In the Writing Jungle

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In the Writing Jungle

Suzi Goode

Genre and Marketing

You've written a story and now you're wondering how to get it on the market. Should you send it to an agent or try to find a home for it on your own? It depends on whether that story is a short story or a novel. However, before you decide where to market, here are some tips to take to ensure you don't waste an agent's or an editor's time.

As you write your story, think about which genre you could place it in. Is the story filled with wizards and witches or with steamy love scenes? I think we each know that in the first instance, the story is a fantasy and in the second, a piece of erotica. Can we narrow these designations even further? How?

As a writer, we must be aware of the type of story we write. What genre does it fall into? Which subgenre and are there any conventions within that subgenre which are must-haves? For example, a category romance will probably not sell if it doesn't contain a happy ending. A vampire story probably won't sell if it's filled with cliches. The best way to get to know your genre is to read as extensively as possible within it. Learn to tell the difference between "quiet" and "dark" horror or the difference between a category romance or a historical romance. This makes fitting your story into a subgenre much easier.

You've finished your story and perhaps even polished it. Now it's time to start searching for an agent or editor. If you have a novel, look in the most recent edition of NOVEL AND SHORT STORY WRITERS MARKET or A GUIDE TO LITERARY AGENTS, both published by Writer's Digest books. Make certain that if the agent states in his guidelines he accepts only romance and science fiction, that you don't send him a horror novel. Send only what the agent asks for, whether it's three chapters and a synopsis or a simple query letter.

Does an agent accept short stories? Not unless you're Joyce Carol Oates or Stephen King. It's not worth the agent's time to find a market for the short story at the pay it receives. Your best bet is to look in the most recent edition of NOVEL AND SHORT STORY WRITERS MARKET, or WRITER'S MARKET or online. The best online sources for markets I've found to date are:

Before you fire off your story to an editor, read a few issues of the magazines or ezines to check if your story fits their needs. For example, your story is dark horror. Publishers cater to certain types of readers and although the ezine might be labeled horror, it might be Lovecraftian, not the type of ezine your dark horror would fit into. By reading the current issue as well as a few of the previous issues, you will make certain your story fits in with the ezine's needs. Thus, your manusript won't be returned with "Not for us" written across it.

Before you send your story of novel to an editor or agent, do the following:

Have someone else, perhaps a member of your study or critique group, read your story. Is it original? Is it polished and ready to send to an editor?

Wait at least a week to give time and distance to your story and then reread it. Do you still think it's a good story or can you rewrite it to make it stronger, more original?
When you are certain your story is ready, check for spelling and grammatical errors. An editor always appreciates a clean copy and more often than not, will give it her attention over and above a story which might have an excellent and fresh story line but is riddled with spelling errors.
Make a submissions record in order to track your story. This can be done in a lined notebook, headed with the following columns: Name of Story, Date Sent Out, Publisher Sent To, Date Returned, and Editor Comments. This record will help you avoid the embarrassing occurrence of sending an editor your story twice. (Some writers tend to be prolific and may have five or six stories out to editors at a time. Thus the submissions record becomes a necessity.)

If an editor accepts your story, write her a short thank you. Editors are people too and like to know they are appreciated.

One last note - you'll find some authors write for a particular market while others write their story and then choose a market for it. Both are acceptable approaches although many writers prefer to write and then seek a market for their story. Whichever approach you decide to use, make certain you have chosen the correct genre designation for your story - you'll have a better chance of finding a home for it.

Keep writing!