 2 completed books so I stopped writing. I only recently started up again writing flashers and shorts.
Like Dory says in Finding Nemo “Just keep swimming.”
Just keep writing… just keep submitting…
Hey. This is amazing.
And sorry to mention it here. But can you please give your review in my blog? @khansahab0196.wordpress.com
Wow, this is really cool! I am a (teenager) young writer and it can be very hard to find things like this. I am so happy that you liked my blog. Are you going to posting anything new, soon?
-TTFN, Somebody, Somewhere over the rainbow
Hope you had some success.
Reblogged this on FreitagIchBinVerliebt is an NSFW blog. My site is full of comments, critiques and essays both originals written by me and reposts of other work in which i share NO credit, on fandoms such as Daria, 90s tv shows and cartoons, JRR Tolkien, JK Rowling, fantasy, sci-fi, literature classics… current news, gadgets, bussinesses reviews, sociology, mass psychology, philosophy, natural and exact sciences, recovery from abuse support and coping strategies, autism, depression, neuro diversity, mental and emotional health, hermitism, introversion and ambiversion, ecotransfeminism and kink plus some poems, improvised recipes, drawings and fiction of my own creation..
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