Writing Roots

If you want to enter your stories into writing contests, it’s good to go in knowing what to expect. From having an understanding of the contest and the judges to having an idea of the sequence of events, any bit of information you have can help ease anxieties.

Listen for more about the process of judging and what to expect once you hit submit.

First aired September 25, 2023.

Most of this month is dedicated to helping you know what to do when writing for and submitting to story contests. In this episode, we want to summarize those things you should avoid. These are common mistakes authors make when creating short stories or interacting with contests.

First aired September 21, 2023.

While every contest will have its own rules and guidelines for submission, there are some general standards across the industry that you can follow now to make submissions easier. In this episode, we talk about the tips from Writer’s Digest on how to get your story ready to submit so it doesn’t get rejected out of hand for poor formatting.

First aired September 18, 2023.

Before you submit your short story (or any piece of writing) to a contest, you absolutely must edit it. This is more than simply checking for punctuation, spelling, and grammar mistakes. Editing for a contest must be done with the understanding that everyone else is also putting forward their best work.

Listen for tips on how to comb through that story and make it the best polished version you possibly can before submission.

First aired September 14, 2023.

Writing a short story, especially with the goal of entering contests, means breaking down the standard storytelling structure into its basic parts. It involves focusing on the most important aspects of the character development or plot.

In this episode, we talk about how to write a short story that will grab the attention of judges.

First aired September 11, 2023.

For more on this topic, visit Writer’s Digest.

There are many different writing contests out there, especially in this digital age. Anyone can technically host a contest and charge a fee for submissions. That can make it difficult to find ones that align with both your budget and your writing goals.

In this episode, we discuss how to find contests and how to determine if submitting will be worth your time.

First aired September 7, 2023.

Writing contests can be a foot in the door or a way to gain experience for authors of all kinds. There are many different contests you can enter, from short stories and poetry to cover design and audiobooks.

Throughout this series, we will be talking about contests, how to write for them, how to find them, and the pros and cons of submitting your name. We start by talking about the different kinds of contests and the most common sources.

First aired September 4, 2023.

Every editor needs to be prepared with a variety of tools at their disposal in order to help authors. From editing/writing programs to technical knowledge to style guides, each piece in your toolkit will benefit your overall work.

Ley and Leigh discuss different options to consider for your own toolkit, and how to determine what belongs based on genre.

First aired August 31, 2023.

There are a variety of ways you can make money from editing, but you have to have an honest understanding of your ability, experience and skill. Three things come into play when determining how much editors charge for their work: quality, speed, and cost. Often, editors will be able to meet expectations for two, such as being good quality and cheap, but they won’t be fast.

In this episode, we talk about how to balance these, as well as industry standards for freelance editing.

First aired August 28, 2023.

A good author/editor relationship is the basis for any good editing project. They need to communicate and coordinate with each other so the story can grow and become its best version. It starts right with the first interview, but continues through both parties actively engaging throughout the process.

Authors need to do and understand several things about editing in order to help that process along. From understanding it’s not about you to giving the editor all of the information they need, you want to be the kind of author editors want to work with. In this episode, we talk about how to do that.

First aired August 26, 2023.