Trust Me, You Will Be Published

After seven years of writing consistently, and that means every day even if it was for only 15 minutes, I wondered if I'd ever be published. All of it just seemed so difficult; the learning, the practicing, the editing, the rejections...

In my eighth year of writing I made my first sale. The sale was to The Ensign, an LDS magazine, and my short article was printed in the Random Sampler section; the place where readers share their experiences.

I was thrilled.

After that I continued to sell, but not as frequently as I would have liked. I'd sell an article one month, go two, and sell another. But mostly (dare I say it?) I was learning, and with the learning came many and varied opportunities to improve my work.

I received much criticism in the beginning, and much of it I didn't take in. But as the years went by, I got better at receiving criticism and my writing improved.

I published a book before I entered college in my 40s. I'd published with the local papers, written some articles for local magazines, had won some contests, but hadn't yet published a book.

But then it happened. A local publishing house accepted my book, "A River of Stones."

I was elated!

I was published.

But my story doesn't end there. I think it takes some grit to publish with a local publisher and then learn, through the years following, that what works for you personally is to go another route.

It wasn't easy for me to leave my publisher, because when I did I really wasn't sure what I was going to do. Would I find another publisher or publish on my own?

Honestly, I never wanted to be a self-published author. I thought the self-published crowd just didn't know how to write and so they had to publish their own works.

I was wrong.

As in all learning, I discovered that being published for me meant I no longer had to wait and see if a traditional publisher thought my book would sell because it was the right topic, the right length, the right voice....I could publish it myself.

Yes, you will be published if you continue to pursue your dream. Whether you decide on the traditional or self-published route, if you continue to work at what you love, you will be published. 


Photo by Melody Campbell, courtesy of Flickr

There's just no getting around it.

Are You a Prepper?

Years ago I became a Pepper. Dr. Pepper was my drink of the day and I loved it. But through the years I discovered some things about Dr. Pepper and my health. It felt pretty good going down, but the after effects were less than desirable. I was bloated, tired and felt as if I needed another Dr. to get me moving again.

I have been off the caffeine trip since August of last year, and I need to tell you I'm doing much better. No doctor necessary. But I have to tell you, I still want that one sip, that one time where I can go out to lunch or dinner and have my favorite drink.

But I haven't done it. I am thinking of my future after all. I want to feel good as much of the time as possible and Dr. Pepper just doesn't do it for me.

So what is a Prepper? you ask.

Photo by: Mullica, courtesy of Flickr

A prepper is usually someone who stocks up on food storage for the end, or maybe not even the end, but the surprising end of a paycheck as they know it, at least for a time. These preppers prepare water, food, toiletries, 24 hour kits, clothes, and on and on.

Why?

So they can be prepared.

I like this kind of prepper. It make me think of a writer who does all he/she can do to learn the skills of writing. He/she may have a natural born talent, but this natural God given gift must be honed for greater things. And these greater things called publishing and marketing and selling come only after much preparation. Your preparation might include:

• Taking a class
• Joining a writer's group
• Attending a writer's conference
• Checking out books at the library and practically devouring them
• Getting mentored by another writer
• Mentoring a writer
• Saving your rejection slips and paying special attention to the hand written notes occasionally found in the margins
• Taking feedback and criticism
• Rewriting
• Being patient
• Working hard

Being a Prepper when it comes to writing takes guts. Even after you're published, the end is still not clear and you may find yourself groping for new answers to questions that can only be solved by continually moving forward and continuing to learn.

Are you a Prepper?

Writing as a Career

For years we (my husband and I) have struggled to put food on the table, and while he has always been the mainstay, I have also tried to have something going on the sidelines.

For the most part I worked retail and that included the retail hours at the local home improvement store. I hated that job. Or maybe I didn't hate it exactly, it was just hard for me to enjoy it. I was attending school at the time (in my 40s) for my degree in Mass Communication, and I found myself studying for tests in between customers and letting my heart wander into overgrown writing paths.

Since starting school and having a job too, I'd done little writing for myself. The writing I did came from assignments that had to be done and often brought me little joy.

I have since discovered that writing as a career is an interesting thing. To really make it work you must be well known and the writing you do must be satisfactory or better. And in order to be well known and to have good writing, you must not only make time to write but you must know how to market or know someone who knows how to market for you--more money.

Photo by: Beat Machine, courtesy of Flickr

Though I can say now that the majority of my time is delegated to writing and marketing, this has not always been the case. Still, in my minds eye I could see myself living out my writing career dream.

My writing career really began that moment years ago when I was sick and pregnant and needed something to take my mind off of it. It continued as I raised my children, went back to school, and began my own writing services company.

The moment I began to take my writing seriously, the seed called "writing" planted itself in the ground and began to grow. I had some time in the beginning to pursue it, less time later to grow it, but as the plant has grown and I have been more focused on this dream, I have been given more opportunities to pursue it as a career.
You may have experienced this yourself or maybe you're struggling with kids, those dangling participles that keep hanging on your legs every time you sit down to write.



Photo by: eekoliteW, courtesy of Flickr

Believe me, I know how you feel. But don't give up. Continue to see your career in writing as a reality; work your way to it, sort of like climbing that mountain, eager to see the top. When you get there, call out to me, I am still working my way through the trees.