: Re: For a new writer, is it better to enter contests or submit to magazines/journals? I'm a rookie writer, working on short stories thus far, mostly for practice and exposure. I need to get them

@Cofer669

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When I was in graduate school, one of my creative writing instructors suggested we students name awards after one another, win them, and then tell magazine editors about it in our cover letters. The advice was flip, but served to point out that contests are often expensive to enter, whereas magazines don't typically charge reading fees.

In the interest of frugality, I usually steer writers away from awards and encourage them instead to focus on developing their skills in a writing group. Once developed by the group, a piece could be placed in a magazine.

I wish there were a more clear "ladder to success" for writing. Once upon a time, perhaps it was "Start with magazines, then move up to books," but these days I'm less sure. Time spent studying writing in college and graduate school can also be a path, which will improve writing and increase connections in the community of writers.

In more recent years, another mode seems to be developing in which writers gain an audience online with a blog, and then bring that blog to publishers with metrics describing how many unique visitors, etc.

I wish you the best of luck with your endeavors!

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