Everyone has questions, that is natural, but what questions and when to ask them is a difficult choice. That’s why here at Steel Caves we have complied a list of the most frequent enquires, we have the 20 most frequently asked questions, which are available free by clicking here.
Below are five questions from the 20, to see what you can get.

Q. How Do I Get Started?

A. Read a lot, familiarise yourself with the market. If you want to write children’s books, for example, read children’s books. Ask your local librarian or bookstore owner for advice. Read constantly and voraciously, not just in your genre.

Write a lot, don’t just talk about the books, stories and articles you plan on writing. Do it. The more you write, the better you’ll get. Write every day. Set realistic goals for yourself. Got writer’s block?

Meet other writers, look for a local writer’s group or association, or find one online. Try to find a group which focuses on your particular writing interest (e.g. mystery writing, nonfiction magazines, literary, etc.).

Q. Can I send the same story to more than one editors? When it can take several months to hear back from editors, it seems ridiculous to only send a story out to one editor at a time. Yet, all the writing books tell us that editors don’t like simultaneous submissions

A. The writer’s guidelines of a publication should state whether they accept simultaneous submissions. If not, you can try sending your manuscript to several different publishers, and make mention of that in your cover letter. Of course, with nonfiction, you’re unlikely to have the piece written ahead of time (unless it’s an essay). When selling nonfiction articles, you usually query with your idea in advance.

Some professional writers maintain that while simultaneous submissions are a no-no, simultaneous queries are fine. After all, even if you get more than one acceptance, you can tailor each article to the respective publication and come out with two original pieces. The best thing to do when querying on the same topic is to offer a different slant to each market. There are ideas that can work in several different publications. For example, one idea may lead to story ideas for Women’s, Parenting, and Pets markets. For each publication, you’d be writing a different story with the same subject.

Some writers do say that they covertly send multiple submissions. Then, when they get an offer, they send a letter to the other publishers withdrawing the manuscript from consideration. Others take a more practical approach and simply state in their query or cover letters that, due to the timeliness of the material, if they don’t hear back from the editor by a certain date, they will withdraw the material and submit elsewhere.

If you’ve been waiting a long time to hear on a particular query or submission, you can write a follow-up letter asking if the submission was received and indicating that you may need to withdraw it for other markets.

Q. How do you break into the writing business?

A. Here are several ideas that worked for other writers:

If you’re lucky enough to have a paper or magazine nearby, you may start out as an intern. They don’t get paid much, but you definitely get experience.

Query a trade magazine for your particular profession, or some other topic that you are an expert in.

Look for annual "roundup" type stories that the staffers may be tired of doing—like "Top 10

Local Restaurants". The editor may be all to happy to pass the job onto you, and give you a start.

If your query is rejected by an editor, call or visit and ask what they would be interested in seeing.

Study several issues of magazines that you enjoy reading. Then, pitch them an idea.

Try local markets, such as free papers or weeklies, before you give up and work for free. Your clip will mean more.

Q. How can I ask how much they pay?

A. Send a follow up e-mail (or letter if you queried with and were replied to by regular mail), referring to the editor’s reply, restating your article, title, length, expected deadline and pay.

If you’re going to be talking to the editor over the phone, practice bringing up the issue of money before hand. Just ask simply, "How much are you paying for this piece?" or "Let’s talk about payment for a minute."

You could also ask, "What sort of rate would go with this type of story?"

Q. How do I get my writing critiqued?

A. Some writers prefer to work in isolation without soliciting opinions from others. Others find it helpful to get feedback during the writing or revision process. If you’re insecure about your writing, choose your critique partners with care. Obviously Steel Caves offers an editing, proof reading service, but if you do not want to use us, be sure to thoroughly check references and contract details before sending your manuscript to anyone else. Although many are legitimate and can be of enormous value, there are also scam artists out there.