A "Getting Started Guide" For The Online Literary Community
Advice from V.L. Parz & friends
Getting started in the online literary community can be daunting if you’re going at it alone. Where do I start? How do I make friends?! Where do I submit to get published, and what if my work is rejected?
Almost all of us have been there. I know I have. When I first got involved, I so desperately wanted to fit into this online community of writers supporting one another and getting published, but I knew nobody, was a newb about all the terminology (I still kind of am!), and had no idea how to get the ball rolling.
I reached out to my writing and publishing friends, as well as the writing community in general, on my twitter for input on advice I may have missed myself. Hypothetically, if your friend wanted to get started in the writing community, what’s some must-have tips and advice you’d give them? And, alternatively, think back to when you first got started in the community: what are some things you wish you’d known?!
I took my own thoughts and the input I received back and put them into this little “getting started guide,” to help those of you who may be exactly where I was when I first got started in the community a little under a year and a half ago now.
I love writing and want to join the community online... but where do I start?!
The most obvious first step is to join social media platforms... but where are all the writers?! What platforms do they use?!
Twitter- There is a huge community of writers, readers, magazines, presses, publishers, agents, and editors on Twitter. People from all realms of the writing industry can be found here, posting submissions calls and newly published work and all sorts of other updates you don't want to miss. A good starting point to find people to follow is #writingcommunity, #writertwt, #booktwt, and similar hashtags. Make sure to check bios of your favorite publishers to find their editors and the bios of your favorite writers to find publishers they associate, work, or have been published with!
Instagram- Many of the same individuals who can be found on Twitter also have an Instagram that they run. More often than not, their social handle will be the same on both platforms and they will frequently have their Instagram (as well as any other socials) linked in their Twitter bio with either a linktree, carrd, or other link website of sorts.
TikTok- Good for marketing your published works. Use #booktok and #writertok to find readers and writers to follow!
Substack- a platform where you can subscribe to newsletters. Some of your favorite writers may have one! It doesn't hurt to subscribe and keep up to date with what they have going on! You’re currently reading this guide on my Substack!
Goodreads- Book reviews! Find your favorite books and writers on here and leave reviews of the work you love!
How do I make friends in the community?!
Be a gracious reader! Whenever you can, read new work, find writing you enjoy, and discover magazines whose aesthetics align with your interests!
Read work from writers you admire and literary magazines you aspire to be associated with!
Support other writers and magazines/publishers however you can! It doesn't have to be monetarily. It's always great to purchase from independent writers and publishers, but if money is a barrier, many are open to providing or trading digital copies of works. Just reading is a good support, especially if you liked the work and share that! Leave reviews for work you liked on social media and websites like Goodreads (and Amazon if the book is available there!)
Send "fan mail!" If you read a piece or project that moves you, it doesn't hurt to reach out via email or social media and let the author know what it meant to you. Writing on an indie level can sometimes feel lonely and receiving a genuine message that your work was appreciated feels great.
Don't be afraid to let your personality shine through on your social media. Posting solely to be "marketable" can sometimes be off-putting. Being yourself and letting people see your personality makes them more inclined to cheer you on and support you.
When a writer has a new project forthcoming, sometimes they, or the publisher associated with the project, will post inquiring for blurbs. Don't hesitate to reach out with interest! It gives you the opportunity to advance-read a project and opens the door for strengthening a connection in the community.
Some publishers keep an email list of people to send an email to with advance-reading opportunities. Sometimes they will make a post about it, or you can contact them directly and inquire if they have something like that available. When advance-reading opportunities arise, you'll often be provided with a digital version of the ARC (advanced-reader's copy). Sometimes, the ARC version of the book may slightly differ from the official version published after any additional revisions are made.
I want to get published. Give me tips for submissions!
First and foremost, don't rush to get published! There are tons of magazines and publishers, and all of them want to frequently publish new work. It can be difficult not to feel like you have to keep up with their pace, but you don't. There are markets to fit all sorts of styles and aesthetics, so take your time to make sure your work is writing you're proud of and find magazines and publishers that are a good fit for you.
Not all of your writing has to be a masterpiece. Write whenever you can, even if it's just journaling or writing reviews of other work you enjoy. This keeps your writing muscles flexing, even when writer's block strikes.
Cast a wide net when you're submitting! The more you submit, the more likely you'll get acceptances. Some magazines accept simultaneous submissions (when you submit the same piece to several opportunities), but some don't, so make sure you're thoroughly reading those submissions guidelines!
Rejection is totally natural and part of the process. Don't let a rejection discourage you. Oftentimes, a rejection just means your piece didn't fit with what is being published, and is not a reflection of you or your writing. All writers get rejections- yes, even those you look up to! If you let it discourage you, and you stop submitting, that's when you are guaranteed to never get an acceptance. Just keep submitting!
Ask for feedback with your submissions! You may not always receive direct feedback, but asking opens the door for it. Feedback helps many writers make growth from rejections and acceptances alike! The piece may not get accepted, but you can receive valuable critique including feedback on impressions and what is working versus what is not working. You can use the feedback in revisions or future pieces and submissions.
If you aren’t sure about something, just ask! Most EICs (Editor-In-Chiefs) and magazines would prefer you reach out and ask clarifying questions versus assuming or submitting outside of guidelines.
Okay, so... Where do I find places to submit?!
Social media! All the magazines and publishers you're getting to know will post to their social media platforms with submission opportunities. Some will even post asking what other publishers are currently open for submissions, creating a thread you can scroll through of various other publishers to submit to.
Submittable- this is a platform that many magazines use for keeping tack of their submissions, and you can keep track of yours as well. There is a submissions tracker on your Submittable profile that will show you everything you have submitted, where you've submitted it to, and its submission status (in progress, rejected, or accepted.)
Chillsubs- made by writers for writers, it’s another platform on which you can find magazines and publishers open for submissions, their submissions guidelines, where/how to submit to them, and so much more. This resource is slightly newer, but is constantly growing and adding new features.
Still have questions on anything I may have missed? Leave a comment and I’ll make a follow-up guide answering as much as I can!