8 QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF ABOUT YOUR SUBMISSION

1. Does the title grab an editor’s attention? Does it offer a peek at the tone, subject, theme or unique vision of your story?

2. Is the story appropriate for your target market? Don’t send magazine articles to book publishers. Don’t send fiction to a market that buys only nonfiction. The key to knowing what’s appropriate is research. One way to research is listen to Episode 012: Is This a Picture Book?

3. Does the first sentence make you want to read the story? Does something happen in the first paragraph? If you can say “it gets better” about anything to do with your first page, then you need to revise. You only get one chance to grab the reader, so do it right away.

For five more questions to ask yourself before you submit, listen to the full episode.