Sue Fagalde Lick writes about the ups and downs of being published.
I have three books coming out next year: A memoir, a full-length poetry book, and a poetry chapbook. Different genres, different subjects, different publishers. I didn’t plan it this way, but it’s happening. I have also had a run of acceptances for short pieces.
I should be overjoyed. Isn’t this what I wanted?
But I feel guilty boasting about my three books when other writers are not able to get even one acceptance. It’s the “people are starving overseas while I’m complaining about ice cream making me fat” conundrum.
After years of mostly no’s, I’m reading proofs, approving cover designs, and preparing for “pub dates” like a real writer. How will I promote three books at once? What if something goes wrong between the signing of the contract and holding the books in my hands?
I’ll deal with it. Just to have these editors say yes is a triumph.
I have to remind myself that I earned this and that it’s okay to succeed. I submitted the memoir, which is about Alzheimer’s disease, for years. I entered contests. I pitched to agents and editors. Those who responded said it was swell and they had a loved one with dementia, but they didn’t think they could sell it. Until one, sub #59, said she could.
Both poetry books were finalists in contests sponsored by publishers that feature Northwest poets. They didn’t win, but they caught the attention of editors who wanted to publish them. I have met both editors through my work as president of the Oregon Poetry Association. My name was not on my manuscripts, but I knew they published books like mine featuring poets from the Pacific Northwest, so my chances were good.
I did the work, and now I’m reaping the results. Lords, that sounds like boasting, but it’s true. Like Thanksgiving dinner, I shopped, prepped, set the table, and got up at 5 a.m. to put the turkey in the oven. Now all the food is ready, and it’s time to share the meal.
Can you make it in the writing world if you don’t grow up in a literary family, if you live in a tiny town in Oregon that doesn’t have a decent book store, if you don’t attend a prestigious university where your roommate’s dad just happens to work for Simon and Schuster, and you don’t win all the fellowships and prizes?
You can—if you follow the recipe.
* Write. Set yourself a writing time and keep to it religiously, even when it seems like every word is garbage.
* Rewrite. The first draft is the raw clay you will shape into a finished piece. Sometimes you’ll need to take it apart and start over from scratch. Sometimes you’ll need to hire a professional editor to help you see what could be better. My memoir looks nothing like the massive manuscript I started with. The editor of the full-length poetry book took out 15 poems that “didn’t sing” and changed the title. Now the whole book sings.
* Submit your work. Send it to multiple places at once. Keep track on a spread sheet, and when something is rejected, send it out again. And again. I received 98 rejections last year, but I also got some acceptances. Follow the submission guidelines regarding length, format, theme, etc. Send them exactly what they’re asking for.
* Read what they publish before you submit. If your work would not fit, move on. If you wouldn’t buy their books, they probably wouldn’t buy yours, and you wouldn’t want them to.
* Enter contests. The entry fees are high, but one win or acceptance because someone saw and liked your work will cover everything you have spent.
* Study your craft. After many years writing for newspapers and magazines, I earned my master of fine arts degree in creative writing at age 51. I continue to take workshops, read craft books, and trade critiques with other writers. There’s always more to learn.
* Become a presence in the writing world. Post on social media. Ask questions and get discussions going. Comment on other writers’ posts, read and review their books. Attend their readings and book launches. Answer their questions and share connections.
* Join and be active in writing organizations. Through my work with California Writers Club, Willamette Writers, the Nye Beach Writers Series, and Oregon Poetry Association, my name is out there, and I have met people who can help me not only get published but provide blurbs and reviews.
* Volunteer. The editor of a journal I admire needed someone to sit at their table at the AWP book fair for a few hours. I said yes. When she wrote to thank me, she also asked me to write for her.
* Keep at it. I started submitting my work to magazines and newspapers when I was in high school. Overnight success can take a lifetime.
Don’t feel guilty if you succeed. Just enjoy it. And take an extra helping of stuffing.
Originally posted on July 28, 2023 in Brevity’s Nonfiction Blog as, “Three Books at Once? Say What???”
Sue Fagalde Lick, a former journalist, is a writer/musician/dog mom living in the woods on the Oregon Coast. Her books include Stories Grandma Never Told, Childless by Marriage, Love or Children: When You Can’t Have Both, the novels Up Beaver Creek and Seal Rock Sound, and two poetry chapbooks, Gravel Road Ahead and The Widow at the Piano. Coming in 2024 to a bookstore near you: Blue Chip Stamp Guitar, Dining Al Fresco with My Dog, and No Way Out of This: Loving a Partner with Alzheimer’s.
Don’t call her in the morning; that’s when she’s writing.
