Here goes. Remember, quitting is not an option and neither is simply limiting yourself to what's offered by the standard approach, the system that is. Let's say one really believes he (or she) has what it takes. Their writing niche has been out of favor in recent years, and it may very well be due for a comeback. Where does one go for legitimate and deserved assistance to get their work evaluated and to be released to the public? You've written a lot and have some, let's say short stories in a specific niche ready to go? Where does one publish them? We all need help, of course. Any publishing companies out there or even magazines that specialize in your relatively small field? You find none. You've already contacted many leading writers, but no one bothers to express real interest in your situation. Is it really you against the world? Are you brilliant enough and persistent enough to do it all alone? In the long run, whatever it takes, of course, but wouldn't it be a lot easier to find someone who can provide some needed guidance and encouragement along the way? Who knows - maybe, just maybe you really are super talented and could become famous one day. It's not a realistic goal of yours, but sometime has to fill that role in society, so why not you? You come across a publishing company which, incredibly, specializes in the very type of writing that you thoroughly enjoy. You have actually written a lot already and can easily be ready to release your work to the public fairly soon. What you do? Just sit there, telling yourself not to bother these folks? They are just too busy to rob them of their precious free time? Take them away from their golf, sailing, skiing, partying, their date with a hot man or woman, or whatever else they do? Would you follow the standard advice to just wait, keep writing, and submit your work the regular way? You know you are special so why not tell them upfront so they can read your work in an unpressured way? They might even, God forbid, be ready, willing, and even eager to spot and develop new talent. Maybe you are indeed brilliant so why give this a shot? So they are three thousand miles away. Across an ocean in fact. Who cares when the opportunity is so promising, right? They are the only publishing company in the world that specializes in your field and their stated goal is to revive your type of writing to the honor and respect it enjoyed in the past. Would you be a fool to not contact them? I would surely hope not. Would you just call and risk them just hanging up or saying a few quick words? That way, you wouldn't have the definitive answer. That is, you wouldn't know if they truly were interested in you or not. Moreover, you wouldn't have the documentation , the historical evidence that is, which might prove useful in the future. You have read through the company's website and learned that they really want to publish outstanding work, even by beginners such as yourself. You have read some blog posts by the forty year old editor of their monthly journal section devoted to your specialty. You have also read through the website of the man who founded this publishing company a few years ago. He is in his early eighties, was a very successful businessman, and is now interested in writing in your niche and publishing work by others. What would do? Nothing at all, try to call them and risk being quickly dismissed, or perhaps write an email of between two to three thousand words, introducing yourself and asking for whatever information or advice they are able and willing to offer?
This sounds like just a rehash of your last thread. I'm thinking not as many members will bother replying to your trollery this time.
Read. Write. Get Critiqued. Edit. Get Critiqued Again. Edit and Write. Get Rejected. Edit. Get Critiqued Once More. Get Rejected Once Again. Repeat This A Lot. (...) Publish.
Do you know anyone who would be willing to look over your work and give you good feedback? Find a few people like that and take their opinions into consideration. Once you've revised and polished your work, start submitting to magazines or agents/publishers. Where have you looked so far? I find it hard to believe that no magazine/publisher will even consider what you've written. There's a market for everything. You just have to know where to look. Pretty much. Fame isn't all about skill. There's a good deal of luck involved. Yes because that's how it's done. Saying something like this is the fastest way to get rejected. No one, especially an editor, wants to read an email that long. Follow their submission guidelines like everyone else. By the way, what exactly are you writing about?
Just saying, I offered to take a look at his work and critique it but he said no because I'm 16. I'm not dumb, you know...
I'm not quite sure what, exactly, you're asking. You want to be a published writer. There are three basic routes -- traditional publishing (wherein you first need an agent, which you generally obtain via querying, and, if you're really serious, through attending some writer's conferences and/or pitch sessions), self-publishing (fairly self-explanatory, I would think), and a kind of hybrid of the two, which is publishing through very small presses. Those small publishers are often closer to the experience of self-publishing than they are to traditional publishing, even though they do many of the same sorts of things a large, traditional publisher would do. Usually those small publishers will have contact info or query info on their websites. It sounds to me like you're looking at one of these small publishers. If you think your work is ready, just go ahead and query them, per their guidelines. If you don't think you're ready, keep editing, revising, and writing, and then query.
I told you in your other thread that there are magazines specializing in just about everything. You don't do nothing. You don't call them and tell them what a genius you are. You don't write a three thousand word email claiming you're special, that you're one in a million. Do you want to know what you do? Here goes: You submit your work. Just like everybody else. If you're as brilliant as you claim, if your work is so much better than everyone else's that it outshines theirs like the sun outshines a candle, publishers will eagerly buy it and publish it. You sound like you haven't done the most basic research a writer needs to do. You need to search for markets. There are guides for that. There's the Writer's Market, for example. Duotrope. Look around. I don't know what kind of essays you write, but someone, somewhere is probably in that business and is looking for writers like you. FIND THEM! Don't just come here and complain that nobody recognizes your awesomeness. Submit your work to a publisher looking for stuff like yours. If you really are as glorious as you say, you will be published!
