For the last twenty-five years I’ve been published in the “smallies”, the newspapers, the magazines, the journals, the websites, you get the picture, but I’ve been also greedy for the book deal, the “biggie”. I went into writing the book not thinking too much about the ins and outs of publishing, but I’ve learnt from experience as you’d say. It was phase one of learning about submitting to book publishers; yes, I got rejection slips. I learnt that when the publisher rejects one’s work, or most times the publisher rejects your work, they are most likely right, to the degree that they think the work isn’t the right fit, more or less, or they have better work than yours. I’ve accepted this reality and don’t really mind. Even if I’ve done my research on the publisher, there’s the possibility my work will be rejected. Don’t worry about it, I say. Life is bigger than that. It doesn’t really matter. But I will try, in not an ideal world, to exhaust the possibilities, if the book deal is still something I want, after realizing a thing or two about publishing.
Tag: publish
Reality at every corner
Authors must face publishing reality. What ever that publishing reality is. Years ago, I ploughed headlong into my fiction thinking it would get published someday. But when I got rejection slips saying my fiction didn’t fit their publishing needs, I withered a bit, and learnt that I just can’t go in there and get my work published. If I want to get published with a certain publisher, it’s about knowing them very well, and catering the work to their publishing needs. This is the publishing reality I am talking about. It may even entail me reading what other authors have done with that publisher. It’s no easy path to getting the book deal. This may seem obvious, but to know it, rather than sense it, are two different things.
Worthwhile
A piece of mine was published Monday at the Upper Room, after I submitted it two years ago. Well worth the wait, to see it up, and the reaction.
Polished
I was pleased to write reviews at this alternative website for a number of times over the years. I found I was writing with little if no after-thought to the writing, though. So, I didn’t check if it needed a polish, and neither was it edited at the other end. You live and learn, so I’m republishing those reviews with a polish at http://www.oldreviews7.home.blog as well as others that were published later on or before. Always double check your work!
Feels better than a straight out ‘no’
Of a bunch of devotions I wrote for one publisher back in December 2019, one is being considered for the future. Won’t find out if it’s accepted for another year.
Going by past experience, the piece may or may not be accepted, as other devotions of mine have been considered for a year, and after a year of those being considered, some were accepted and others were not.
I just don’t know for sure if this latest one will be published. But it feels better than having it straight out rejected at the start. A long time to wait, for sure, but well worth the wait, because this devotion would be a strong contender, going by the fact it’s come this far.
