Also, with all the manuscripts we receive each month, we’ve noticed that the snail-mail submissions tend to be cleaner, fresher, and better written. In part this may be that mailing a manuscript and paying postage takes a lot more effort than copying and pasting or attaching a file. Dedicated writers sweat over every piece of mail they send and receive. Submitting online is easier, though, and here at WPJ we’re all about making it easy on our writers to submit their work. All we ask in return is to care for your online submissions the same way you would if you had to pay for postage both ways!

WHAT TO INCLUDE (COVER LETTER)

No matter the genre, your submissions should include a cover letter with the following contact info: Full Name (pseudonyms are ok), home address, and e-mail. You may also include your phone number, and if you have a website, please include that as well. DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER!

Your cover letter should include a paragraph introducing the piece you’re submitting. For essays and fiction please mention the WORD COUNT. You can use a second paragraph to tell us a little about yourself. Namely, mention your writing, any publishing credits and awards you may have received.

You can submit more than once per issue for consideration, but please ensure that you submit only one piece per form. Our issues are based on themes. Please, make sure you state which issue/theme your submission relates to (If you’re using our online form, mention this in the Title heading).

The Writers Post Journal is open to submissions in the following:

SHORT STORIES (we accept all genre)

We accept short stories up to 5,000 words MAX, but we tend to hold a special place in our hearts for those stories in the middle range (1,500-2,500 words). The best way to see your story in print is to hook us right from the beginning. This is especially true for longer manuscripts. If you catch our attention by page one, we’re much more likely to pay closer attention. A great piece of advice is to start your story fast. Make it active and original. Bring us up close. Don’t waste any words to get where you’re going!

FLASH FICTION

For our flash pieces we look for 1,000 words max. Because you have less room to work with in flash fiction, make every word count! Don’t tell us the entire life of a character in a thousand words. Bring us into a moment in his life. Give us something significant. Something worth taking a look.

POETRY

You may submit more than once, per issue, for consideration. But please ensure that you submit only one piece per form or email. Via snail mail you may include more than one per envelope.

NON FICTION

Essays between 1,500-3,000 words. These should be essays or articles in the interest of writers and general audience readers.
“How to” articles of all types work great. We’re always looking for creative nonfiction and new journalism types of writing.

ARTWORK
Anyone interested in illustrating for WPJ should email with a query letter and available on-line portfolio.
Cartoons and fillers (b & w or grayscale only) .
What you send to us should to be print-quality, preferably 300 dpi. We will resize the art as necessary before using it. Electronic files should be sent in jpeg format.

PAYMENT

Beginning in July 2007, although on the small scale level, The WPJ once again, will begin to pay for short stories and non fiction.

However, we do not issue checks. You must have a paypal account to receive a monetary payment.

Payments are as follows $5.00 – $10.00 Short stories

Articles and Essays $5.00

All other pieces receive a complimentary print issue with a provided SASE.

All published material is used on a one time rights non exclusive basis. You are free to submit elsewhere

Accepts simultaneous submissions if stated in query.

RESPONSE TIME

Please allow 3 – 4 months on submissions. Depending on numerous variables, however, it can sometimes take longer. If you have received no response after five months, send me a reminder via email stating your name, when you submitted, Issue and submission title

Themes

There are three ways to submit to us. Please, no matter which way you choose, provide us with contact information.

SNAIL MAIL ADDRESS

Do not send originals. Please include an appropriately sized, self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) if you wish your submission returned. Contributors submitting disposable submissions may alternately request response via e-mail, in which case a working e-mail address must be provided with the submission.

If you choose to submit photocopies, please ensure they are clear and legible. We are not responsible for submissions lost due to the USPS.

All snail mail submissions should be sent to:

Writers Post Journal

PO Box 7989

Pittsburgh, PA 15216

EMAIL SUBMISSIONS

You may submit more than once, per issue, for consideration. But please ensure that you submit only one piece per form, or email.

If you chose to Email, send to: Submission Email

If you are asked to send your story or poem as an attachment file, please make sure all submissions are double spaced, one inch margins, and no fancy fonts. Please limit use of (bold) as well

SUBMISSION FORM

Click here to Submit via our Submission Form.

I started the WPJ as a place for people to get their work read. To date over 800 writers and artists have seen their work published for the first time on the pages of WPJ.

It means as much to me to publish the stories as it does for writers to get published.

I do not want it to end. Unfortunately, if we do not increase our sale and/or subscription base, I may, may, be forced to close the WPJ in January. God willing, it won’t happen. And hopefully we’ll see some great sales for the issues of August and September.

I know the WPJ means as much to many people as it does to me. It is an open door for many that I do not want to close.

So, therefore, as tacky as some may see it, I am starting a ‘Save the WPJ’ campaign. Our costs aren’t that high. If each of those 800 people donated 2 dollars each we’d save the journal for six additional months.

To save the WPJ you can make a purchase, buy an ad, or simply a donation, even if it’s only a buck. Anyone that donates more than 10$ will get past issues of the WPJ that we have in stock. (pot luck)

Many of you have supported the WPJ and I appreciate it with all my heart. I thank you in advance for any help you can give to save this little literary wonder now.

