Freelance Adventures: My Publication Journey

The adage that a journey begins with a single step is true. In my case, my writing odyssey began with a story that eventually became a novel. My publication adventure, however, started with a simple living website for parents. Or something like that…it’s hard to remember over 20 years later.

I find another saying “ignorance is bliss” much more applicable to diving into any creative endeavor.

I had discovered the incredible world of creative writing and wanted to share my newfound love with anyone willing to read my work. The problem was that I had no idea where to go with it. I began to research the nuts and bolts of the business which many creatives would prefer to sidestep. One piece of advice was to find somewhere to publish your product. Notice it didn’t say get paid for your work; find someone simply willing to publish your stuff. The suggestion was to find a publication or website looking for content and submit something. It would be a stepping-off point. The recompense would not be monetary in most cases. A writer’s compensation for such a contribution would be bragging rights, the first rung on an author’s Jacob’s Ladder.

My debut piece was based on the musings of a daughter, wife, and mother finding herself a member in good standing of what is now called “the sandwich generation”. The website that picked it up was dedicated to the then-new simplicity approach to living, less is more. The moral of the story is kids should be allowed to be kids, helicopter parents be damned.

At that time, I knew a woman who served as the editor, art director, distributor - and all other roles - of a local publication featuring community events and entertainment. (It was a small operation.) She suggested I write something for an upcoming issue of “All About Town”. I accepted her offer. I interviewed a local shop owner, a client at my day job at the bank. It was my first effort published in hard copy. I could hold it in my hand, ink on paper. Tangible.

I was emboldened. It was time to write something that might garner a paycheck. How hard could it be?

Enter the ignorant bliss concept.

I discovered a group of cottages on a nearby lake designed by Frank Lloyd Wright at the turn of the 20th century. Being a FLW devotee, I had to know more. In the process, I was referred to a couple who had restored the most unique of the group. They were gracious enough to invite me in and give me the interview. It became my first published article that came with a check. The money was a great affirmation but seeing the issue in a local bookstore for the first time was priceless.

The thing was I was fearless then; I didn't know any better. With every step I took, the next door opened and it all came together. I had no fear of rejection or criticism or lack of experience. But like with any journey, the more I learned, the more I knew, and I realized the road to publication was harder than I had anticipated.

I have continued on the path of magazine work and have been published in various magazines. I’ve also had a degree of rejection and have been beaten up by more than one editor. I guess it’s part of the game. My website features some of my published articles. They have been my sentries, my soldiers in the war of self-doubt and discouragement. When I feel like this writing gig is in vain, or I receive a less than enthusiastic response to my work, I look to them. They help me put my armor back on by reminding me that I have accomplished something and can do it again.

While the publication work kept me busy, I also wrote three novels and several essays on the stuff that comes with day-to-day life. I’d be lying if I said I had no trepidation about moving on to the next phase of my writing pilgrimage. Sometimes, I yearn to be that naïve newbie again, unscathed by the business end of the writing world. But I remind myself that you can’t win the game if you don’t know how to play the game.

Onward.