Follow The Rabbit: 3 Pro Tips to Get Your Story Traditionally Published

The path from plotless to published can feel like a journey into a rabbit hole: new, confusing, and even a little bizarre! Luckily, writer Shireen Hakim is here to share her pro tips for navigating the world of traditional publishing:

Turns out following a rabbit is a good idea. 

After all, it led me to my first publication: “Rabbi the Rabbit,” which was my fiction short story published in the Houston Writers Guild (HWG) anthology Celebrating Diversity in April 2017. I created this children’s story after bonding with a rabbit in the forest, and then joined a critique group at an art gallery with a pet rabbit! 

Although it seemed like fate, the journey included anxiety and anticipation. I pitched the story in October 2016, then eagerly waited until February to hear the results. I spent all of March further editing my story to meet the publication deadline. The comradery and discipline I gained from NaNoWriMo instilled in me the dedication and determination it took to get published. 

If you want to get traditionally published, here’s what I recommend you do:

Tip #1: Write your story with abandon.

Don’t write for a specific publisher—that will intimidate you and restrict your story. Let it come from your heart! I didn’t have any publisher in mind when I wrote “Rabbi the Rabbit,” so I was free to write it in my own style. This worked for me since I don’t like restrictions or confinement. Then, once the independent publisher HWG Press chose to publish my story, I learned what they were looking for and tweaked it to their parameters.

Tip #2: Get to know publishers for who they are, not what they can do for you.

I was already Facebook friends with HWG’s Press Director, Andrea Barbosa, because I loved her optimistic posts and leadership qualities. We organically developed a professional writing relationship; I never pitched material to her. But since she knew my background and thought I could contribute, she notified me of the anthology publication contest and recommended I submit a piece. It’s not just about the people you know, but how you know them!

Tip #3: Accept and apply editors’ notes.

Editing was the hardest part of the publishing process for me.

My other children’s story has been rejected multiple times, and I believe it’s because I ignored editing suggestions. For “Rabbi the Rabbit,” I went through two rounds of editing before my story was published. It is difficult to read a stranger’s critique of your words, but I understood that the editors wanted to make my work the best it could be. Their input furthered my opportunity to share my story with the world. 

I took a few days to digest the suggested changes, and then applied them to maintain my voice. It helped that the editors emphasized that their suggestions were optional, and that it was up to me to accept those that preserved my vision. I’m grateful for the editing process because it taught me to ask myself honestly if my work was ready, or if I just wanted to be finished.

There is a right time for every story. When the world is ready to hear yours, it will be published. It’s like changing lanes on the freeway: you belong in the next lane—you just have to wait for the right car to let you in. 

There is a space for your story; it’s just a matter of when. Writing your story sends a message the universe that you have a story that needs to be told. So write it. Don’t worry about where it will go.

Shireen Hakim is an award-winning children’s author and viral nutrition writer from Los Angeles, California. Her article is featured on the front page of the World Hijab Day website. Find her work on her Facebook page @WriterinaHeadscarf.

Top image licensed under Creative Commons from Joel Tonyan on Flickr.