Vigilant Silver Fox

   Every writer needs to submit his or her work to literary contests, magazines, collections, etc. There are multiple advantages to this exercise. Some submission opportunities send back your work with comments. Most of them, like publishing houses, don't let you know what they thought about your work. This is why you need to submit. It teaches you how to move on. Before you press the "Submit" key or place the document in the mail. Double and triple check the "Submission Guidelines." Before sending your entry, make sure the submission is free of typos, grammatical errors, and is formatted as instructed. Following the submission guidelines is critical to helping you get your document into the hands of the gatekeeper. If you didn't format the document correctly, you are deducted for your inability to follow directions. Font size, type, line spacing are not your choice, following the guidelines are not negotiable. Formatting a cover sheet and numbering

          Every writer is in love with his or her ideas, but forming or joining a critique group gives dimension to a writer's work. It also pulls the writer out of solitary mode.       Analyzing and assessing another writer's work is a privilege. Another creative individual entrusts you to read their work and give them feedback. The information you the writer is dependant on the parameters of the critique group. "Parameters" is the key word.       Before you enter a critique group, read a document, consent to proofreading a paper or editing a manuscript, you need to draw up boundaries and limits to your review with your group or an individual. This step is important because it creates conversation between the writers who are in this group." This discussion defines the object of the author's writing and clarifies the type of critique being entrusted to you.       A successful critique group depends on a set of rules established by its members. This is