Have you been published? - Writers Forum

Hopeful_Author · 08-21-2007, 02:28 PM

Ok all, I have a question and I really do apologize if I am posting this in a completely WRONG area. Cut me some slack, I'm new

But seriously, has anyone been published (Im sure some have) and did you get it the first time around? Were there rejections (from what I hear there are quite a few)? and how did you handle your first rejection? Ok, I know that is probably quite a lot to answer but humor me, I'm working on my first book and I'm curious. Thanks for any comments as they are appreciated.

...Bah ok, I just realized this thread has already been answered elsewhere as well but just in case feel free to post more

I love reading about success!... and no one seemed to post about their rejections

Balrog · 08-21-2007, 04:56 PM

I was fortunate enough to get my first short story published. I thought I was a natural, until I got one rejection after another, then finally a couple more accepted stories.

Even on the rejections I made sure and thanked the publisher for taking the time to read my story, and if they were kind enough to tell me what they didn't like or even took the time to do an edit or two before they rejected it I thanked them for that too, and I do appreciate the time they take when they comment back.

Good luck on the book, Hopeful_Author!

Fossy · 08-21-2007, 07:19 PM

The walls in my house are covered in rejections! Nah, not really. I've never submitted anything except on here. I still have loads of work to do before I'm game enough to do that. I guess that's why I still haunt this place and try to learn my craft before going that extra step.

onyxprop · 08-21-2007, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Ok all, I have a question and I really do apologize if I am posting this in a completely WRONG area.

If you are aware that this is the wrong area for your question, then why are you creating this thread in here anyways? I'm a Newbie is not a good excuse.

No, I haven't been published. I haven't anything for publishers to publish

Ruan@21million · 08-21-2007, 07:40 PM

Well, he did edit his post.

Hopeful_Author · 08-21-2007, 08:43 PM

Yes, Onyxprop..obviously AFTER I wrote that thread I came across my question and after reading a bit I don't believe I particularly wrote it in a wrong area. I am asking fiction writers if they have been published and how they faced rejections. So I thank those who replied and who may still reply

onyxprop · 08-22-2007, 01:09 PM

Maybe you should have studied this entire message board before posting the question here which is actually reserved for stories only. Have the admin move it to the appropriate board?

enron1982 · 08-22-2007, 03:41 PM

No, i've never been published, but i have wrote a book and don't plan on submitting it either. it was my first attempt, and though i know that i have talent and can do this someday (hopefully soon), i didn't even try with that one. I took it as a step in the learning process. I spent a lot of time on it and thought the entire time that i was going to submit it. By the end, i had a different outlook. I'd learned so much just by doing it, that i felt that i could do so much better with a second try. You just make so many mistakes the first time around that your not aware of at the time until you near the end and look back, and you know that you would have done so much different if you knew then what you knew now (hope that makes sense). Anyway, after writing that, my writing is 100 times better and i have better instinct. I'm working on some short stories now that i'm going to submit very soon once i feel they're ready. Editing is NOT an overnight thing, that's for sure, and i'm trying to get as much feedback as possible from anybody who can help, so that i can offer my best product. Thinking positive is good, but remember that it's HARD to get published, especially with a novel, and it won't come right away. If it does, then you're ridiculously lucky, but it usually doesn't happen like that, so don't set yourself up for disappointment. You know what i plan on doing with all my rejection slips? Putting them right in front of my computer, and using them as reasons to keep on going. They reject you and say fuck you first? The best way is to learn from it and turn around with all the effort in the world, and say fuck you right back, and just keep sending stuff. The end.

SeanFields · 08-22-2007, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onyxprop

Maybe you should have studied this entire message board before posting the question here which is actually reserved for stories only. Have the admin move it to the appropriate board?

I don't feel it is your place to be rude or condenscending to the poster.

Everyone makes mistakes.

You aren't perfect either.

=D>=D>=D>=D>=D>=D>=D>=D>=D>=D>=D>=D>=D>=D>=D>

Dana_Johnson · 08-22-2007, 04:47 PM

I was fortunate enough to get published with the first Poem I ever wrote. Not even a year ago. I've yet to sumbit any of my fiction for I'm just starting my first novel, but I hope my good luck sticks with me throughout.

And good luck to you, Hopeful_Author.

ambergrosjean · 08-22-2007, 10:21 PM

I have a lot of rejections. I was trying to get my first piece published with no luck. I've written other pieces and decided to stop waiting and get those out there too. Since then, I've had two books published (all this year!) My first book was released in Feb and I am waiting for my next book to be released soon. I dreamed of that day for 20 years, not really knowing what I was doing on that end of the scale lol. Writing is something I know I'm good at, it's the rest I have trouble with lol.

I'm still trying to get that other piece published but I'm not holding back on the others either. It will eventually get accepted so I'm not worried lol. I just haven't found the right place yet. I write novellas and novels.

lisajane · 08-22-2007, 11:35 PM

I constantly only wrote fan-fiction up until entering a creative writing course (I'm talking about three-four years ago here), where with the first original short story I write wound up being published within a couple months in an anthology. I didn't get paid for it, but just the excitement of having my first one published was payment enough for me, when I realised that perhaps I was good at this 'kind of thing'.

I've had a rejection from time to time, but on the rare basis I actually submit short stories or some poetry to a magazine, it usually gets published, which is pretty neat.

Hopeful_Author · 09-07-2007, 10:41 PM

Thank you all for your comments and I know I'll get rejected but this is a constant learning process. I appreciate all your input