Pieces subbed this year = 10
Pieces pinged back with a 'No' = 3
The trouble with trying to sub is that it takes so long. Retrospective subbing that is.
It's never a good idea and it really doesn't work.
You may have a story suitable for Magazine A but Magazine A wants 2000 words and yours is 1000. Magazine B wants 1000 but your piece is not literary enough. And so you edit/add/ rewrite and research other markets until you realise that it's really better to step quietly away from the story and leave it to fester in its natural habit, The Big Box File of Practice.
But you continue because there are a thousand markets out there and you must have something in your pile suitable for one of them. And you really, really want a credit. (You know those bios that they ask you to write? I just can't bring myself to include a ten year old credit). But it's like a jigsaw - one of those million pieced, baked beans ones and it's all too hit and miss. You don't want to let these bits of writing go. You want to let them have a try somewhere and another day goes by while you're trying to mould and fit, mould and fit but remember these pieces were written with no market in mind - no journal, no competition, no e-zine. They were just written and the word count was whatever they turned out to be. Surely if you throw enough out there, one of them will score?
No.
Well, you might get lucky but it's unlikely. And it's a waste of time.
Meanwhile, the book you're supposed to be writing has taken a back seat as yet again you have failed to achieved a writing balance. The book was supposed to come first. The subbing was supposed to be secondary.
So the pieces will stay in their box. I will focus instead on targeting chosen markets, fulfilling competition briefs and getting on with the rewrite of the book which I'm now convinced is in the wrong tense, pov and probably has the wrong story. But that's another post. In other words, I've learnt something since January 1st. Wonders will never cease.
Please note that the use of the 2nd person 'you' in this post refers only to me. You, of course are far more sensible.
50 comments:
Writing sounds like a very frstrating stressful business. Hope you hang on it there!
I'm very unsensible, Lane. So I do know what you mean. I've promised myself that I will sub at least one thing a week until I run out of things to sub. Only then will I feel on top of it and able to go back to the novel. It's going to be a long slog I feel.
Sensible? Moi? You must be kidding! I too fear I've written my novel in the wrong tense, but can't face starting it AGAIN :oO
I also veer back and forth between writing short stories and the book, convinced I'm not doing either much justice. Having sold a couple of shorties makes me think I should stick to that, maybe that's what I'm good at, but I can't seem to leave the novel alone. I'm plugging along with both - for now. It is hard not to keep trying to find homes for those pieces that have pinged back. It seems such a waste to leave them languishing in a box!
Your words are very good. I do hope you find a home for them soon :o)
I, of course, am certainly not. More sensible, that is. This writing business is indeed very stressful and most of the time I feel like I'm going around in circles. Which I am.
I'm hoping there's a grand pattern and one day all the pieces will fall into place, then I'll sit back and say Ahhhh. My inner guide knew what it was doing all along.
Yeah. Right.
I must say that when I first saw your sub-heading I felt pleased for you that 7 pieces had been accepted. I do not really know what *subs* are though -does that mean getting paid for submitting things to magazines and the like?
It is obvious from this blog and your writing blog that you are skilled. It's such a shame that you can't make that big breakthrough. I mean I can still remember your short story about doing things during a dream and I've got the most shocking memory for stories. Okay, I know it wasn't long and even I should be expected to retain something, but even so it did make an impression.
Lindsay - Frustrating yes. And thank you - I will:-)
Helen -I'm sure you will be successful Helen. And I like your methodical approach:-)
Karen - there's no reason why you can't do both - the novel and shorts. You've had such success with your shorts but I'm sure the same will happen to your novel too. It's the jiggling the time balance which throwsme. And knowing when to finally say - enough:-)
Wordtyst - Aah an inner guide. I thought I was paying heed to my inner guide but maybe that was just ego:-)
I think your inner guide is serving you well:-)
French Fancy - sub is just abbreviation for submission and these are unsolicited subs so the rejection rate is pretty high anyway.
Thanks for remembering the 'dream email' story. That's already been rejected at least once:-)
Hang on in there Lane! I know it gets you down and can seem hopeless but you will keep at it as its something in you that you have to do! we just about lurgy free!
