I DID it!
A couple of years ago I sent my second poetry book manuscript to a contest. It was unsuccessful, of course--otherwise you would have heard lots about it here! Ever since I have been dithering, looking at other possibilities, collecting websites of various publishers, looking at their missions & what they publish. And working on the poems themselves, & writing some new ones. I think the manuscript is significantly stronger now.
Tonight I decided to celebrate my having fixed a months-long problem with my printer by using it to print a few carefully chosen pages from my updated manuscript plus a cover letter and bio/publication list to a publisher that I would just love to be adopted by. They require paper submissions rather than electronic. This is not a contest; the editors here actually read regular submissions--something that's becoming rare.
I don't begrudge publishers their contests, as they make much-needed $$ with them to keep their important work going. But since this long-revered publisher is not requiring a $25 fee from me, I am happy not to have to pay it. In my cover letter I included a few sentences about how I would hope to help find sales for my book if they graciously consented to add it to their list.
Another recent risk: a week ago, with some trepidation, I (electronically) submitted a few poems to a particular esteemed poetry journal. I know one of the editors, & my trepidation was precisely because of that: it seems more awkward to have one's work rejected by a friend. On the website the editors request no simultaneous submissions, but they promise a really speedy response for any poems that are clearly not a good fit. If the delay is longer than a few days, they say, you'll know that your poems are being considered.
It has been 8 days thus far. From duotrope.com I know that the average rejection from this journal arrives in just 4 days. A few days past the average, then--there's hope! :-)
Sorry to be coy about the publisher & journal names. I just feel shy about such things until I get a response one way or the other.
Tonight I decided to celebrate my having fixed a months-long problem with my printer by using it to print a few carefully chosen pages from my updated manuscript plus a cover letter and bio/publication list to a publisher that I would just love to be adopted by. They require paper submissions rather than electronic. This is not a contest; the editors here actually read regular submissions--something that's becoming rare.
I don't begrudge publishers their contests, as they make much-needed $$ with them to keep their important work going. But since this long-revered publisher is not requiring a $25 fee from me, I am happy not to have to pay it. In my cover letter I included a few sentences about how I would hope to help find sales for my book if they graciously consented to add it to their list.
Another recent risk: a week ago, with some trepidation, I (electronically) submitted a few poems to a particular esteemed poetry journal. I know one of the editors, & my trepidation was precisely because of that: it seems more awkward to have one's work rejected by a friend. On the website the editors request no simultaneous submissions, but they promise a really speedy response for any poems that are clearly not a good fit. If the delay is longer than a few days, they say, you'll know that your poems are being considered.
It has been 8 days thus far. From duotrope.com I know that the average rejection from this journal arrives in just 4 days. A few days past the average, then--there's hope! :-)
Sorry to be coy about the publisher & journal names. I just feel shy about such things until I get a response one way or the other.
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Yvonne
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Jul 22, 2012 07:37PM
Best of luck Ruth. Sounds very promising! :-)
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Thanks, Yvonne--you're always so encouraging!
Such a fine description of what you have been going through around publishing. Easy to identify with. I submitted my manuscript to two publishers. Berrett-Kohler was especially courteous by calling me within 10 days to say why they would not be working with me toward publication AND encouraging me to continue.
Thanks, Lee. That kind of response is very encouraging. Here's hoping you find a great publisher for your book! I'm afraid I've been very haphazard with my quest, sending to six publishers at a time & then to no one for many months.
Oh, well I published independently through Sellbox, Inc. They are a great little company run by David Wogahn who is also a Goodreads member and author himself. Interesting how many authors are now preferring to be published independently. Lots more say about the process. Plus, publishers want us to do most of our own marketing anyway. Wow is this publishing environment changing fast!
