I don't pretend to be an expert, but here's my advice:
Getting published is tough but not impossible. Read everything you can get your hands on. Study the market. Learn your craft. Seek honest criticism. If you have discipline, resilience and persistence... if you write what people want to read... you will be published. No matter how many times you're rejected, never stop believing in yourself and do not give up. Someone, somewhere will read your book and say, "I love it!"
Are you feeling down about a book rejection you've received?
I recently left my home in Central Washington state and traveled over the Cascades to attend a writers' conference in Redmond, Washington. Redmond, the home of Microsoft, is what Seattle calls the "Eastside," which (in their minds) means it is located east of Lake Washington. I'm from the real "Eastside." By that I mean the east side of the Cascade Mountains that divide our state in half. I live in the dry, arable region of Washington, home of world-class wineries, fresh fruit, vegetables and fortitude. No Space Needle. No fir trees. No endless days of rain. Seattleites love to motor over the mountains in their Mercedes, Volvos and Audis to sample our wares, but most would never consider living here despite the multitude of drive-through coffee stands.
Why, you may ask, am I giving you a geography lesson about Washington state? Because, aspiring writers, I'm about to make an analogy. Back to the writing conference. Imagine my surprise when the program, titled "Book to the Future," made no mention of the numerous quality small presses and E-publishers actively seeking new and promising writers. No, their line-up included representatives from Simon and Schuster, Penguin and Harcourt, three of the remaining "Big Six" publishers. Of the 400 attendees, many were unpublished.
Don't get me wrong. There's nothing wrong with shooting for the moon. Hone your craft. Go for the top. But, let's be realistic. In my opinion, it's unconscionable to neglect your paying audience, many of whom are desperate to see their book in print. Don't they deserve to know there are other options? For me, the situation is akin to the geography of Washington state. The west side is big, powerful, over-populated and full of gridlock. The east side has friendly, welcoming people and wide open spaces with room for everybody to grow and expand.
So, my friends, pick up a copy of Writers' Market and peruse the small presses. Read their submission guidelines. Find the best match for you. Hone your craft and polish your manuscript until it sparkles. Then, submit, submit, submit. And remember, never give up!
Need more encouragement?
Click the audio player below to hear Marilee's favorite "keep your chin up" song... 222nd Wind by Kacey Jones
