My first book was published seventeen years ago. At the time, I was working on a full-time basis, plus writing manuscripts and wondering if I
was spinning my wheels, wasting time. The process was frustrating. I spent vast
amounts of time writing, researching, targeting publishers and reading
interviews of editors in attempts to hone in on the publisher that best fit my
manuscript.
Sometimes I became distraught when the turnaround time
produced a rejection letter in less than a week. Did an editor even read the
manuscript? I wondered more than once. My frustration level grew; then I’d get
an encouraging note from an editor rejecting a particular manuscript but asking
to see more of my work as I produced it. Hope soared once again.
Today, I’ve gained perspective as if looking backward
through time with a telescope. My eyes focus on things that were impossible to
notice when I was living the moment, when rejections embraced every manuscript.
Rather than remembering the frustration, I look back on the experience fondly.
What was frustrating at the time—rejections—whetted my appetite even more to prove
I could write a marketable manuscript. Rejections served as inspiration to fuel
my creativity and imagination.
The built-up frustration made the first contract all the
more sweet. Would I have appreciated THE CALL from an editor as much if I had
received it with the first manuscript from the first publishing house I
submitted to? Probably not.
Glancing in my rear view mirror, I see those days as a
period in which I grew as a writer. Every rejected manuscript served a purpose
to help me learn to become a better writer.
Call
for submissions for Young Writers:
Apprehension Magazine. At Apprehension we look for writing that is experimental or modern, and we publish writers in the age range of 14-21. We publish quarterly in December, April and August. We strive to reach out to those who are afraid to submit, and we reach out to those who are on the road to becoming professional and published writers.
Submission Deadlines:
Issue 1: December
5th, 2016
Issue 2: April
5th, 2017
Issue 3: August
1st, 2017
Submission guidelines at http://www.apprehensionmag.com/
Call
for submissions for Adult Writers:
ONE STORY seeks
stories "between 3,000 and 8,000 words. They can be any style and on any
subject as long as they are good. We are looking for stories that leave readers
feeling satisfied and are strong enough to stand alone." Pays: "$500
and 25 contributors copies for First Serial North American rights."
Submission guidelines at http://www.one-story.com/?page=submit
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