If you want a guaranteed acceptance instead of a rejection letter at my desk, you need a good story. But what makes one?
I sense the author cares about what they are writing. That’s easy, right? If you love an idea, you’ll write about it. But it’s twofold. Sometimes I get manuscripts that were submitted instantly after being written, which shows me you didn’t “care for” it the way you should by sitting on it for a few days or a couple of weeks, and rewriting it with a fresh eye.
Your first draft is never wonderful. It’s the sloppy bit of writing where you pour out your ideas and often it’s rather abstract. Because your brain settles into a rhythm, it’s full of repeated words. The second draft is where you notice this and rephrase sentences. I don’t expect you to be a master editor, but I want to open your submission and see you care about grammar, sentence structure, being specific, and are using the right words to convey your meaning. (One popular misspelling I run into is “conscious” instead of “conscience.”)
If you struggle with grammar and punctuation, invest in a good grammar checker.
The author cares about the audience. People think “what’s in it for me?” which means a writer has to know their audience and care about them. That dictates what kind of submission you send me.
If you’re sending me a nostalgic piece, a short story, a reminiscence about your childhood, etc., your reader wants to feel transported into a more “innocent” time, and to have an emotional reaction about a past they may or may not remember.
For a piece on your beloved dog or cat, the reader wants to be entertained and reminded of their own beloved pets. Readers read about pet stories to feel warm and fuzzy inside, which is why I encourage writers not to end a pet story on a “downer.” What is a downer? “This cute puppy you just read about who ate the Christmas presents developed cancer at 9 years old and we put him to sleep.” That is not warm and fuzzy. That’s tragic and sad. Death is an inevitable part of life, but in our paper, I want people to escape it and focus on the joy.
For an information-based article, be concise and give people clear headers with the information they seek. If you promise them “10 ways to …” then use actual bullet points. Be clear in each one, and include a line or two of description or explanation. I’ve read many essays where people can’t get to the point or hide the information inside 1,000 words. People who like bullet list articles are busy folks who want the information at a glance.
A good story is all about emotion. You want the reader to feel something. Inspired, hopeful, happy, emotional, contemplative, challenged, even that they spent their time well. Think about how to end your story or article on a positive note.
I welcome male writers. Most of our writers are female, but a huge chunk of our readership is male. I welcome submissions from male writers, who have a unique perspective on life to share, stories of childhood adventures, summers spent in mischief-making, and a particular brand of humor. Just keep it clean (and no hunting stories).
I can’t wait to work with you, and look forward to reading your submissions! – Charity Bishop
