Thought for the day: Just sold my first short story since…well, longer than I’d like to admit. Other writers have commented on the comparative ease of getting non-fiction published compared to fiction. I agree. And it is much worse now than it was ten or twenty years ago.
And yet, I’ve also noticed that the changes taking place in publishing are not all bad. This particular piece of mine was submitted, read and accepted in the space of less than a week. And it was all done online. The story itself will appear in an anthology.
I’ve been writing and submitting fiction to magazines, agents and publishers since 1986, and I can’t help noticing how much more success I have had on all fronts since publishers and agents went online with the rest of the world.
Beginner writers should make a note not to bother ever submitting to anyone who will not at least read queries by email. Time for the writer is too precious— as it is for editors and agents.