Shame on me. Too busy living to post on my writers blog, but if it makes you feel any better, I've been very busy on my other blog, The Poor Farm. Which begs the question, Are Bloggers, Writers?
Food for thought for another day. Todays post is an update on all the submission work I did in May, June and early July, as I promised you. I believe rejection sharing is as important as self promotion when things go well. It always helps me to know that others are going through the same hard work as I am.
During that three time month time I submitted work to thirty-two publications.Some were contest submission, others just regular submissions for magazine publications. Most were short stories, but there were also three creative non-fiction pieces and a few poetry submissions. In that same amount of time I've received five rejections, and one acceptance which I'll tell you about in a minute.
That leaves twenty-six pieces out there just floating around, in someones email, on their slush pile or maybe in a brief case being shuttled about a big city. Some of these publications state clearly, "Don't call us we'll call you," while others promise to get back to you within three months. One sent me an email telling me they had too many submissions and mine wasn't even going to be read, while another simply placed a piece of paper in an envelope. At least it was obvious by the scrappettes irregular edges, it was cut by real human hands. I'm all for the personal touch.
None of them made fun of my work or called me names. I find that encouraging.
This morning though, I was gifted a glimmer of hope. I was notified that one of my poems, While the Coroner Waits, has been shortlisted (in the top ten out of over 500 world-wide entries) in the Dermot Healy Poetry Contest. I've also been invited to the awards ceremony on August 27, where the winner will be announced at The Five Glens Festival in Manorhamilton on the North West Coast of Ireland.
Sadly, there is no way financially I can attend the ceremony unless any of you out there in blogland have an extra pair of tickets to Manorhamilton, which you won't be using. I can trade you a boat load of organic sausage and steaks for them. I'll even throw in several bars (100?) of homemade soap. Your choice of color.
Big congrats on the D Healy listing. Brava!!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the congrats Nuala, as well as for dropping in on my blog. Means the world to me.
DeleteOh my bad. I've not been checking in on your writing blog. (First off, bloggers ARE writers! And, like any writer, there are degrees of ability...) Anyway, congrats on being short-listed! Boy, that's a lot of submissions in just a few months. Were these things written over time and only then got loose into the world or were you in some kind of James Patterson fugue those months. My submissions were slower. I'm very much an editor and even after publication I'd think how I would have maybe done this or that section a bit differently. It did pay off, my rejection-to-submission ratio fell sharply. I'd found what worked for me - attention to detail, know the market, and (big one) was I writing for a market/publication or writing for something to say and it didn't matter if it got published. (Some of the latter never got submitted because I didn't want them in the hands of some callous 'professionsl' editor.) Anyway, by the time I was in good swing, life hammered me and I fell away from writing. But every now and then, when I'm free in the future, I look forward to exploring what is left of my inner wordsmith. Keep writing, Donna! And enjoy.
ReplyDeleteHey. Having clicked on the link to the Dermot Healy Poetry Contest I see you have W.O.N. !! Yay for you, girl.
DeleteKris, thanks for the congrats. It's still all sinking in and I will blog about that soon, the "art" of self-promotion and why it so hard for some writers. I think it is a shame that being hammered hard by life slowed your writing. I hope it is not permanent. When life hammers me the worst, writing is often what comforts me most.
DeleteThat would be a great trade - wish I had the tickets for you!
ReplyDeleteThat is fantastic news about the poem. I'm happy for you and relieved! I don't think I'd have the guts for all those rejection letters (which is probably why I'll always be an indie.)
For me Leigh, the oldest of six kids, daughter of a cop with a temper, ex-wife of another man with a temper, being rejected in writing...seems a walk in the park. But, I hate electric fence and getting shocked. I'd rather give birth to another ten pound son without anesthesia, than get shocked!
DeleteI don't know if bloggers are writers but I love your sense of humour ! xx
ReplyDeleteThanks for that. I love the way you spell humor. "Humour" is much more sophisticated.
DeleteWhile I have never submitted anything for publication as far as writing goes, Donna, I have tried photo submissions in past years. However, I didn't have much success and that's when I decided to go into business for myself and so did the rounds of craft shows for several years. This was when we were living on the VA eastern shore. Now I just take photos for my own enjoyment and to post on our blog. Congrats on your making the short-list; hopefully there will be a next time that's much easier to navigate to attend.
ReplyDeleteI think it helps Beatrice that I've had many many rejections in my life. Mark Bernhard for example, when I asked him to the Saddie Hawkins dance back in 1976 told me "I don't go to those kind of things," crushed my little 16 year old heart. But no worries. I'm over it. Completely over it.
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