I've been submitting my short fiction to a number of Canadian publications. I know that with the exception of Mavis Gallant, nobody gets their stories published first try, but I am wondering if I am sending my work to the wrong magazines, as it were.

Many moons ago, as a boy, I became accustomed to a format for written work that I'll describe like this: Tabs were at 0 to .5; maybe .7 (or .8) and 1. Regular text began a paragraph at .5, then 0 in subsequent lines.

In the sentence “Unfortunately, it began to rain,” what part of speech is unfortunately?

I’m surprised that a publisher so careful about grammar, usage, tone, voice, etc., doesn’t know enough to use the serial comma (a.k.a. third comma, Oxford comma, Harvard comma). What gives?

My agent showed my memoir around and got a rise out of two small, reputable independent publishers I’d be glad to work with, but one company wanted a slightly different focus in the memoir and the other recommended that I recast the story as fiction.

What are your five favourite references for English grammar?

I keep getting contradictory advice on how much detail to include in my stories. One teacher says “Less is more,” and another says, “God is in the details.”

Recently the editors of a magazine gave me feedback on a piece of fiction I had submitted. They said my characters were “too distant from each other,” but the distance was intentional. Is there a way to make distance work in under 1,000 words?

Advice to writers always includes strategies for shutting down the critic within. I am a pretty good critic, having spent years editing books. Now I’m writing, and I am reluctant to shut down those instincts and skills. Any tips?

Which is correct for the adjective form of empathy: empathic, or empathetic? Dictionaries differ on this.

I plan to submit a suite of poems to a literary journal that would be a prestigious publishing credit, but I have spotted typos in three recent issues. Does poor proofreading reflect badly on a writer?

What is the difference between flash fiction and postcard stories?

If I were to publish essays on my not-so-innocent children and their behaviours, or combine them in a book-length work of creative non-fiction, how would I protect their reputations?

Is the phrase good grief trademarked? Can I use it as the title of a poetry manuscript without securing permission?

I recently started writing my first book, a memoir, but I am unsure how to write something so long. Do you have any advice on how to make writing a long project more manageable?

My question is about epigraphs. If I want to include one (or several) at the beginning of my short story collection, do I need to get permission before I submit to a publisher, or does the publisher secure permissions?