Various Writerly Activities

She's excited.












Photo by Moi

There are various things going on in the writerly world that are awesome and fun. For one thing, check this out: Steena and Stina's OMG Contest

Also, Key Publication's Network, a new publishing company, is adding more novels to their repertoire. Check out the soon-to-be released: Key Publications Network

Although Sorean's issues are undergoing maintenance, you can still contribute art and writing: Sorean: A Gothic Magazine

The Oddville Press is always looking for submissions as well. Check us out here:

The Oddville Press

YA Highway is giving out an advanced reader copy of The Duff by Kody Keplinger. Here:

The Duff

The Facebook fanpage for Sorean hasn't been that active lately, but I'm going to try and start it up again, so fan us here:
Sorean Fanpage

Lastly, when I get enough followers (30's a good number, right?), I will do a first five pages critique. I'll tell you what I like and what I don't like. Rest assured, every writer will hear a little of both sides. One side may have more comments than another; regardless, don't be offended if the negative has more comments than the positive. Really, I am just here to help, not destroy. Hopefully I'll be putting up a Vlog soon to blab about who I really am and how I stumbled upon Sorean and The Oddville Press, both amazing magazines with sweet potential.

The Importance of Proofreading

Before I truly begin, I want to clarify that I'm an editor of two different things. The Oddville Press offers me the opportunity to edit pieces that are close to perfect, meaning they generally require light editing. Sorean Magazine is staffed, so if a journalist hands me a piece that needs to be re-written, I have to go at it like a college professor advising a student on how to make something better. And just because I ask a staff member to re-write something does not mean he or she is a bad writer. I used to write for The Xtreme section where the editor told me that she's had occasions where she sent in pieces to her editor, who later told her that piece needed to be re-done. I also help to edit the fiction pieces, which are probably my favorite since I aspire to be a novel editor--that, and I am a passionate fiction writer.

In any case, what I'm about to talk about not only applies to people who are writers on magazines with staffs, but to all of us.


Regardless of how many people have beta read your stuff, you yourself need to proofread before sending your writing off to anyone to be read--beta reader, editor, it doesn't matter. You would be amazed at what a good proofread could do. A good proofread can take care of a lot of problems and make your beta reader's (or editor's or agent's) life a lot easier. They can then concentrate on what they need to be concentrating on, and that is the soul of your story or article. They shouldn't have to drown in a sea of typos or blatant grammar errors.

Let me stress that editors are not here to write your things for you. We are here to aid in the process of writing and make suggestions. That is all. We do not expect you to be flawless, but we want you to understand grammar. All writers need to know grammar, and if you think you don't, you're sorely mistaken. I will and do reject stories on the basis of grammar, because grammar can make a story unreadable if the flaws are so blatant they pull you out of the story.

So, please, please, please, please, please proofread anything before sending if off to anyone.