My First Experience with Getting Published - Ruth L. Snyder

Although I have always enjoyed writing, I never considered myself a "writer" until a few years ago. My journey to becoming a "serious" writer started with the God Uses Ink competition (now called Fresh Ink Novice Contest) sponsored by The Word Guild. I entered a piece titled, Gifts from a Loving God, the story of my journey through infertility and adoption in the competition in 2009. To my amazement and delight, I won first prize for my age category. This prompted a flurry of excitement as I made plans to claim the prize of a free conference registration for Write!Canada.

After the conference was over I began the adventure of submitting my piece for publication. One of the main tools I used was The Christian Writer's Market Guide. I realized after doing some research that memoirs are a very specific niche that does not have very many marketing opportunities. However, I discovered there is one Canadian Christian magazine which is very interested in testimonies, especially from Canadian writers. I sent a query off to Testimony Magazine and waited. The waiting seemed like it lasted forever! However, one day there was an email in my inbox from the editor, requesting that I submit my article. When I wrote the article for the contest, it was about 1200 words. The editor of Testimony asked me to cut it down to 800 words. After a few tries I was able to reach the specified word limit. I submitted the article and was excited to hear that my story was going to be published. I received notice in October that my article was accepted for publication, but the article wasn't published until January.

I will always remember the feeling of holding that first published piece in my hands, along with a cheque for $100. It was humbling, glorious, exciting, amazing - all at once. I was encouraged when people read my story and were encouraged by it, but also humbled to see what God accomplished both in me and through me.

Testimony Magazine only purchased first rights, so I was also able to have Gifts from a Loving God published in two Sunday School papers in the United States. Since that time I have had several other pieces published. The rejection letters have come too. I find myself going through different "seasons" - sometimes I'm sending multiple manuscripts out to publishers at once. At other times I'm so busy with life and squeezing time in for writing that I don't have any submissions going out. Currently my collection of completed writing projects is stacking up. I guess it's time to get that market guide out again!

www.trusteesnyder.blogspot.com
(Education information)
www.ruthlsnyder.com
(Ruth's writing and family life) 
www.earlyyearssuccess.com
(Information for caregivers of children ages 0-5)
Follow Ruth on Twitter:www.twitter.com/@wwjdr

Choice 'Bones of Advice' on Publishing - Donna Fawcett

We're pleased to have Donna Fawcett, with Duke the Chihuahua, as our Guest Blogger today on InScribe Writers Online.





Duke and I have both enjoyed seeing some of our work published. We have both been published in print and electronically.  Either way there are a few choice bones of advice we offer.

Our first tidbit is this: Make sure your manuscript is as finished as you can make it. Set it aside a few times so you forget its contents and then take it out and read it aloud. You will be shocked at what you have missed.

The second tidbit: Find an editor before sending it off. I was surprised at the number of editorial mistakes that are made by editors. It isn't on account of them not knowing what they are doing. It is due to the overwhelming number of manuscripts they edit. At some point, the brain switches off and mistakes are not seen. By having a second editor, we eliminate that to a certain degree.

Also, make sure the editor you hire is accredited by the Canadian Editors Association or has worked in a legitimate publishing house and make certain they edit in your genre.  (Editor's note:  You might want to read something Duke learned on that very subject in a posting here.)

As to e-publishing, the jury is still out on that. Duke and I have sold far more print copies than e-books in spite of the hype about e-books sweeping the market. It appears that readers do want all the sensory input that comes with a print book -- smelling the ink, touching the paper etc.

Having said that, my latest book, a tutorial entitled Duke the Chihuahua Writes! has now been released on Smashwords. I'll be better able to answer the e-publishing question in a year or so to see how things worked out.

~ Donna Fawcett

Duke and Donna have recently published their fun, new book entitled Duke the Chihuahua Writes! A Tutorial for Beginning Writers.

It's available on smashwords.com and can be purchased for $.99 US.