How do you sell yourself as a creative? It’s not that finding a place to share your work can be a daunting task. It’s that it’s 100% a daunting task. Where to go? How to go about it in the right way? This question of being able to sell or promote yourself is one many of us are uncomfortable with creatively.

There’s a discrepancy in creativity. We want to express, create and build places where creativity is as open and accessible as possible (it’s the whole reason St Ghosty here after all.) But then a harsh reality check comes pretty quick out there in the wild – seeking out opportunities in creative spheres is hard. And it is, after all, an industry.

But that’s no reason to give up hope. Yes there’s often a commercial aspect to art when you’re looking to make a career in it, or even just have your work shared – but that doesn’t mean you can’t still be authentic.

We wanted to share some of the best advice we’ve had for anyone getting started submitting their work online with tips and resources to get you going with creative writing, screenwriting and photography – as the most common genres we get questions about.

The internet is a treasure trove of platforms offering opportunities. Either ones that showcase your talents and gain an audience or potentially monetise your work. Most importantly, it’s often completely open. While some places have conditions and criteria, you’ll often find that other organisations are very open to receiving work from creatives at any level.

Let’s kick off with some general ones across the board:

———–BE HONEST ———–

Don’t get me wrong, sometimes I edit work to be in line with a specific criteria or aesthetic for a submission. To know who you’re creating for is always good to consider, and a great skill the more professional work you do. But never let it define your art. Unless you’re working for a specific brief, you’re ultimately creating work for you.

This is your creativity, and so being authentic in your submission (especially if they ask for bios and cover letters alongside it) is not just good practice, but can make the difference between acceptance and rejection. Most people accepting new work can tell when someone is pitching something ‘real’. We know both from submitting work, and from reviewing submissions ourselves.

———–RESEARCH———–

Always ask yourself, why am I submitting here?

Again, I’d be lying if I said I’ve never blanket submitted work as submissions is often a numbers game. But for the best outcomes, you should always research who you’re submitting to. Will they like what you do? Could you imagine seeing your work on their publication? Try to put yourself in their shoes, and think about if you actually want/can see your work being included. Articulate why you’re submitting somewhere – they’re not going to pay much attention to someone they can tell has subbed blindly to an open call.

———–BE CONCISE———–

Sometimes you have to submit with a bio of yourself or answers some questions that the organisation/publication has put forward. The temptation here is to try and overload your answers with previous credits, or in depth analyses of your own work to justify why you’re submitting it. But this is something to avoid – or to at least not overdo.

Focus on being concise, as this often makes what you’re saying more powerful to someone who is probably looking over at least 100 submissions like yours. Don’t overdo or explain, and practice summing up your work in 1-2 sentences, as well as why you think it would be a good fit for the home of the submission you’re looking at.

General pointers – but ones that get lost in the mire of what feels like endless submissions of your work. Let’s break it down into genres:

1. Creative Writing

Whether you’re a poet, novelist, short story writer, or essayist, there are numerous online platforms where you can submit your work and connect with readers or literary professionals.

Best Practices:

  • Know the Submission Guidelines: Each platform has its own set of rules regarding submissions, including word count limits, formatting requirements, and genre preferences. Always read the guidelines carefully to avoid automatic rejection.
  • Tailor Your Submissions: Understand the platform’s audience. Submitting a romance story to a site that focuses on horror will likely lead to rejection. Tailor your work to fit the platform’s theme and style.
  • Keep Track of Your Submissions: Maintain a spreadsheet or journal with details like the title of your piece, where you submitted it, submission date, and the response. This helps prevent duplicate submissions and tracks which sites are more likely to accept your work.

Recommended Platforms:

  • Submittable: A platform used by many literary magazines, contests, and publishers to manage submissions. It offers a user-friendly interface to track your submissions across different publications.
  • Wattpad: A popular platform for sharing serialized stories and novels. It has a large, active community and offers opportunities for writers to gain a following and potentially get published by traditional means.
  • Medium: Ideal for essays, personal stories, and articles. Medium allows you to self-publish your work and earn money through their partner program based on reader engagement.
  • Reedsy: For those looking for a more professional route, Reedsy connects authors with publishers, editors, and agents. They also offer weekly short story competitions that are free to enter.

2. Screenwriting

For screenwriters, finding platforms to showcase scripts is crucial for networking and potential collaborations. Online communities and competitions are excellent places to gain recognition, feedback, and possibly get your script picked up by producers of any level. Remember it’s not just about Hollywood anymore, are there any groups local to you who might want to know more about you’re doing?

Best Practices:

  • Format Your Script Correctly: Industry-standard script format is essential. Using software like Final Draft or Celtx can help ensure your script meets professional standards.
  • Participate in Competitions: Screenwriting competitions offer great exposure and can be a stepping stone to larger opportunities.
  • Network and Engage: Joining online communities allows you to network with fellow writers, producers, and directors, which could lead to collaborations or opportunities.

Recommended Platforms:

  • The Black List: A popular site for screenwriters looking to get their scripts noticed by Hollywood professionals. It allows writers to submit scripts and receive feedback from industry readers.
  • Coverfly: An aggregator for many of the top screenwriting competitions. Coverfly ranks scripts based on their performance across multiple contests, which can help scripts gain exposure.
  • Script Revolution: A free platform where writers can showcase their scripts to producers, directors, and other industry professionals. It offers a searchable database and community features.
  • Stage 32: A social network for creatives in the film, television, and theater industries. It offers opportunities for script submissions, pitch sessions, and networking.

3. Photography

Photographers looking to submit their work online benefit most from platforms that offer both exposure and potential monetisation opportunities. From stock photo sites to curated galleries, there’s a lot of different avenues here.

Best Practices:

  • Curate Your Portfolio: Present only your best work. A strong, focused portfolio is more likely to catch the eye of curators, clients, and agencies.
  • Use High-Resolution Images: Ensure that your images are high-quality and meet the platform’s specifications. Low-resolution images can be rejected or fail to make an impact.
  • Stay Active and Engage: Consistent posting and engaging with the community can increase your visibility and chances of being featured.

Recommended Platforms:

  • 500px: A community-focused platform where photographers can share their work, participate in competitions, and sell prints. It has a large audience and offers exposure through its “Editor’s Choice” feature.
  • Adobe Stock and Shutterstock: If you’re interested in monetizing your photography, stock photo sites like Adobe Stock and Shutterstock allow you to sell your images to a global market.
  • Flickr: A classic platform that remains popular for photographers to showcase their work. Flickr Pro accounts offer advanced statistics, unlimited storage, and the ability to sell prints.
  • SmugMug: Ideal for professional photographers, SmugMug provides tools to create a customized portfolio website, sell prints, and manage client galleries.

What else?

  1. Build a Personal Website or Portfolio: While third-party platforms are great, having your own website can serve as a hub for all your creative work. It gives you control over your branding and makes it easier for people to find all of your content in one place.
  2. Utilise Social Media: Platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn can help promote your work and connect you with a wider audience. Use these platforms to share updates, interact with your audience, and network with other creatives.
  3. Seek Feedback and Revise: Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback from peers or mentors before submitting. Constructive criticism can help improve the quality of your work and increase your chances of acceptance.

Ready?

By selecting the right platforms, adhering to submission guidelines, and actively engaging with the creative community, you can increase your chances of success.

But remember, the most important part is faith. Having faith in your voice and your work is essential because, being honest, it’s hard. It’s hard tirelessly doing this and feeling like you’re not being listened to. But keeping persistent is key.

You have a voice, and you have something to share. So share it.