You all know I'm looking for a publishing home for my work.
It's been a long road.
I started writing children's stories, then magazine articles, then short stories. I did find a bit of success early, though at the time I thought I had waited sooooooooooooo long.
Ignoramous that I was.
I think it was six months into writing non-fiction that I got my first sale.
"Finally!" I said.
Idiot.
Truth be told, I wasn't ready then. Far from it. Couldn't tell me that.
Anyway, I've been writing novels for, let's see, 2-3 years. I could figure it out exactly, but it doesn't matter.
I had some close calls. First with a story I wrote for a well-known compilation. I signed a contract and everything.
Only to be cut in a final draft.
I was devastated. I cried and prayed and said, "why me?".
Ding-Dong.
Then, my first novel had a lot of interest from a publisher. The editor said it was going to committee. He sounded so excited about it.
Months passed, along with tumbleweeds, and then a letter that tore my heart out. Yup, a rejection.
It was amazing that it being my first book, I even got that far. And without an agent.
The writing still needed some work.
Anyway, I've felt sorry for myself over the years from time to time. I've given my writing over to God, but waiting is still hard.
Well, I visited Brandilyn Collins blog yesterday and read "How I got Here".
Shame on me for feeling sorry for myself. This woman's road to publication was a decade long and unbelievably heart rendering. I could tell you why, but it's so much better to read it.
www.forensicsandfaith.blogspot.com
You'll have to go to the Archives to the first month she started posting, I think.
You won't be sorry. Reading her story will probably cure you of having your own pity party.
Friday, August 26, 2005
I've Found the Cure For the Road to Publishing Blues
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Gina,
ReplyDeleteThis stuff has always facinated me -- how someone gets published. There appears to be no exact formula, which is what most of us would like. It seems to be a strange mixture of talent, luck and hard work, with talent being the only constant.
I found out this week, that an article of mine will be published in Relevant Magazine, a Christian mag on pop culture. I'm very excited, but it's forced me to think about this issue again. I'm beginning to wonder if I should switch gears, focus less on fiction, and start putting more energy into articles and essays. Either way, I wonder if our ability to go with the flow and change direction isn't also a part of this mysterious process of getting published.
Mike, that is so cool about your article. That's awesome!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what your focus should be. For me, I had success with the smaller stuff but my heart wasn't in it. I finally laid it aside for the novels. Though the success seemed to be there for me if I wanted it, it took too much time away from what I felt I should be working on.
I believe God is preparing me, and you, and when it's His time and He feels we're ready for the big time, He'll make it happen.
Course we can run ahead of Him, but that's never a good thing. I'd hate for my early versions of Saving Eden to have made it to a store. Yikes! Though, at the time, I would have been thrilled.
Congrats again on the credit. Pray about the direction God wants you to go in, Mike. And then take His advice. :)