You threw me with the "pieces subbed this year" because I thought you meant subbed as in edited, rewritten. But you've explained to French Fancy and now I'm with you. When I worked for an American newspaper as a copy-editor (in UK that's a sub-editor) to sub a story was to change it for another, as in substitute, whereas they used edited when we meant subbed. Two countries divided by a common language!
I've written two unpublished novels and they gather dust in a drawer but I remember when I'd finished the first one (100,000 words of utter genius) and I re-read it I thought it was in the wrong tense. So I changed it from the present to the past tense; still not sure if I shouldn't change it back! Aaaargh.
Ah, you have been resting your head on the Pillow of Despondency, dear heart - tis part of the natural cycle of writing. My little win cheered me up until a Close Friend (should that be former close friend?), said, 'You only won because the rest weren't very good.' You are a clever, warm and talented writer so pick yourself up and keep going!
More sensible? I doubt it. Unless not writing alone makes me more sensible. Again, I doubt it.
I admire you for hanging in there and not giving up. Myself, I know, I wouldn't have the persistence and energy. So, hat off to you for doing what you're doing!
And maybe a bit of cake would help...
I'm not at all sensible :)
I read your post and was sure you were writing what I was thinking. Either we're going through the very same thing (though I haven't sent out as much as 10 subs yet) or you're telepathic!
Hang in their Lane, I'm sure you'll do it soon. x
I dropped in from French Fancy, discovered you read Primo Levi, (I read him in Italian, when I practiced my first language regularly), and write for publication(s). Then, I read, you're just as frustrated as I am with finishing this and that, putting off you important stuff.
I shall return
Having read this post and the comments I then clicked over to the "Lane's Bits Of Writing" to judge for myself and I have to say that I've had a thoroughly enjoyable time reading your short pieces. I don't know why people buy magazines nowadays when there is so much good writing here on the internet.
Don't get disheartened you have a great way with words and one of these days someone will finally realise what they have been missing. Be glad that you have finished work that you can send out. Whatever you do don't give up.
Your short stories are very good. I can't imagine no one being interested in them. Keep sending them out, no matter how many rejection slips you get. You will get published.
Lane, I'm been needing to send you this link. A friend of a friend has a book on the Columbine High School massacre that's going to be published in April. He's working with a New York literary agent, Betsy Lerner, who, it seems, has a varied background in writing and publishing and had written a book on the writer-publisher relationship, process. Anyway, she's just started a blog and back in January wrote a seven part series dealing with submitting and rejecting and what it all means called "He's Just Not Into You" Here's the link if you'd like to check it out:
Betsy lerner Literary Agent
motherx - not down about it at all but think I've learnt something about retrospective subbing. Hope you all stay lurgie free!
Dumdad - two countries divided by a common language = confusion:-) Subbing, it seems, has several different connotations. I should have just said 'sent out' to save confusion:-)
What are you going to do with your 2 novels? You can't leave them to gather dust can you??
Chrish - Gosh I've given the wrong impression in this post. I'm not despondent (no more than usual anyway). Just realised very late that it's better to 'target' rather than try to cram a square peg into a round hole.
And I still think your win is brilliant and your friend should apologise with copious amounts of chocolate:-)
Babaloo - cake always helps and tomorrow morning I am going to make lots of them. To see us through Half Term you understand;-)
Debs - I have no doubt that you will too. I just need to get my priorities and balance straight. Have been working too wonkily:-)
Lakeviewer - hi and welcome. I love Primo Levi's work. It must be wonderful to read it in the original. I shall be over to visit:-)
Troy - ah thank you. That's very kind of you. Am most touched.
Sheepish - I won't sheepish. And neither will you. Hope it's going well.
The Finely Tuned Woman - Thank you. It's not the rejections I mind (well not desperately) - I'm just a bit cross with myself for wasting time trying to submit things by making them fit a market. Lesson learnt:-)
Faye - Thank you for that Faye. Very kind. I shall go and check it out. And isn't Betsy Lerner just a great name for a NY agent?:-)
Sensible is boring. I have so much that I have never sent out, or that got 'pinged' back. Why do we do it?
I will be in your shoes soon as I'm nearly finished first draft of DV. The I will read it and decide it's all pants and have to start again!
