Wrizzit

g.a.costa·Apr 23, 2026

I haven't done a lot of writing so far this year. So I feel a bit unproductive, but I started thinking about what I have actually been doing over the past few months. I submitted a chapbook, a full-length poetry collection, and a speculative verse novel to several different small presses separately. Now, the torturous waiting game begins. But in the meantime, to take my mind off it, I should create new work. Are you working on a book? Or have you submitted a book to a small press? If so, what was your experience like?

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JL

Jeje Li4d

I used to submit to short story comps but the last few knockbacks took me out of writing. So, currently just writing as much as I can before maybe looking at indie publishing.

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g.a.costa4d

What matters is that you're still writing. I've entered some contests, too. There aren't many that are without fees. I don't want to submit to them anymore because the costs just add up, even to submit a chapbook or a poetry collection. I understand why they charge fees, but I still find myself quite taken aback. So, I'm just focusing on submitting to journals and small presses with either no fees (kinda hard to find) or as low as possible.

1

JL

Jeje Li4d

Yeah, I tried to budget for fees but... The thing I've realised is that the artificial constraints to fit into the comps was hurting my writing. That what I thought of as discipline was actually forcing myself into a model that wasn't my natural flow. It's one of things I'm appreciating on this platform, to flow where I want and how I want, but also to try and find my own disciplined forms.