This seven-part series will cover the 2 ½-year time span between the day I set out to become an author and the day I became one.
Becoming an Author – Part Two
Spring 2006
Part One is here.
After two months of constant writing, reading the boards at Absolute Write, and researching and querying magazines, I was getting discouraged. Although I still loved putting words to the page, there were so many hoops to jump before getting published. And editors were picky, so the fact that I could never seem to get my “its” and “it’s” straight couldn’t be helping.
I asked my Internet-genius brother-in-law what he would suggest for setting up a simple writer’s site. I thought I could post my company’s newsletter articles there, as well as any published articles (assuming I ever HAD any.) He suggested a blog – and I said, “A what?” I figured I hadn’t heard him correctly, since that was such a goofy word. I did a little research and anonymously played with Blogger for a bit. While I figured out what exactly a person would do with a blog, something unexpected happened.
Someone called a “fact checker,” followed up on a query I’d sent. She wanted to know if I could verify some information about the article I’d submitted for the True Stories section of Budget Travel.
The same week I received another unassuming email from an editor at Boy’s Life – asking if I would still be able to write the ice-fishing piece and provide photographs. The article wouldn’t publish until the following December, but I’d need to brave the punky ice and take the photos right away. The snow-covered lakes in Wisconsin usually open in late March.
And so I completed these assignments, anticipating the day my name would become a byline in a magazine.
I’d read several of Jenna Glatzer’s books, and since she seemed so approachable, I initiated an emailed conversation with her. She offered valuable insight and encouragement about non-fiction book publishing. It’s a connection I doubt she remembers, but one I’ll never forget.
With renewed conviction, I broke all the rules and sent a half-baked, but promising book idea in a spontaneous email to an acquaintance at publishing company. ..
Becoming an Author series:
Part One — Winter 2006
Part Two — Spring 2006
Part Three — Summer 2006
My book, Empowering Youth: How to Encourage Young Leaders to Do Great Things, will be available in June, from Search Institute Press.
Like this post? Subscribe to Pass The Torch
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI
2:18 pm
Love the power of the blog.
Hugs,
Holly
2:27 pm
Isn’t that wild? Although the blog was totally unknown at that point, it’s funny how so much happened at once.
3:05 pm
I think this is a good example of how persistence paid off too. You never gave up and kept looking into it!
9:16 am
That is amazing and very inspiring for this little blogger.
3:35 pm
Congratulations. I know it will be a great read.
Mike
http://somethingaboutparenting.typepad.com/
9:05 am
Congrats to you, for all of your accomplishments.
I just started blogging (just for fun, for now) and it’s been interesting to see the variety of people it reaches.
1:56 pm
Blogs can be such a powerful tool. It’s neat to write something and then hit the Publish button to see it in print. I’m enjoying your series on becoming an author.
4:19 pm
I think it’s great that you are recounting and sharing the steps to your achievement, a goal that many of us are still striving for. I’ll definitely be back to read on!
Angela
10:53 pm
Congrats on the book. I just ordered Jenna Glatzer’s book, so hopefully I will get some great benefit out of it, as well.