Write. Revise. Submit. Repeat.

Bad news. I haven’t received a book contract in about a year. 

Good news. I have two books scheduled for publication this summer/fall.

Bad news. I have NOTHING with a contract attached to it after birthing those two literary babies.

This hit me full force back in January when I was assessing my New Year’s Resolutions. I had been writing faithfully but had not submitted the manuscripts. My focus was writing and revising. At some point shortly thereafter, I changed my goals. Since I had so many manuscripts written, new ones as well as numerous rejected manuscripts going back years, I decided NO MORE NEW manuscripts. I have been retooling the older manuscripts to add spice and new life into them. The new manuscripts still need revision. 

I wrote and rewrote revisions on three manuscripts; then sent them out to publishers. I’ve had a couple of rejections, but both were as positive as rejections go. I was encouraged to send the manuscript to others because the editors though it would work for some, just not that particular publisher. So I did.

Two weeks ago, I must have irritated some muse somewhere. I received three rejections, two in one day. I don’t deny it, rejections pack a powerful punch, but I have tough skin (working on developing rhino hide). I checked my level of stubbornness (still high) and decided to view this whole process as a challenge. I am now revising the same manuscripts, once again. (My writing always leaves ample room for improvement.)

What a difference a week makes. Last week, I received two acceptance notices. One is for a chapter book and the other for an educational picture book. Happy dance time.

What a difference a revision makes.

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

Frankenstein Bicentennial Dare: Seeking New Stories about Science and Creation

Two centuries ago, on a dare to tell the best scary story, 19-year-old Mary Shelley imagined an idea that became the basis for Frankenstein. Mary’s original concept became the novel that arguably kick-started the genres of science fiction and Gothic horror, but also provided an enduring myth that shapes how we grapple with creativity, science, technology, and their consequences.

Two hundred years later, inspired by that classic dare, we’re challenging you to create new myths for the 21st century.

 Celebrate the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein by writing your own scary story! Tell a short fiction story about the complex relationships between creators and their creations, or write an essay about the evolving relationships between humans and technology in real life. Presented by Arizona State University, National Novel Writing Month, Creative Nonfiction magazine, and Chabot Space and Science Center.

Submission guidelines at frankenstein.asu.edu/dare

Deadline: July 31, 2016