Thread: The Pyramid of Publishing Success

I am indebted, via Lin, to Mike C for the following. It interests me not at all, however I figured someone else might get something from it.



This isn't my idea, and when I first was told it, I thought it was a little whacked - it's counter-intuitive in many ways, but makes a lot of sense. I always say you should aim high - this effectively does the same thing, but in a more structured way. This is for short fiction/articles, not novels.

1 Decide where you eventually want to place your work, when you can say you've 'made it'. Say, for example, the New Yorker. Top of the tree. Write "New Yorker" at the top of your page.

Visit their website, look at their links page, look for mentions of other mags they respect. Some will be slightly lower down the tree.

2 Pick 3 or 4 of these, and write them below New Yorker.

3 Visit their websites, pick 3 or 4 of the lesser mags that they read and respect. Write them down on the next line (You see the pyramid forming already?) and visit their sites.

4 Repeat the process until you get down to the lowly e-zines and non-paying print mags.

Now, assuming you're actually writing, and have a store of stories ready to roll, start submitting to the bottom line.

Yes, I can hear some bleating already - "But my story is too damn good for the Zarg webzine!" - but tough shit. This is where you have to realise that no story is ever too good. If you've written it already, you can write more and you can write better. If you don't think you can, then stop writing and repeat after me - "Would you like fries with that?"

Writing is an evolutionary process, and so is publication. If you're reasonably competent getting accepted in a few places on the bottom line will not be too hard. And with every story you write, you get a little better. And with every acceptance, a little more confident.

Once you have your first acceptance on the bottom line, follow that thread up to the next - one of the mags that reads and likes and respects the publication you're now accepted by. Submit to them, and now in your bio you can say you have something appearing in a mag they know about, and respect - if they respect the mag, they'll automatically have a slightly higher regard for you for being in it.

At the same time, keep writing and submitting to the other bottom liners, only moving up a row at a time as you get the acceptance, then moving on to the next mag(s) in the thread.

The idea is that as your bio and reptuation grow, as you submit further and further up the pyramid each editor will see in your bio a list of publications in mags he recognises. That gives you instant kudos. Your writing, of course, has to be up to the mark, but any extra advantage is all to the good.

And as you rise up the pyramid, your ability as a writer and your confidence will grow exponentially.

What's that? More bleating? "But I'll have to write hundreds of stories!" "It'll take forever!"

Here's the thing, kiddies - there's no short-cuts. The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work. If you don't think you can handle it, step away from the keyboard, leave your writing pretensions behind and repeat after me "Can I supersize that for you?"

There are no guarantees of success, but a strategic approach and a willingness to work hard give you a 96% advantage over most other people who write.

a willingness to work hard give you a 96% advantage over most other people who write.

Curious where this statistic comes from?

That's the opposite version of the pyramid that I've heard a lot of people propose, but still a viable strategy.

Actually it's a very curious statistic since the reason I've been writing all my life is to avoid work.

But there's a simpler and surer way of getting to where you want to be than making long lists. Write your way up from the local newspaper, if your town still has one, or radio station or tv station. This works best for teen-agers, so wait till your 13th birthday and walk into your hometown media house with a story that has a lot of local family names, a strictly here-and-now story about a scout campout, a special church programme, the local garden club, whatever. These are events reporters are not sent to cover, but they are events that will have local interest and if a decently written story lands on the editor's desk and he has a bit of space to spare, he'll use it. Do that on a regular basis. Soon you will start to collect a bit of coin for your writing, and soon after they'll start calling on you, and you're in.

Once you have your foot on the bottom rung, all you have to do is climb, and you'll never have to look for a job.

Work hard? Nonsense. If I'd wanted to work I'd never have become a writer.

I think that's more to do with different people's definitions of "hard work", garza.

Writing is not hard work. You do some hard work and the difference impresses upon you immediately.

Great advice. I will print that off and stick it on my wall as a reminder.

And to those of you who argue that writing is not hard work...no, perhaps it's not. But getting published is damn hard work!

daisydaisy - When you start at the bottom and take it step by step, publishing is no more difficult than the writing. Start with local newspapers and the obscure little literary mags that often beg for submissions. Build a portfolio and work your way up.

Or head to a destination like Afghanistan, Iraq, Korea, or the West Bank and start pestering the wire services and syndicates with stories. If they are well written and offer a viewpoint different from staff and stringers already in the area you will start to be noticed, and editors will start to use what you send.

Neither approach guarantees success. Either approach, or others similar to these such as getting on at a local radio or tv station, can lead you step by step to where you want to be.

Over a ten year period, from my mid teens to my mid 20s I did all of the above. Your goal should always be the next rung up the ladder, and the most important goal of all is not the top of the ladder, but the first rung.

Originally Posted by garza

daisydaisy - When you start at the bottom and take it step by step, publishing is no more difficult than the writing. Start with local newspapers and the obscure little literary mags that often beg for submissions. Build a portfolio and work your way up.

Or head to a destination like Afghanistan, Iraq, Korea, or the West Bank and start pestering the wire services and syndicates with stories. If they are well written and offer a viewpoint different from staff and stringers already in the area you will start to be noticed, and editors will start to use what you send.

Neither approach guarantees success. Either approach, or others similar to these such as getting on at a local radio or tv station, can lead you step by step to where you want to be.

Over a ten year period, from my mid teens to my mid 20s I did all of the above. Your goal should always be the next rung up the ladder, and the most important goal of all is not the top of the ladder, but the first rung.

I agree with you. I was just trying to get the point across that writing is still a job, and not really the easy option. Not many make a living out of this game, it takes work.

Some good points raised there though, thanks for the tips.

This pyramid dealie is exactly what I did / do / have been doing. I approve.

daisydaisy - Whether it takes work depends on how you define work.

Writing, photography, and today video production and web page design are all fun things to do. When forces loyal to his excellency the President-for-Life smash your camera, throw your notebook in the river, beat you up, and toss you across the road hoping the rebels will shoot you and the rebels don't shoot you or toss you back you know you've got some great copy to file.

Fun things, even sometimes uncomfortable and potentially deadly fun things, are not defined as 'work' in my personal dictionary.

Edit - Lest what I say be misunderstood, I do not mean to say that no effort is involved. A great deal of effort is involved in learning how to do anything well, including writing.

Suppose there's a kid who loves football. HIs ambition is to be the best keeper in his league. He can't just stand on the sideline and watch. That can help, but to be good he has to put in effort. He has to get in front of the goal and learn how to block those penalty kicks, learn how to be in position watching that chancy striker who is going to try to slip one by him.

Effort, yes. Lots of effort. Work? Depends on your definition.

Yes, you're right, but I do see a difference in writing for love and writing for money. I have oodles of fun writing all kinds of things, but getting it to a good enough standard for publication, and then finding someone to read it and publish it can be a loooooong process.

daisydaisy - But you, a Shropshire lass of sturdy stock, have the ability and the sticktoittivness which together bring success.

If you're near Shrewsbury and you see Bro. Cadfael, do tell him 'Dduw bendithia 'r gweithia' for me.

Haha! I am indeed near Shrewsbury. Will send your regards to Brother Cadfael when I'm next in his parish.

Off topic, daisydaisy please check your visitor messages on your profile page.