Tag Archives: matchbook magazine

The “Writing What You Know” Rule is Baloney

A lot of you writers are probably throwing up your arms in disagreement at my sacrilegious statement.  But honestly, fiction writing would be really boring if authors strictly stuck to writing only what they know.  Books wouldn’t portray fantasy creatures that they concocted because they never experienced meeting one themselves.  Can you imagine how awfulContinue reading “The “Writing What You Know” Rule is Baloney”

Lesson: You Can Get a Rejection Letter at Any Time

Despite the fact that it’s Sunday morning, I was able to wake up and smell the roses with a form rejection letter in the mail.  A form rejection letter at that.  [Depressed hang of head]. But at least we learned something from it, yes?   Palooka: A Journal of Underdog Excellence Official submission response time: Continue reading “Lesson: You Can Get a Rejection Letter at Any Time”

How to Grab an Editor’s Attention: Bragging (Politely) in Your Query Letter–With Example

  For those of you who are shy and don’t like bragging about your publishing credits for fear of being impolite, stop being shy!  Literary journal editors and literary agents WANT to hear about that stuff!  A query letter and a cover letter are like job interviews.  Proving that you’re a qualified writer helps you–andContinue reading “How to Grab an Editor’s Attention: Bragging (Politely) in Your Query Letter–With Example”

Listen to Your Mother: Waiting By the Phone Never Gets You Anywhere

Sixty-five unopened emails greeted me.  Not a single one was about my submissions.  An awful great amount were from Victoria’s Secret and Barnes and Noble, warning me about last-minute sales.  Lame.  One was The Honors Review, announcing that the print version of this year’s issue are heading out in the mail this week (!!!)  So,Continue reading “Listen to Your Mother: Waiting By the Phone Never Gets You Anywhere”

Mythbuster: The “Good” Rejection Letter

Believe it or not, there are two types of rejection letters:  bad ones, and good ones.  The bad ones are form letters, one that the editors obviously composed and mass sent out to authors, merely filling in the blanks for name and perhaps the title of the submission.  Good rejection letters, on the other hand,Continue reading “Mythbuster: The “Good” Rejection Letter”