There is something deeply eerie going on here. Why are you writing about my life again?!
Sorry to hear you had the lurgy, Lane. Hope you're better now.
As for your post, yes I think AV said it for me.
Sorry to hear you had the lurgy, Lane. Hope you're better now.
As for your post, yes I think AV said it for me.
Hmmmmm, now I could give you some sensible advice BUT I won't for I fear that the word sensible to some degree is not in my vocabulary (along with spelling!) So let's just turn this submission thingy malarkey on its head for a wee moment. Maybe, just maybe Lane you're targeting the wrong market? But you've got to bear in mind that I'm probably talking a load of b*llocks here :-) But you never know as to accumulate you've to speculate.... TFx
It has to be a numbers game though - the quality is there, so the more you send the greater your chances of getting published...surely?
It has to be a numbers game though - the quality is there, so the more you send the greater your chances of getting published...surely?
Oddly, I am polishing a poo at this very moment (well I was, until I decided to stop and read some blogs).
I guess we just have to keep on subbing - you're doing pretty well in the oomph department and I'm sure that counts for a lot. You'll get there. I know it.
what do you think of Primo Levi, Lane?
If your blog is anything to go by, your writing is FAB! And I know you will get published soon. Keep on going.
Rejections are sent to test us! xx
Lol, sensible? I don't even sub stories! Don't have the time...so can only concentrate on writing my novels :(
I am impressed but your multi-tasking talents. I can only type one thing at a time, very slowly.
I have never thought about trying to get my short stories published. It sounds far too difficult. Think I'll continue to write them for practice.
Yeeep, thank god I only draw!!!
C x
After my first novel was rejected and rejected and rejected and now gathers dust.....I decided to wtry and write short stories to order for a while to see if I could get published and have a bio with the word published in it for when I sub novel two (almost finished)
All well and good but it lasted about six weeks. I cant write to order! Back to the novel and just hope I can do that better....FX
Writing can be the most disheartening job going. I have to admit that I'm glad I write novels now. When I was doing short stories, I hated those spells - and I'm sure everyone has them - when no market seemed to exist for all the really brilliant stuff I'd written. Hang on in there!
But now you're writng for markets and that's good no? I know it seems like a long time but you haven't been subbing for that long really. Go on, punch the air Apprentice style: 'I am a winner!'
Claire p - I'm nowhere near subbing the 'book' so you're way ahead of me!
Absolute - ooh this is getting spooky:-)
Pat P - glad I'm not the only one then:-)
tom foolery - you would never talk bollocks and you're absolutely right. I have realised - late as always that the market comes first, then the writing. Pick wisely and then write for it.
TBNIL - you've changed your avatar!
Yes, it is a numbers game but it's still better to shorten the odds and choose markets intelligently. My mistake was trying to alter what I'd already written to fit. Lazy really:-)
Spiral - well that's some image!
I am now going to sub properly. All this retrospection warps the mind:-)
Mac - I loved all his books. 'Love' may be an odd word about books with such harrowing subject matter but I learnt from them and they are written so beautifully. The Truce, where he recounts the long journey back to Turin after liberation was incredible. I had little knowledge of how difficult it was for people to get back home in ravaged Europe. And the one about the partisans, I can't remember the title off hand, was just incredible. And the short stories too, especially those in Moments of Reprieve. What do you think of him mac?
Amanda - rejections are par for the course. And they prove you're trying:-)
DJ - that sounds very sensible. I am going to start being sensible:-)
DOT - I'm think I'm living proof that too much multi-tasking doesn't work. Far better to be single minded. Oh yes:-)
Carol - lol. And what a great 'drawer' too!
Fionnuala - lol! That's exactly it. That daft craving to have the word 'published'. It'll happen F:-)
Shirely W - They're so inconsiderate, these markets aren't they:-)
And I'm a hanging:-)
Fiona - ah but The Wrong Markets. Sounds like a Wallace and Gromit film. Gromit would make a good Apprentice:-)
Oh Lane I know just how youfeel., We all feel like that at times. But take heart - and keep going. You're a great writer. Just dont give up. Cornish hugsxxx
It's hard to stay positive and keep writing in the face of all those 'No's'.
