Summer months

gettingby · Jun 8, 2012

I was worried about this before, but now that summer is coming a lot of reading periods are closing. I see this as a problem doing the weekly challenge. For those of you who have done W1S1 in the past, how do you get through the summer months?

I write literary/mainstream so I think that plays into how many potential markets take the summer off. I did manage to get quite a few out to markets right before they closed. So that was good, but still I feel like there aren't many options in the summer. Do you guys feel this way? What do you do about it?

fihr · Jun 9, 2012

Here in Australia, it is the winter months, and nothing is stopping. My suggestion would be to just keep writing, submit wherever you can, and if you can't find places that are open, do a mass sub when they all open up. You'll have more stories ready to go. It could be a good chance to focus on the writing and not think about what responses will drop in your inbox.

phineas12gauge · Jun 9, 2012

gettingby said:
What do you do about it?

Keep writing & submit to markets that are still open?

take a shot at another genre outside your comfort zone.

MelodySRV · Jun 9, 2012

Pick up a copy of the writer's market. With how massive it is, you should be able to find at least a few available markets.

gettingby · Jun 11, 2012

It is just hard because I want to keep up with W1S1. I did get a bunch of stories in before a lot of their cut-off dates.

I don't really want to write genre fiction because I am still pretty new at general fiction. I know there are flash markets still open, but flash is not my favorite.

I just wish the journals read year round. But thanks for the responses guys.

fihr · Jun 11, 2012

If it were me, I'd just keep writing, keep them piling up, then sub the back log when the mags open, and that way you're not behind.

I don't really want to write genre fiction because I am still pretty new at general fiction.

That's interesting. I write contemporary fiction (non-spec), and a variety of spec fic. I think you can learn from writing any kind of fiction, and I go to a weekly group with a 'literary' teacher, but the tools she gives us can definitely help with any kind of writing. We all find our own style anyway. I write spec fic because its always been my first love, and hopefully you write general fiction because that is your first love. But yes, the submissions market for that is probably smaller. But if you don't write what you love, it would be hard to produce work that others love (and publish), whatever the market size.

Summer months

gettingby

fihr

phineas12gauge

MelodySRV

gettingby

fihr