Have you written something, but have no idea where to send it? Don't worry, you're not alone. For example, Sylvia from Texas recently wrote, "I have a Christmas memoir from Detroit that I saw again today and wondered where I might send it.... I don't know how many words it has, but it's 20 pages double-spaced, rather long."
Well Sylvia, and everyone else, this is the best time to submit Christmas material to publishers, so your question comes at a good time. Most publications ask for seasonal material 3-6 months in advance. It may see odd to be writing a Christmas story or article in June, but that's when editors want their material so they can plan out their holiday issues. The same goes for memoirs.
Due to the length of the memoir, you're very limited with where you can send your work. Chicken Soup for the Soul is putting together a book of Christmas stories and is currently looking for submissions until June 30, 2011. I think your work would be perfect for this. Be sure to check out the guidelines before submitting to make sure your work doesn't get rejected due to incorrect margin size or not having a proper heading. Chicken Soup for the Soul also has other possible book topics coming out, so take a look and see if you have any other memoirs that would fit these topics.
If you don't mind trimming your memoir down, magazines may be interested in a Christmas memoir. Find your word count and send query letters to magazines and newspapers to see if they would be interested in what you have written. Do not send them your manuscript unless their guidelines say so or they ask for it. If you don't want to shorten your memoir, pitch the possibility of dividing your work up and publishing it as a serial. This used to be popular years back, but it can't hurt to ask.
Also consider submitting to local publications, both in Detroit and in Texas. Many localized magazines, journals, and newspapers love publishing content that showcases something special about their immediate area, be it the work or the author. Send them query letters and see if any of them are interested.
For Sylvia and anyone else looking to submit a memoir, here are a few sites to consider. They may or may not accept seasonal material, but they do accept memoirs.
Memoir (AND): Accepting memoirs up to 10,000 words from now until August 16, 2011. They do not pay, but it's a great way to get your name out there. What's great about Memoir (AND) is that they give critiques on your work for a $25 donation. They also have contests available. Check out their web site for more information.
Inkwell: Accepting memoirs up to 5,000 words for their spring 2012 and fall 2012 issues from August 1- November 15, 2011. This publication does pay for what they accept.
Quarterly West: Accepts memoirs up to 10,000 words, but most entries are 7,000 or less. They are not taking submissions now, but check their web site every so often to see when that changes. They also have a scholarship for high school students and contests.
I hope that answers your question, Sylvia!
Do you have a Creative Writing question? Need help with your writing or have a question about a particular genre? Send me an e-mail at Whitebrow1@aol.com and I may pick your question to feature as an article!
Happy Writing!
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