Publication Goals: Is There Such a Thing as Too Focused?

Narrowing my goal down to a few women's and writing magazines has helped me stay on course and keep the 'Overwhelmed' factor down to manageable, but something I read recently made me think twice about just how specific those goals should be.

I've been reading Absolute Write's editor Jenna Glatzer's book "Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer". While the title is reminiscent of a late-night infomercial, the book is most definitely not! There are some GREAT resources and solid advice in there.

In it, Jenna talks about how she set her goals when she first started: "I said I wanted to write for a national women's magazine..I set that goal very purposefully; I didn't just say 'any magazine'. It had to be national, and it had to be a woman's magazine. I knew the type of publication I was targeting, but I was careful not to get too specific, because then it would be too easy to fail."

I think this was my mistake with targeting the CSM and Skirt! so specifically. While they're two publications that would be awesome to get into, they're not the only good ones. Thinking that way almost caused me to submit simultaneously...and possibly turn off the CSM to future submissions. Sure, when (okay, I'll be positive here: if) the CSM monitor turns me down, it'll be too late to submit for next month's Skirt. But there are plenty of other magazines out there. I think this is a great thing to keep in mind when the rejections come in, too.

Simultaneous Submissions Dilemma

Imagine going to a job interview, and the interviewer saying:

"Don't apply anywhere else because we may want you 1-6 months down the road."

Or going out on a first date and saying:

"Don't date anyone else because I may end up liking you after all."

Crazy, right? And yet, it's perfectly acceptable for publications to say this, by way of simultaneous submissions. I've been thinking about this lately, because I really want to make a simultaneous submission that's "not allowed".

I've been trying to decide whether or not to send the submission I'd sent to the Christian Science Monitor about 1 1/2 weeks ago to Skirt! magazine. Normally I'd have sent the piece to Skirt first, because their deadline for the themed essay I wrote is July 1. But I really want to get into the CSM, & this essay seemed perfect. Plus the CSM doesn't accept previously published material. So if it had been published by Skirt, I could never again submit it to the CSM.

So far my experience has been: if someone wants my piece, I hear back quickly. However...

Is possible my week-old email is still sitting in someone's inbox, unopened and unread? I don't think so. But then again, what if by some weird cosmic coincidence Skirt accepted and then the CSM contacted me in the next two weeks and also wanted the article? Again, very unlikely (I could only dream that those 2 publications would both want my piece!...which is another reason to make a simul. submission) But on the very off chance that it happened, I'd have to confess to breaking the simultaneous submission rule. Would that turn the CSM off to accepting future articles from me?

Well, there's still another week left until I need to make a decision. I just wish these publications would give some leeway on the simultaneous submissions front. In the meantime, I'll wait...

Who Needs the Lotto?

Last week one of the other temps I work with asked what I'd do if I won the lotto. He said he'd buy a humongous yacht and throw parties every night, and the other temp said she'd quit working and go on permanent vacation. I told him I'd travel the world, and write magazine articles about my adventures...and realized that's what I'm working towards - heck, what I'm already doing.

Who needs the lotto?

I'm mentioning this because it seems to me that most of the writers I know are creating their "dream writing lives" without an overabundance of money. And, their priorities are different than other people. What makes them happy aren't necessarily yachts or dream vacations, or those other material things that are unlikely to come about. What they - or I, at least - really want is to be published, the chance to share my thoughts, to help, to get the release that comes with writing things down.

And that's the great thing about being a writer.

What are the chances of winning the lotto?
1 in 3.5 million

What are the chances of creating the dream writing life?
100%

Sometimes I wish I could be one of those people who are happy with any old job, and not go through this struggle with submissions, rejections & writer insecurties. Other times, like last week, I realize how lucky I am to be on this path.

Christian Science Monitor - Changes to Guidelines (not updated on their website)

I just submitted to the CSM, and received back the following email that notes changes not yet listed on their webpage. The biggest change: their max word count is now 800. Also, the submissions email address is not listed on their website, but is listed below (I had to fill out an online form instead):

Please note that numerous changes have been made to the Home Forum section over the past few weeks:
1. We have a greater need for food-related essays and garden-related essays.
2. Our maximum word count is now 800 words. But we will probably have room for only one essay per week of that length. Most will be in the 400- to 700-word range.
3. Although we accept essays on all topics, we especially need those about home and family and those that give an international perspective.
4. Our children's page, Kid Space, has become Kid Spot and is looking for shorter articles. Please query us with your ideas.

If your submission is more than our maximum word count, we understand that you had no way of knowing our new needs. Please do NOT write us back to say that you would be happy to shorten it if necessary. We will consider all lengths and will discuss any necessary trimming when you send you an acceptance.

It is a great help to us if the beginning of your e-mail's the subject line notes that it's about food, gardening, a holiday, or is time-sensitive (i.e., it needs to be published within the next four weeks).

The best format for submitting is a Microsoft Word attachment. (We are not able to open any other attachments, so if you don’t work in Word, just cut and paste your submission into the body of the e-mail.) If you reached us through the Monitor's online form, we realize you were unable to use an attachment.

If a submission is time-sensitive, we will try to read it as soon as we can. However, if you haven't heard from us within a week, feel free to submit elsewhere.