NOTE – If you are making a donation, you will see the incriment is a dollar, This is the best way I could set it up. Just chage the quantity to the amount of your donation. THANK YOU!!!!

Rejection.

Rejection sucks. Plain and simple. I firmly believe a person becomes a ‘real’ writer, not when they get published, but when they get rejected.

That hopeful feeling every time you submit. That sinking feeling when the rejection letter comes.

Sometimes they are personal, often they are form rejections.

In any event, in any case, they still hurt.

Come on, this is your baby, right? This is formed from your soul, a product of your being. Your feelings. Hey, you laughed at it right? Why wouldn’t some editor?

I, too, have been rejected. Probably more times than anyone else has.

I actually contacted the Guinness Book of World Records about it. They said they don’t have a category for rejection letters. Well, damn it, they should. I’m certain I’d hold the title.

To date, as I pen this, I have written since 1995, 57 novels, nine screenplays, countless poems and short stories, most of which I have submitted. All of those submissions faced rejection. I’ve been fortunate one time, one novel, never received rejection, it was accepted by the first publisher that received it. I still believe to this day, my resume helped.

When I submitted, I opened up the handy dandy Writers Digest. I’d submit to everyone that my novel fit, then submit again.

I was addicted to submitting. Checking the mail, the email. Obsessed? You bet.

But perseverance is the key.

PHASES OF REJECTION

Nobody likes rejection. No one seeks to be rejected. Yet, there are phases you go through when getting rejected.

Hurt. You feel dejected, depressed, and you’ve received a lot, you feel like giving up.

But you don’t. Someone you know says something nice about your work and you are filled with hope.

Dejection. Anger Hope.

You need to just learn to get back on the horse and keep submitting.

HOW TO HANDLE REJECTION

Don’t live by the rule if it is a form letter, they didn’t read it. Not true, often editors have so many submissions, as much as they want to respond personally, they just can’t.

If an editor scribbled ‘no thanks’ on my cover letter, hey, I knew they took time.

Set a goal for yourself. Tell yourself that you will let a piece get rejected only so many times. After that, set it aside for two months. After that, reread, tweak, and try again. Even the same markets.

Save your rejection letters. I have an entire bin. Save them. The letters are not your failures; they are the steps you have taken to success.

Keep in mind, if an editor takes time to give advice in a rejection, your story has something. Editors are busy and to take time to do that, says something for your work.

WHY DO I GET REJECTED?

As an editor who rejects 90% of what I read, here is a list of why a submission gets rejected.

Inundation – This is probably the number one reason. The magazine is inundated with submissions that they must reject. Often times many good stories are rejected because there are too many to choose from.

Poorly written cover letter or no cover letter.

Check that spelling on your cover letter, and make sure you include one.

No SASE.

Although if I see an email address I don’t reject, but if there’s no email and no SASE, out it goes.

Story takes to long to get interesting.

I don’t mind a cover letter stating ‘Dear editor’, it doesn’t bother me. But fellow editors at other magazines, reject, especially if their name is on the website.

Too long. If I get a short story that is 30 pages long, it’s far too much. My readers won’t want to read it either.

Sloppy submissions.

Yes, you probably gasped. Writers send sloppy submissions? You would never? Good. But many authors send used copies with stains. Crinkled paper. Notebook paper.

Watch your typos. While I don’t reject for too many typos, others do. I have two modes. The reader mode and editor mode. I judge a story in reader mode, so I don’t see those errors unless they are blearing.

The number one reason I reject is a bad ending. Don’t rush your endings; make them good, original and not so cliché.

HOW NOT AVOID REJECTION

Even though rejection is a given at some point in a writers life, here are some tips on avoiding rejection.

Always include a SASE or an email address.

Keep your cover letters short and sweet. Don’t bog me down with details of your life, but pertinent information should be there. Are you a teacher? A professional writer. Expertise in the field in which you are writing. Also, a one or two sentence log line about the story helps.

Submit in the winter. Surprisingly, most writers do an abundance of writing in the winter, and flood us with submissions from April to August. Try to submit in the cold months when submissions are low.

Indulge in the highest reading pleasure.

Take a look at the Writers Post Journal.

WELCOME BACK SEAN!

Along with Sean comes a new look. The WPJ is proud to welcome back Sean Simmans. Sean was the original artist in the WPJ and the mastermind behind the original look. Now, Sean has returned, and in a style that only he can do, has transformed the WPJ to a new level. We are proud to have him back on the team.

The WPJ takes on a new look with an old fashioned appeal.

*NEWS UPDATE – DELAYS*

We at the Writers Post Journal apologize profusely for the delays in the July Issue.

The September, August and October Issues

No, it’s not a typo. You read the title correctly. We are almost back on track, and will deliver two issues. Oddly, because we are using two printers, the September issue will ship first and by August 26th. The delux, super packed, dual issue of August and Oct should be out rather soon. Right now, we are trying to convince Sean to do a small August WPJ. But he says the dual issue is gonna ‘rock’. I believe him.

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