As the Acquisitions Editor for Graveside Press, I read countless submissions every day and I thought we could have a chat about how to make your entry stand out amongst a sea of stories.
My first encounter with your story will be with your title. Your title should, of course, reflect what the story is about or its mood, and should also intrigue and make me wonder to myself, “What is this all about?” Avoid common, generic words, such as Vampire in New York, A Werewolf’s Choice, or Ghosts at Grandma’s. To me, these titles hold nothing unique and therefore I start out having no interest in reading them. Titles that have jumped out at me recently include Negative Space, Gathering Dark, Head Like a Hole, Rotten Tommy, and Dowry of Blood. Each of these hints at what the story is about and it does so in a way that I’m curious and want to know more about what’s going on there.
Second, let’s talk taglines and blurbs. Taglines are one or two-line pitches for your story to catch a reader’s attention. Blurbs are longer, typically 200-250 words. These are your hooks, your chance to sink your claws into the Acquisitions Editor (me!) to make me want to read more. A flat blurb hints at a lackluster story, and I promise you that if I can see that little effort was spent on this stage, I will not expend my effort reading further. You want a blurb to be engaging. To bring about a sense of curiosity and wonder and to really draw attention to the work and thought put into your story. Plots and tropes have been done a billion times, but what makes your take on these subjects special?
Third, editing. I don’t mean just going through your own work and looking it over—though you should do that, too—but finding a beta reader who can look from the outside and catch any mistakes you might have missed or any loose ends that you may have overlooked There are people that offer paid beta readings, but there are also websites and social media groups where you can offer a trade—you beta read for them, they beta read for you! It’s incredibly important that the document you submit is as clean as you can make it. If I see a document riddled with common errors, I will not ask you to fix them and try again. I’ll reject your story because I figure you couldn’t be bothered to do the bare minimum.
Lastly, I would like to address the importance of reading submission guidelines. You would not believe how many times I encounter people who have done everything except what should be the most basic task. Make sure you submit to the right places, make sure that you’re taking time to read and follow the rules, that names of people you’re addressing (and your own title, for crying out loud!) are spelled correctly, and that you include all the information asked of you. It is, again, another way to show to me you sincerely care about your work and that I should, too!
Anyway, I know that was a bit long, but hopefully there are some tips in there that can help you out for submitting your stories for consideration. Believe me, I’m rooting for you. I want to read your story. I want to be engaged by it. Help me get there!