Submitting Your Writing--Round and Round We Go

Carousel in Strasbourg, France

I have loved carousels from childhood on. A few years ago, we were in Strasbourg, France walking on the outskirts of the town. As we approached the city center, I stopped to watch the lovely carousel. I'm sure I must have been smiling as I took in all its glorious bits and pieces.

Do you remember stepping onto the carousel platform, then walking round and round until you found the horse that you wanted to ride on? Sometimes, you had to run fast to get it before another child claimed that particular steed. I felt like a princess as we turned round and round with background music adding to the excitement. 

Submitting what we've written is a bit like the carousel as we need to choose a place to submit, then wait for it to either be accepted or rejected. If the first editor doesn't take it, then choose another horse on the carousel which only means we must find a second place to submit to. If it comes bouncing back, move on to yet another horse and send it once again. Round and round we go until we find that joyful yes from an editor.

We've all heard the stories about now-famous authors who submitted the same manuscript a zillion time before it was accepted. OK, maybe not a zillion but a whole lot. If memory serves me right, John Grisham submitted The Firm twenty-seven times before he finally sold it. That book was his first big hit. What if he'd given up about the tenth time--not moved on to that next horse on the carousel? 

Why did he persevere for so long? I suspect that he believed in his novel and he also believed in himself as a writer. Both are key to success. 

What if you aren't trying for publishing a novel? Maybe you, like me, write short stuff. Do you need to persevere and believe in your work and yourself?  I am convinced that it is to your benefit if you do. If you don't like what you're submitting, how in the world can you expect an editor to like it?

The writing may not be easy but selling what you've written isn't a simple matter either. Ride the submission carousel, moving from horse to horse, until you either find success or decide to yank the piece and rewrite extensively. Then, hit the carousel once again. The painted ponies will be waiting for you.

If you aren't willing to continue submitting a piece over and over again, maybe you aren't as serious about writing as you think you are.