Frequently Asked Questions

• Do I need to be a member to submit?

Absolutely not. Anyone is welcome to submit.

• What are the requirements for submitting?

The main requirements include:

1. Few to no spelling errors.

2. The work should be coherent.

We keep the rules pretty lenient because we accept poetry among other freer formed writing styles and formats. You can find more details on our Submission Guidelines.

• Can I submit work that has previously been published elsewhere?

Yes. You can submit previously published work. We recommend getting familiar with the terms and conditions of the previous publication to be sure you aren’t violating any rule that could result in their taking your work down.

• How do I go about editing a published submission of mine if I find errors after the fact?

We strongly encourage having revised your submission until you are satisfied with the state of the work. We discourage reaching out to edit, although, we do understand that sometimes slip-ups occur. In those times where a mistake is found we urge you to consider if it is important enough to need editing. If you are still convinced you need to modify the work, visit our Contact page and inform us of the changes that need to be done.

If this becomes a regular occurrence you could be flagged and no longer considered to be published on our platform.

• How do I know if my submission has been accepted?

You can visit The Writers Club ‘Home’ page that has the latest accepted submissions of the week posted front and center for anyone to see. You can subscribe to our Newsletter and be updated on new submissions weekly via email. You can also follow us on our Facebook where each Saturday there is an update post with the latest accepted submissions.

• When do new submissions go up?

Submissions go up each Saturday. Any work submitted goes up the Saturday after the date. If any work is submitted on a Saturday it will go up the following week.

• Does The Writers Club or GreyThoughts own the work I submit to them?

No. Neither The Writers Club nor GreyThoughts takes ownership of any work published on the website or in any published collection books. All writers volunteer their literature for showcase on the website upon submitting. Writers also choose to opt-in or out of their work being featured in our physical and ebook collections. The writer is the sole owner of the rights to their work.

The only time The Writers Club and GreyThoughts hold any right to the work (and it isn’t ownership, but just display and sale rights) is when a member agrees to have their work featured in a collection. The writer retains the right to submit the work anywhere else or publish it independently, but we retain the right to keep the submission in our collection after the agreement is made. (The agreement could be found at the bottom of the submission form.)

• How do I become a member?

The ultimate goal of The Writers Club is for writers to volunteer their time and work. As a result, we keep the membership requirements private to avoid it being turned into a prize. Once the writer meets a series of specific requirements they are deemed a member.

• What does the membership title mean?

The title of Member is merely a way to bring attention to writers who’ve met certain criteria and offer consistent work of quality.

Members are awarded a personal page containing a collection of all their showcased submissions. This makes it easier for readers favoring these specific writers to locate more of their work.

Additionally, their names are found on the Home page of The Writers Club, linking directly to their personal collection.

• What is the goal of The Writers Club?

Our goal is to give readers a place to find unique underground work to consume and for writers to find a home for their hard work. We often recommend that writers submit specifically the work they don’t intend to profit from, but rather, the work that gives them the most pleasure and joy to make just for the sake of creating. We want literature to be fun for both the writer and the reader.

We pride ourselves on the minimalistic approach we take to creating our community. (No ads or promotions, no joining costs, no prize money or major rewards to writers, no comment sections, no judgment, simple sleek black and white design to keep the focus on the writing and welcome arms to both readers and writers from all walks of life) We have the single intention of bringing readers and writers closer together, no strings and no obligations. The writers are present because they want to be. The readers are present because they want to be.

The goal of The Writers Club is to bring people together in silent harmony.

• Will The Writers Club help me become a better writer?

Yes, but it’s entirely your choice to improve, though. We provide resources like the Writing Tips and recommend reading material from Amazon on our Shop. It’s entirely up to you, the writer, to exercise your skills constantly and pursue the content that will help you improve. The Writers Club offers the platform for your growth, but all other aspects of the growth are yours to choose.

• How long must a story be to be considered a Short Story, Flash Fiction or Novel?

We tend to follow the standard word guidelines accepted by mainstream publications. This goes as follows:

Micro-Fiction: Up to 100 words
Flash Fiction: 100-3,000 words
Short Story:  3,000-7,500 words
Novelette: 7,500-20,000 words
Novella: 20,000-40,000 words
Novel:  40,000-110,000 words