5 answers
Sylas
Student
Greencastle, Indiana
1
Question
Asked
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How can students pursuing creative writing connect with potential publishers, editors, etc?
How can students pursuing creative writing connect with potential publishers, editors, etc? I've only been able to connect with professors, and as far as I know, there aren't any classes on becoming a successful author once you have the skills to write what you want.
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5 answers
Hakeem Ola Saka
Freelancer
82
Answers
Maryland Heights, Missouri
Updated
Hakeem Ola’s Answer
1. Research and Target the Right "Gatekeepers"
You shouldn't reach out to every publisher you find. Connection works best when it is targeted.
Literary Agents: In traditional publishing, agents are the primary link to major publishers. Most large houses (like Penguin Random House or HarperCollins) do not accept "unsolicited" manuscripts; you must be represented by an agent.
Mastheads: Look at the "Masthead" (the list of staff) of literary magazines or small presses. This tells you exactly who the editors are.
Submission Guidelines: Always read these first. Following a publisher's specific formatting or "query" instructions is the first way to show you are a professional they want to work with.
2. Utilize Literary Databases
Professional directories allow you to find contact information and see what editors are currently looking for (their "MSWL" or Manuscript Wish List).
QueryTracker: Excellent for finding and tracking interactions with agents.
Poets & Writers: A massive database for finding small presses and literary journals.
Duotrope: A subscription-based service that provides detailed statistics on response times and acceptance rates for thousands of publishers.
3. The "Twitter/X" and Social Media Strategy
The writing community is very active online.
MSWL: Search this hashtag to see agents and editors posting exactly what they want to see in their inbox right now.
Pitch Events: Keep an eye out for events like PitMad or DVpit, where writers pitch their books in a single post, and agents "heart" them to request a full manuscript.
Substack: Many editors and publishers have newsletters where they share behind-the-scenes advice and call for submissions.
4. Networking through Literary Events
Nothing beats a face-to-face (or screen-to-screen) connection.
Writing Conferences: Events like AWP (Association of Writers & Writing Programs) or local genre-specific conferences (e.g., ThrillerFest) host "Pitch Slams" where you get five minutes to talk to an editor.
Workshops: Enrolling in a workshop taught by a published author or an editor at a press is a direct way to get your work in front of them and build a mentor-style connection.
5. Building a "Pre-Publishing" Portfolio
Before a major publisher takes a risk on a novel, they like to see that you have a "track record."
Literary Journals: Connecting with editors of smaller journals (like The Paris Review, Granta, or even university-run mags) builds your resume.
Anthologies: Look for "Calls for Submissions" for themed anthologies. These editors are often scouts for larger publishers.
You shouldn't reach out to every publisher you find. Connection works best when it is targeted.
Literary Agents: In traditional publishing, agents are the primary link to major publishers. Most large houses (like Penguin Random House or HarperCollins) do not accept "unsolicited" manuscripts; you must be represented by an agent.
Mastheads: Look at the "Masthead" (the list of staff) of literary magazines or small presses. This tells you exactly who the editors are.
Submission Guidelines: Always read these first. Following a publisher's specific formatting or "query" instructions is the first way to show you are a professional they want to work with.
2. Utilize Literary Databases
Professional directories allow you to find contact information and see what editors are currently looking for (their "MSWL" or Manuscript Wish List).
QueryTracker: Excellent for finding and tracking interactions with agents.
Poets & Writers: A massive database for finding small presses and literary journals.
Duotrope: A subscription-based service that provides detailed statistics on response times and acceptance rates for thousands of publishers.
3. The "Twitter/X" and Social Media Strategy
The writing community is very active online.
MSWL: Search this hashtag to see agents and editors posting exactly what they want to see in their inbox right now.
Pitch Events: Keep an eye out for events like PitMad or DVpit, where writers pitch their books in a single post, and agents "heart" them to request a full manuscript.
Substack: Many editors and publishers have newsletters where they share behind-the-scenes advice and call for submissions.
4. Networking through Literary Events
Nothing beats a face-to-face (or screen-to-screen) connection.
Writing Conferences: Events like AWP (Association of Writers & Writing Programs) or local genre-specific conferences (e.g., ThrillerFest) host "Pitch Slams" where you get five minutes to talk to an editor.
Workshops: Enrolling in a workshop taught by a published author or an editor at a press is a direct way to get your work in front of them and build a mentor-style connection.
5. Building a "Pre-Publishing" Portfolio
Before a major publisher takes a risk on a novel, they like to see that you have a "track record."
Literary Journals: Connecting with editors of smaller journals (like The Paris Review, Granta, or even university-run mags) builds your resume.
Anthologies: Look for "Calls for Submissions" for themed anthologies. These editors are often scouts for larger publishers.
jose pimienta
comics and storyboarding
32
Answers
Burbank, California
Updated
jose’s Answer
Hi. Great question.
Go to writers's event. Go to conventions, mixers, and/or workshops. Remember that there's people who are freelance editors as well as editors for publishing companies of different sizes. Similarly, there's all sorts of publishing companies. I don't think it's a terrible idea to politely send an email asking genuine questions with curiosity about how they go about their selection for publishing works. But yeah, find events and go mingle. Eventually you'll meet someone who knows someone who's looking for someone else. And so it goes.
Best of success to you. I hope to find your writings soon.
Go to writers's event. Go to conventions, mixers, and/or workshops. Remember that there's people who are freelance editors as well as editors for publishing companies of different sizes. Similarly, there's all sorts of publishing companies. I don't think it's a terrible idea to politely send an email asking genuine questions with curiosity about how they go about their selection for publishing works. But yeah, find events and go mingle. Eventually you'll meet someone who knows someone who's looking for someone else. And so it goes.
Best of success to you. I hope to find your writings soon.
Tom Foster
Freelance Writer with a lot of life experience
75
Answers
Forest Grove, Oregon
Updated
Tom’s Answer
Truthfully? There are many courses out there that will try to give you an idea of what it's like and what it takes to become a successful author. My advice is to ignore the majority of them and pay attention to what people are reading, what they want, and follow the trends as much as you can. After that, find agencies and publishers that are leaning into those trends. Apart from that, just write and grab the social current when you can. I know, that's vague, but so is the weave of writing...
Just write, and be adaptable.
Just write, and be adaptable.
Drew Pace
Customer Implementation Manager
8
Answers
Bremerton, Washington
Updated
Drew’s Answer
Connections are most important in the writing world, so I recommend focusing on events and opportunities to spend time with working authors. Writer's retreats and workshops are awesome ways to connect with other writers. Also, attending local events focused on writing (maybe readings/open mic nights or things like that). It's more important to connect with people directly and less by email or cold outreach (these are very tough avenues to go down).
Rekha Jindal
Typing,dataentry,writing short story,
18
Answers
Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Updated
Rekha’s Answer
You can search on a different social media sites about the editors and publishers after writing and completing your book or you can send an email to the publisher for publishing your books through different advertisement at instagram or Facebook etc . You can also take the help of print media .they are newspapers and weekly magazines who gave opportunities to the younger writers for creating their ads .through different aderisement you can contact editors and publishers.