Blog Editors Share Tips

Interested in publishing a blog post at Literary Mama?

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how big the blogosphere is or how refined it’s become. Here, at Literary Mama, we like to say that we search for mama-centric news you can use — information about publishing opportunities, literacy efforts, and announcements about classes as well as personal narratives that motivate and inspire. I asked my fellow blog editors, Amanda Jaros and Jenny Hobson, to help me share a few tips that will help your submission garner our full attention.

 

The Basics

Introduce yourself and your submission with a one- or two-paragraph query. Tell us why your piece is a good fit for a particular blog series. Include links to your blog or website; we’ll probably visit.

Use the Subject line in the email to note where you think your piece best fits and adhere to suggested word count guidelines as outlined in our Submission Guidelines.

Paste your submission in the body of the email. It’s a lot easier for us to make specific comments this way.

 

The Specifics

Announcements
We’re happy to post announcements about literary events, programs, or workshops – just make sure your press release answers the five W’s: who, what, when, where, and why.

Calls for Submissions
We’d love to get to know you, so introduce yourself and tell us a little about your publication and how it appeals to mama writers. Then, include your submission guidelines and a website address so, like Announcements, we can provide readers the answers to those five pesky W’s.

Personal Narratives
We’re not a “tip” blog. In other words, we don’t publish pieces like “10 tips for buying a car seat” or “5 things to ask your child’s preschool teacher” although we may publish an occasional tip-type of piece if it’s writing-related and strikes our fancy. Think narrative. Think about the small things in your parenting life. It’s these small, often forgotten moments that can lead to a great writing prompt or motivational essay.

Check out the Archives and study pieces we’ve published in the past. Our After Page One and For Your Journal writing prompt series have published two or three posts a month since 2012 and 2010, respectively.

Op-Ed
In a nutshell, we look for top-notch writing that combines personal narrative with news. This type of piece goes beyond the soapbox and beyond the buzz. Readers should come away from your piece believing that you’re an authority on the subject and that your argument is based on evidence in addition to your personal experience. Just as importantly, your piece should elicit empathy. There is a difference between being right and being effective. Readers may not agree with your argument and conclusion, but your words should be respectful.

 

Final Words of Wisdom

Blog readers want short, succinct pieces, but that doesn’t mean we want submissions that are short on content or depth. Write about an experience that’s meaningful to you, and no doubt we, and other readers, will find it meaningful too.