Writers of microfiction have never had it so good for opportunities to get their work ‘out there’. Apart from the many viable self-publishing options there are numerous calls for submissions for both publications and competitions.
Some writers find the inevitable ‘rejection’ (it’s an inaccurate description) of submitting work dis-heartening. But every submission is someone else who will read the writers work. Every submission leaves a smudge on the literary landscape.And every now and then a work will resonate and its author will feel the satisfaction of short-listing, selection or more.
But success is not why writers should submit their work. They should do so because the process will force them to think like a reader and will require them to polish their work so it is the best it can be. And it will legitimise, in a small way, the claim that writers want to make, that writing is ‘what they do’.
The best way to keep track of opportunities is to subscribe to groups and lists. I’d recommend membership of your local Writers Centre, and subscription to Aerogramme Writers’ Studio and Submittable’s Submishmash as great starting points.
The other opportunity, which flash writers don’t always appreciate, is that they write in a format that is ideal for performance. So after shooting off a few stories to prizes and publications I’d recommend checking out spoken word open mic events. Writers who write because they want others to read, or hear, what they have to say, really have no excuse.
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