Writing Hint #16 Eight Steps to Getting Published
Most writers desire to get their work published. This is a worthy goal towards which to strive. Many writers get a few articles, poems, stories and even the odd novel published. A few writers get hundreds of pieces of writing published and even fewer actually make a living from their writing.
How do you improve your chances of getting published?
8 Steps to Getting Published:
- Read: most, if not all published authors are voracious readers.
- Write: this may seem obvious, but writers write; they don’t only read about writing or talk about writing, they actually write often and write in quantity.
- Goals: successful, published authors set goals for their writing. This could include setting the number of words to write each day, the number of hours spent writing each day, deadline dates to complete a novel, story or article and so on.
- Edit: published authors edit their writing until it is as near to perfect as they can get it.
- Markets: the authors who study the markets know where to send their writing for the best chance of getting published.
- Guidelines: published writers read the publisher’s guidelines so they give themselves the best chance of being accepted for publication.
- Submit: Successful writers submit their writing to publishers. Often. A story won’t get published if it sits languishing in a desk drawer or on your hard-drive.
- Persist: Successful authors don’t give up; they are persistent. As soon as one rejection letter comes they sent off the story to another publisher. And they keep on doing it until they are successful.
- Write: Successful writers keep on writing, accepting that rejection is not personal. It’s the story that has been rejected – for whatever reason – not the author.
- Remember to read every day.
- Remember to write every day.
- Remember to take time for yourself every day.
.
Writing Hint #15 More about metaphors
No Comments »15th November, 2006; Category: Writing Hints
I’ve written before about using metaphors in one’s writing. They can be useful little devices to enhance one’s writing, if used carefully. Thinking of fresh, new metaphors to bring colour to your writing is hard work. You have to be particularly creative. Writing a novel or story, for example, is like building a house; it helps to have a plan. It also helps to have all the necessary equipment.
Sometimes I feel like a caterpillar. At first I seem to be making very little progress. All those legs are so easily tripped up and I stumble around not knowing where I am going. Then I think I’m in a cocoon, making absolutely no movement at all. But finally, just when I despair of ever making anything of real value, a beautiful butterfly emerges to grace the world with its enchanting presence.
I’ve just read a post written by Roger von Oech on his blog Creative Think. Roger takes a completely different view of metaphors. He uses metaphors in his workshops to help participants think about their company and how is it travelling. This is really creative thinking and a wonderful way to stimulate their thinking. See the link below to read the whole article, including some funny – and tragic – metaphors created by some participants in his workshops.
Life is a bowl of fine icecream – smooth, creamy and sweet, leaving you with a yearning to come back for more.
Copyright 2006 Trevor W. Hampel.
Related articles:
- Your life as a metaphor – listing different metaphors about life.
- Fun metaphors of “My Company” written by Roger von Oech
Doing the writer’s sigh
Recently I have done the writer’s jig a few times. This is when I get a story or poem accepted for publication in a magazine. It is in the form of a little celebration dance around the room, accompanied by a yippee or three.
Sad to say, I did the writer’s sigh a few days ago. Another rejection letter in the mail. [SIGH] I’d done all the right things (write things???) too.
A few writing hints:
- Read the publisher’s guidelines and follow them carefully.
- Read the magazine you are submitting to in order to understand their style and the type of stories or articles that are used in that publication.
- Edit your story – make it as good as you can – rewriting as needed.
- Read your story aloud, watching out for phrases and sentences that sound wrong or clumsy.
- Submit your story, article or poems.
- Go on writing new material.
- When you get a rejection, print out a fresh copy and send it off again.
Remember –
- read every day
- write every day
- take time for yourself every day