@Burlbird - I'm watching 'Calimero- Lecon d'ecologie' (sorry, my laptop doesn't have the symbols key) and I'm completely mesmerized. I don't understand what they're saying, but I can get the context by looking at their actions. The female bird with the hat sounds like an...interesting character. The green-headed duck has the 'I'm so totally cool' thing going on and he likes to annoying the female bird (canary?) it seems. I also think she has the 'I'm special, obey my every command' personality that you see in children's shows with the rich girl in the fancy dress. EDIT: Oh God, their reaction to the ball bouncing everywhere gave me a chuckle. I mean, don't just stand there, chase after it! And when the duck hit the pig character in the face with the bat (by mistake), I giggled a bit. Intentional or not, slapstick like that makes me laugh.
There is no reason to call them. When your work/story is ready, review their submission guidelines, follow them exactly, send the work off, and record the information (project title, date sent, which market, expected reply date, etc.) in your submission spreadsheet and, while you're waiting for a reply, work on another project...or two or three. Don't constantly check emails to see if a reply has been made. You have more productive uses for your time. And don't follow up with phone calls or email, 'innocently' checking to see if the submission arrived. And don't email for a status check until long after the posted wait time. Inappropriately calling and emailing are sure ways to get a piece rejected. Even if your work is strong enough and merits publication, publishers don't want to work with needy and unprofessional writers. It isn't worth the publisher's (editor's) time and frustration, which is almost certain to follow.
There's a reason it's the standard approach. You don't have to follow it. Just understand there are consequences for that.
Why not also try to establish a relationship with an editor or publisher instead of just using the standard approach? That especially applies when there is only one publishing company in the world specializing in your particular field and whose stated mission is to revive your type of writing to its former glory.
I also asked that he submit work for review so that we could help him with his submission and he in turn could, perhaps, help me. No reply. either he doesn't get it or he's a troll. either way, his last thread was locked and this one will be too after a few days.
I surely appreciate your feedback. It seems likely that the main source of confusion here is that I am not writing fiction, the type of writing which the very large majority of folks here are pursuing. In all likelihood, I will go directly to the people by self publishing and see if I can sell a few thousand books, my eventual goal being an average ten thousand per book.
What is so wrong with doing all this in the most efficient and yes even easier way possible? What's so wrong with asking people on this forum for information and advice? Writing shouldn't have to be such a relentlessly solitary process. Despite all my efforts, I still can't get people here to understand that there is only publishing company in the world (three plus thousand miles away no less!) that specializes in my particular field. I have found them, contacted them, and they still don't care. What else can I do? Just suck it up, work hard, self publish, and then, who knows, and possibly do much better than my goal of ten thousand books? Do I have to become famous before anyone pays attention to me? Is that the brutal reality I face?
Don't you want to introduce yourself to an editor and/or publisher first so as to smooth the way? Tell them of your interesting background, show a sample of your work and, if it's really good, they may gladly jump at the chance to work with you? Don't you have confidence in yourself? Don't you believe you are very special, the one in a hundred or thousand who can do very well? For most people, taking the standard road is the only way to go. For the special ones, a different method is required. Should I just self publish? Probably.
People are obviously paying attention to you. You said there is only one publishing company in the world that specializes in your field. You contacted them. Did you call them? Email them? Did you submit your work? If you submitted your work, but they still ignore you, you should work on your piece. Edit it. Make it better. Have someone else read it to make sure it's top notch. Then submit it again. Editor or publishers don't CARE about YOU. They care about your WORK. So buttering them up isn't going to do you any good. They don't want a sample. They want a synopsis. They want a good hook to draw them in. This isn't a newspaper, where you can send in samples and have an interview and join a team. This is a competitive industry, and the only things that speak for you are the words you put on paper.
Go right to the people by self publishing. That's the way I should do it. Who knows - maybe after I sell one hundred thousand copies of my book, publishers will be beating a path to my door!
Afraid it is a solitary process. It's OK to ask for info and advice, but that's all we can give you: info and advice. All the rest is on your shoulders. Afraid so. If you want fame and glory, go look elsewhere. You will not find it in writing. 99.999% of all writers are not famous people. Good luck with that, dude. You're gonna need it.
Stephen King received 30 rejection letters for his novel "Carrie" before it was finally published... Just sayin'.
I sent emails to two leading people there, including the founder of the company. No one bothered to respond to me. One of them had a sick wife and the other left the company. They do have a annual writing competition for essay writers, so I may submit my work there. I am no lazy bum expecting a handout and will do whatever it takes to achieve my goals. I just wish the whole process was more rational, fair, and easier. Oh well, such is life.
Rational and fair would be you not getting a special advantage for the sole reason that you have deemed yourself better than others. I'd say that has been achieved in this context.
OK, I get your point. I am willing to work hard if, and only if, necessary. This whole process should be a lot easier. There should be some type of test or competition where it's sorted out. That is, who is good and who isn't. If someone scores in the top 1% in writing ability, they should be given special attention and helped to fully develop their potential. Of course, they will have to work hard but won't be forced to labor in obscurity before someday becoming famous. Imagine some poor kid from the ghetto or even some middle class one from way out in some small town in Montana. If they get straight A's, have a 160 IQ, and score near perfect on the SAT's, won't someone spot their talent, suggest they go to Harvard, and the rest is history?