We ask four weeks in which to consider your regular submission. If you haven't received an e-mail from us by then, you can know that we aren't able to use it and you're free to submit it elsewhere.

We're sorry that we're unable to give personal replies or critiques. The volume of submissions makes this impossible. Be assured, however, that we do read everything submitted.

Please be aware that if your e-mail account has a spam filter that blocks messages from “unauthorized” senders – and you have not added Home Forum to your authorized list -- you will not hear from us. This is becoming an increasing problem for us, and we simply don’t have time to fill out special forms in order to get through.

Thank you very much for not e-mailing the section’s editors directly; that only slows down consideration of your work. The address for queries and submissions: homeforum@csmonitor.com

You should read Home Forum and Living online to get more of an idea of the changes: http://www.csmonitor.com/homeforum and http://www.csmonitor.com/living Most of the contents of both these online sections appear in Home Forum in print.

Please note Be sure to include all of your contact information (e-mail address, daytime telephone, mailing address) with your submission or query. Please include a word count with essays and travel vignettes.

We are unable to accept:
Faxed submissions.
Telephone queries.
Simultaneous submissions.
Previously published material.
Articles that result from a press trip, free lodging or meals, etc.

We look forward to working with you.
Judy Lowe Home Forum editor

Courting Skirt (Skirt Magazine, that is)

A couple of months ago I'd decided I was going to keep submitting to Byline until I got something accepted, and that persistence paid off. Now I've got a theory and have decided to test it out on a new publication: Skirt!, which is a fun, playful magazine published both online and in print.

The theory? That if the same editors see my name month after month, attached to professional submissions, eventually they'll accept something from me. It's kind of like the "courting" thing that Carolyn See talked about in her book.

Seeing as my submission to Skirt! two weeks ago not only received an actual reply back - but a nice rejection at that (!) - I figure I'm off to a pretty good start. Hey, we've already shared our first exchange...although not exactly the one I'd hoped for. This week I wrote a second article for Skirt's "Detour" issue coming up in August. Next I'll write one for their issue in September...then November...

The plan is to keep targeting publications that I'd love to list in my writer bio. The first one's down. Next are Skirt! and the Christian Science Monitor. I figure the more well-known, respected publications I can list as clips in my queries and on my bio, the more likely I'll be to catch an editor's attention & land more acceptances.

So, the courting begins!

Freelance Income: Practical vs. Creative

I wonder what would happen if we put 100% into what we truly want to do, instead of splitting time and energy between what's considered "practical" and what's "creative"?

For example:
Practical - writing dull insurance articles for a website
Creative - writing that fun personal essay for Skirt!
Practical - temping at a marketing company for extra money
Creative - writing & submitting extra newspaper articles each month for extra $

As a "green" freelancer I'm constantly reminded that if I want to be a smart businessperson, I need to be practical & do whatever makes money until I break into the writing markets that pay well. Okay, this is sound advice. It's what I'm doing. But lately I've been wondering if it's the only way...

Tonight, at an ESL meeting, I talked with a retired school principal named Bob. Twenty years ago, Bob's son and daughter in-law quit their jobs (one worked at a marketing company , the other at Morgan Stanley) because they couldn't take the corporate life anymore. They quit cold, with no income and no plan other than knowing they wanted to start their own business. Well, they did a lot of research, worked hard, and borrowed money - from Bob and his wife, who took out a 2nd mortgage on their home to make it possible. Today, the couple's created a children's puzzle company and their puzzles are sold throughout the world ("Melissa & Doug")..and they've "hired" Bob and his wife as employees in the now-family business!

I'm not saying we need to go broke or borrow money to become successful writers...but faith, creativity and courage goes a long way in chucking out some of that "safe" work we don't want and taking a chance on what we truly want to do.

Breakthrough #1: Byline Magazine

The first time I seriously tried getting published was about eight years ago. I took a writing class with a short, talkative blond-haired woman who had been publishing in parenting magazines for at least 10 years. I was so in awe of her: a “real writer” in the flesh. I couldn’t even work up the nerve to go up to her after class and ask a question. I did, however, work up the nerve to mail out several of my manuscripts…none of which made it to publication.

I took a second semester of her course, then a writing group she led, but eventually drifted off and got involved in “other things” – otherwise known as Writing Rejection Avoidance.

Anyways, back then in that class, before I’d quit writing for the second time, Linda told us about a magazine called Byline. Kind of like Writer’s Digest, but more likely to publish beginning writers. That night I got on the internet and subscribed online.

Each month I received Byline and read it through: the tips articles, the “My First Publication” section, and one of my favorites – the back of the book personal essays. If ever I get something published in this magazine, I thought, I’ll know I’m a real writer.

It wasn’t until I began this blog that I got up the confidence to submit an article to Byline in March, and a second article a month later. I also got in touch with Linda from those writing classes and set up weekly privates by phone: finally, I saw her as a regular person, someone just like me.

Last Tuesday I received an email from Robbi Hess, Byline’s editor, letting me know they want to publish one of my articles. Imagine, a mass of other writers, reading my words! I was escstatic. A mass of other writers, reading my words. I was hyperventilating.

The topic of the article? The opportunities that have opened since I finally allowed myself to believe that I am a real writer. It's more than coincidence. It's perfect.