Possibly published?!

Since I last posted I've sent some poems to a magazine in the hope I might get published!

I spent ages contacting shops asking for copies of the latest magazines which I had been looking at on their websites and had downloaded entry forms for competitions, but I hadn't had the confidence to do anything about entering anything because of the confusion over the legal rights if you get published. But last week I finally entered one sending 5 poems which I feel show the best of my poetry ability.

The magazine publish the top 3 and commend about 4 or 5 others which don't quite make it, so even if I get commended it's better than nothing, though readers won't actually see my poem it will just mention the title of it and my name - but it's a start. Though I'm getting ahead of myself here - I've only just sent them so nothing would probably have even been read yet! I made sure in my covering letter that I mentioned I was only sending the poems for consideration of publication and if that did happen I would be keeping my copyright and also the right to publish the submitted poems again somewhere else, so I think I covered all bases.

I really hope I get considered for publication, though I know this is only the first one I've entered, because until I hear anything back from them technically I can't submit to anywhere else because I can't submit the same poems simultaneously, but if I haven't heard anything in a while I might consider another competition.

It was really hard trying to think of bi information, which they ask you to submit just in case, as I didn't really know which bits of my life to mention but I just mentioned how long I had been writing, titles of places where I've already been published and a bit about my home life and family.

I know it sounds a strange thing to say, but technically I'm only sending to magazines in the hope that if I get published it will speed up the publishing process of me having my own book published, as I read that book publishers won't really consider you until you have shown that you have considered the small press before contacting the 'big press' - though it'll still be cool for me to see my work and name in a magazine.

For the next few week now I'm going to watching the post like a hawk in the hope that something will come through with my name on it as I've also asked for a short critique of my work, so wish me luck! I'll definitely keep you updated!