Still - when the time does come and it all falls into place - those people who said no will be kicking themselves.
Lane, I'm so with you on what you say - you must really hang on in there because you're an excellent writer. What I do feel is that short stories may seem like brief excursions and less daunting than a novel but that's a kind of illusion because you spend so much time refining and honing and whittling the damn things to fit rigid markets - to me it doesn't seem worth the effort. I am full of admiration for you and Karen because I can't feel comfortable paring my tales down to a 1 - 2,000 word count. Drives me mad. Like too tight a corset (and at my age, m'dear, every corset is too tight ...). Here's what I suggest - feel free to ignore. Concentrate on the novel - don't let yourself be distracted by those flighty pieces that flirt with your literary ambitions - go for the long haul, because I think you have the skill to see it through - and I think you have things worth saying, if your blog is any guide.
Keep going honey, sounds like a difficult journey.
Do you know it's just not fair. I've just finished Zoe Heller's book 'The Believers' and I thought it was dreadful. Yet it was one of those mentioned on a few 'broadsheet book of the year according to various famous writers' list of 2008 - you know the sort. i ordered about 8 books that quite a few of them mentioned - and the heller was one of them.
I don't mean to single her out (just in case she is reading this :p) but I don't see why she got plaudits and I didn't enjoy her writing at all.
My point is - in a long winded way - why should something get published and something else get rejected?
It isn't a waste of time Lane. Maybe trying rewrite those stories to fit the criteria that someone is looking for is though. I am certain that what you wrote to begin with, without having a market in mind is much better and more complete than your revised for the market versions. Re-writing to improve, I think is one thing, but for any other reason seems to me to be unfaithful to yourself. You have to be true to yourself; that's one of the reasons I believe we write.
It's good that you learned something, but if it's going to hold you back, I think you need to have another look at it.
Ah, I too got the wrong end of the stick with 'sub' - my husband spent time as a 'sub' or 'sub editor' and so was thinking along those lines.
But, oh SO with you on the novel and the 'wrong POV, wrong tense, wrong everything' woe.
I'm really really sensible. I bought a boat to give myself a break from writing poems
I think we all need to take a step back and ask ourselves why we are doing this, and not lose sight of it. OK we all want to be published, but let's not ever lose the pure enjoyment of writing. So, Lane, you write what you wanna write and if it fits the bill, then send it off.
Flowerpot - thanks for the Cornish hugs:-)
Aims - thank you:-) It's time to focus and concentrate I think!
Lorna - F - I think your advice is extremely sound and over the past couple of weeks I've kind of come to the same conclusion. I am not very good at trying to 'juggle' (hate that word) different things. One is always to the detriment of the other. I made a commitment to finish the novel and I'm damn well going to do it and stop flirting with a quick fix. Thank you Lorna - the voice of reason:-)
Hulla - thanks m'dear:-)
French fancy - I know what you mean. I remember enjoying Notes on a Scandal but haven't read this one. But is is sometimes bewildering when the something receives accolades and is then disappointing. Each to their own I suppose. It's a minefield:-)
Dar - I don't think writing/ rewriting or honing anything is a waste of time but you're absolutely right in that trying to pull it around to force fit it into a market is a complete waste of time and doesn't do anyone any favours. I have learnt:-)
Exmoorjane - Sorry you're having wrong pov/tense crisis too. I hope you can hit on the right ones soon. Oh the indecision:-)
Sarah Hymas - Hi and welcome. Well that sounds like a very sensible idea!:-)
Annie - so true Annie. And spoken like a true writer:-) x
And your characterisation is spot on, yes? Sod living up to targets, this year I'm doing whatever feels right at the time!!!
And seven subs still out there - could be some of them hit home :-)
Oh, yeah. Trés sensible: I write with a particular market in mind, so when things come back from there...I'm stuffed.
Now that my whole notion of the ease and joy of a writer's life has been stamped out of existence, I promise never even to think of writing as a possibly easy way to make some extra money.
Instead, I'll go bang my head against a wall.
Besides I thought a "sub" was a kind of sandwich.
I wish.
Pop by for a cuppa tea at me blog soon!!!
Don't give up on that book, you are a great writer Lane.
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