Find an knowledgeable reader of my essay?

July 23, 2012 12:47 PM

I have a manuscript of a roughly philosophical/literary essay, and I'm trying to figure out where I should try to publish it. How can I find someone objective, with solid knowledge of "high-brow" magazines and related publications, to read my piece and tell me where it might best fit and what my chances are of publishing it in various venues?
posted by shivohum to Writing & Language (1 answer total)

I've received pieces for editing/comments before and the best advice I can give is: you need to make life as easy as possible for the person reviewing your piece. Remember that it takes time and effort for someone to read your work and write valuable feedback. Give them the gist of your essay in a paragraph at the start - this includes doing some research at your local library first to narrow down even the most basic idea of where you might like to publish it. Get out as many magazines and journals as you can and sort them into 'no' and 'maybe' piles, then pick the closest three out of the maybes. Reading what's already out there also might help you refine the direction of your piece.

For the main part of your question - finding a reviewer - at this stage, because your essay sounds quite experimental and you're not sure what it is yet, I'd approach people you already know first to provide initial feedback. A friend or family member. Save the objective review for when you're a bit closer to understanding what you've got, so that you get the most from their time.

Good luck!
posted by pink_gorilla at 5:18 PM on July 23, 2012