by Chynna Laird
“Congratulations, Chynna. Now go out and get it published!”
The note was written on a tiny piece of paper enclosing a cheque for $40 --- the first prize in a writing contest I’d entered. I couldn’t believe it – I had actually won a writing contest. That meant not only did other people read my story --- and stories were judged by editors --- but they also must have enjoyed it. Wow. There’s no other way to describe the feeling.
The piece I entered was a story that’s been with me since my teenage years --- a story about a kind-hearted elderly man whose small act of kindness got me through the most difficult year of my young life. And all he did was listen. It took me about an hour to write. I let it sit for quite awhile after winning the contest before looking at it again. After a few months, I went back to it then sent it on to my writing mentor to review for me. I knew in my heart when she sent it back to me the words “This is the one, Chynna,” it was a sign.
Using query letter samples from a writing course I took, I wrote the best query letter I could muster up and sent my story to a magazine focusing on “angels on earth”. After five very long months, I figured they weren’t interested. But I had to know for sure. I re-sent my piece with a follow-up letter to a different submissions editor. Within a couple of weeks, I found a little pink envelope in my mailbox from the magazine. I didn’t even open it right away because I figured it was a rejection. Imagine my surprise when I finally read it and they were interested in my piece. They wanted to hold it for future publication. I had to read the letter about five times before it actually sunk in. My first sale!
What’s the point in telling my story? There are several things I’ve learned – the hard way – in trying to get published. Most I’ve learned through trial and error and some through various sources, including my mentor who’s given me points on how editors think. Here are some very important points for someone just starting out and serious about getting published:
Know your “niche”: This is very important. It sounds cheesy but --- write what’s in your heart. What are you good at? What gets your creative juices flowing? What can you write about so passionately you can make another person excited about it? This is where a writer has to start. When you sit to write, what comes out? Love stories? Fantasy? Parenting advice? Once you know your “niche” it’s much easier to figure out what sorts of magazines you’ll be suited to write for and which magazines would be most excited about your work.
Research magazines: Books I’ve found very helpful in researching what magazines are out there are The Best of the Magazine Markets for Writers (Marni E. McNiff) and Writer’s Market (Brogan, Writers Digest Books). Both of these books are excellent tools in helping a writer see what magazines are out there. They are my writing bibles. Both describe magazines, how they like query letters/submissions sent, who to contact, and what they generally pay. Some of the editors of the featured magazines even give tips on what they’re looking for and what departments are best to try to break into their magazine.
Tip: Both of these books have sections on writing query letters and some articles outlining comments from actual editors. Best of Magazine Markets also has sections for “Best for First-Time Writers” and “Best for Unpublished Writers”. Some publications are more open to new or unpublished writers than others (I learned this the hard way). See if any of these will be a good home for your “niche”.
Study your target magazine(s): This has been said many times but the only way you can get to know a magazine well is to study several issues – at least six – and read them cover to cover. See how they set up the magazine, what departments they offer, writing style/feel of the magazine, the editors’ opening piece, even what the advertisements are. All of these things tell you a lot about the atmosphere about the magazine and the sort of material they want to offer their readership.
Tip: There are some people who may disagree with me on this point but one thing I’ve always done is ask for the magazine’s writers’ guidelines. Some feel they aren’t very effective in giving you a solid idea about what to expect because a lot aren’t updated. I feel even if the guidelines haven’t been updated since the publication started out, the base ideals of the magazine, including what their goal is for their readership, will still count. My vote is if you have researched the magazine, get the guidelines and then make your final decision about whether you have what they’re looking for.
Write a stellar query letter: The two suggested books described in point #2 also contain examples of good (and bad) query letters. One of the best books I’ve read about how to write query letters is called How To Write Attention-Grabbing Query & Cover Letters by John Wood. Not only does he give samples of good (and bad) query letters, he also gives tips on what should be included and should be avoided when writing them. I also like that he’s an editor and freelance writer so his opinions are from experience. The key is to get your letter to the top of the editor’s pile and make it 100 times more appealing than any other letter in the pile he or she has to go through. It takes a lot of practice and trial and error (especially since editors are as individual as the magazines they run). It takes time, practice and constant fine tuning --- I’m still learning. Tip: I use query letters I’ve written that have been read and praised as samples.
Know when to hold ‘em…and when to fold ‘em: Essentially, if you keep getting rejected by the same magazine, stop querying them. On the other hand, if enough time has gone by since you queried a magazine and you haven’t heard anything, there’s nothing wrong with sending a polite update letter asking what the status is. If I hadn’t sent an update letter, I might not have sold my first piece. I figured my stuff went to the wrong person (which is part of “stellar query” writing – always make sure your stuff is going to the proper person). If you send out an update letter and get no reply, you may have to give up and send it to the next magazine on your list. My toughest lesson here was patience: if they want your stuff, they will contact you.
The only other points I could add is as hard as rejection is --- believe me, it can really hurt --- it’s all part of freelance writing. Especially if you are new, unpublished, or have little experience. But never give up just because you receive a rejection or two (or three or four…). If I had, I would never have gotten my first story sold.
The final point is, it really helps to gather as many resources and references as you can: have a mentor read your stuff before sending it out; reach out to other readers trying to make it and be each other’s “cheering section”; and fill your shelves with books giving awesome advice from people who’ve made it. That’s what I did when I got more rejections than compliments. Now, I think I’m finally at the start of the road to success. I’m certainly not a “professional writer” at this point but I have learned from my mistakes.
As my mentor, Carole says to me, “you’re a wonderful writer with so much to offer. Keep your chin up and never, ever give up on your dream. It just takes hard work, dedication and time. You can do it.” Awesome advice we all need to hear.
We sure do. Carole’s advice is right on! Everybody gets rejected, even well established pros, and you get rejected a lot when you’re first breaking in. It’s just part of the biz…
--Mary Rosenblum, LR Web Editor
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