Wrangling an invite for "Invitation Only"

thethinker42 · Jan 5, 2010

Scarletpeaches and I were perusing some various publishers (mostly small presses), and we noticed a few accepted submissions "by invitation only". It got us thinking and talking (both of which are usually dangerous), and we were curious...

How exactly does that work? Where do those invitations come from?

waylander · Jan 5, 2010

Personal contacts. Either someone who has an invite passing it on to you or the editor directly approaching you. This is where going to conventions pays off, you get to talk to the editors.
You could try writing to the publisher asking for an invite on the basis of the sales you have made demonstrating that you've got the chops.

thethinker42 · Jan 5, 2010

waylander said:
Personal contacts. Either someone who has an invite passing it on to you or the editor directly approaching you. This is where going to conventions pays off, you get to talk to the editors.
You could try writing to the publisher asking for an invite on the basis of the sales you have made demonstrating that you've got the chops.

That makes sense. I've been hoping to get to some conventions, but they're a bit tough to get to from here. *fingers crossed about getting to the one in Hawaii...*

Jamesaritchie · Jan 5, 2010

Such invitations are most often extended to writers who have had short fiction published in the right kind of magazines. Many agents who handle "literary" fiction, and and a fair number of literary small press publishers seek out writers who have been published in good literary magazines, for instance.

If you want an invitation, you first need the publishing credits, or, at the very least, a recommendation from an agent the publisher knows.

Toothpaste · Jan 5, 2010

Actually I've also read that in a weird way this means that some are open to queries, just not full submissions. By which I mean something like this:

Hey,

I see you publish Science Fiction stories about butterflies. I would very much like to submit my current project to you as it falls in just said category, and thought I would email you seeing if you would invite me to submit.

Thanks yo!

Now, I always assumed invitation only meant you had to sit back, but evidently not always. Can't say how they'd react, as I bet not all said sites are open to that kind of email, but I can't see the harm in trying.

Jamesaritchie · Jan 5, 2010

Toothpaste said:
Actually I've also read that in a weird way this means that some are open to queries, just not full submissions. By which I mean something like this:

Hey,

I see you publish Science Fiction stories about butterflies. I would very much like to submit my current project to you as it falls in just said category, and thought I would email you seeing if you would invite me to submit.

Thanks yo!

Now, I always assumed invitation only meant you had to sit back, but evidently not always. Can't say how they'd react, as I bet not all said sites are open to that kind of email, but I can't see the harm in trying.

I suppose "invitation only" can mean that, but it hasn't in my experience. It's usually much like "invitation only" anthologies. Don't call us, we'll call you.

Toothpaste · Jan 5, 2010

I think with anthologies, yup totally, but with small presses which I assumed meant small publishers I remember having read somewhere that you could query them in that fashion. I am by no means an expert however. And. . . I could be wrong. I know I know, but it does happen

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Wrangling an invite for "Invitation Only"

thethinker42

Abnormal Romance Author

waylander

Who's going for a beer?

thethinker42

Abnormal Romance Author

Jamesaritchie

Toothpaste

THE RECKLESS RESCUE is out now!

Jamesaritchie

Toothpaste

THE RECKLESS RESCUE is out now!