Insightful and informative. Really, you gave a serious glimpse into the work it takes to keep a writing life going, whether productive or not. As I read recently, "Once More Unto the Breach" Henry V Shakespeare the way of the warrior submission battle
Feb 9, 2023·edited Feb 9, 2023Liked by B. B. Garin
“One of the most nebulous jobs in the world.” Indeed it is. I feel this way every time I visit Submittable and see one of my pieces stuck in “Received” for the last six months.
Oh, nena, you hit the nail on the head with this one. Imagine me: I am submitting my own *and* my translations of my beloved authors' work. My answer is this: every text can be made better and some should be thrown out, but neither acceptance nor rejection is the final measuring device. I've published pieces that now I wish I had held onto just a little teeny bit longer because they could have been a bit better, but they were published as they were. I've had pieces that I know are as good as I can get them, a few that I consider among my best work, that have yet to find homes. And of course there are those that are in the middle somewhere. My habit is to claw through the unadopted pieces pile every couple of months just to remind myself about what's in there just in case I see a themed issue that might be suitable for one of my babies. For example, just last week I was invited to contribute to an upcoming issue at Luvina, the literary mag of La Universidad de Guadalajara, and incredibly I had just the essay and, by Goddess, I had written it in Spanish to begin with. Their theme, el azar (chance), was just what I needed to sharpen the essay. My friend K., a very fierce Venezuelan novelist says: If they say "no", they just don't get me and I move on. She does not doubt her instincts and with reason. I am learning to do the same.
You only need to persist. Keep sending out work. Seek out online mags that have themes an see which of your writings fit the theme. And if youve sent a story fifty time, ask yourself, 'How important is it TO ME,, that this particular poem or story gets more of a wider circulation? ok maybe it simply CANT because it is a story about your veins and their nonresponsive vascular system.
Stick to your routines. Look for themes request. Google Publishing and Other Places of Insanity.They publish magazines seekings mss every month- with NO FEE... Get Poets and Writers magazine and studythe mss. rquest section.
Insightful and informative. Really, you gave a serious glimpse into the work it takes to keep a writing life going, whether productive or not. As I read recently, "Once More Unto the Breach" Henry V Shakespeare the way of the warrior submission battle
“One of the most nebulous jobs in the world.” Indeed it is. I feel this way every time I visit Submittable and see one of my pieces stuck in “Received” for the last six months.
Oh, nena, you hit the nail on the head with this one. Imagine me: I am submitting my own *and* my translations of my beloved authors' work. My answer is this: every text can be made better and some should be thrown out, but neither acceptance nor rejection is the final measuring device. I've published pieces that now I wish I had held onto just a little teeny bit longer because they could have been a bit better, but they were published as they were. I've had pieces that I know are as good as I can get them, a few that I consider among my best work, that have yet to find homes. And of course there are those that are in the middle somewhere. My habit is to claw through the unadopted pieces pile every couple of months just to remind myself about what's in there just in case I see a themed issue that might be suitable for one of my babies. For example, just last week I was invited to contribute to an upcoming issue at Luvina, the literary mag of La Universidad de Guadalajara, and incredibly I had just the essay and, by Goddess, I had written it in Spanish to begin with. Their theme, el azar (chance), was just what I needed to sharpen the essay. My friend K., a very fierce Venezuelan novelist says: If they say "no", they just don't get me and I move on. She does not doubt her instincts and with reason. I am learning to do the same.
Really enjoyed this piece. Thanks for sharing!
You only need to persist. Keep sending out work. Seek out online mags that have themes an see which of your writings fit the theme. And if youve sent a story fifty time, ask yourself, 'How important is it TO ME,, that this particular poem or story gets more of a wider circulation? ok maybe it simply CANT because it is a story about your veins and their nonresponsive vascular system.
Stick to your routines. Look for themes request. Google Publishing and Other Places of Insanity.They publish magazines seekings mss every month- with NO FEE... Get Poets and Writers magazine and studythe mss. rquest section.
Two suggestions: (a.) start a critique group and (b.) stop watching pointless TV.
I've never owned a TV and I'm regularly productive.
This year I will have 3 new books out. Good luck to you!