​ABOUT THE EVENT ✏︎

​Whether you’re submitting to a lit mag, a competition or an agent, your piece is just one in a mass of entries, so how do you avoid getting lost in the slush pile?

​There are so many variables at play here (and a fair amount of luck and subjectivity!), but having read thousands of stories and poems as an editor and competition judge, I can share some of the most common reasons why a piece of writing might get turned down — and, more importantly, what makes it stand out.

​Eg: How do you know when your story is ready to submit? How can you make familiar themes feel unique? Should you keep it simple or take risks? Why should a reader connect with your story?

​And the secret ingredient every story should include… PLUS: practical tips on how to develop and edit your work with all these points in mind, and a Q&A to answer any other submission queries!

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​INSTRUCTOR BIO ✏︎

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Jo Gatford is a short writer of (mostly) short things. She is an award-winning author, scriptwriter and poet by night, editor and writing mentor by day, and co-editor of Thread lit mag in between. She writes about writing, slow creativity, and fixing your fiction at The Joy of Fixion, and can also be found in The Forever Workshop’s Community Corner for all the writerly chat.