Tip for writers - Getting published

I became a writer in 1993. Well, actually, that is a lie. I became a published writer, with my first article appearing in a magazine, in 1993. I started writing years before. I just kind of stunk at it for a long while.

The evolution from writing to getting published involved a single-minded focus on my message, finding my voice, loving the reader enough to write in an understandable way, persisting, and a lot of getting over myself.

And not necessarily in that order.

Finding my subject and focus was never a problem. I wrote about what I loved - healing prayer. But sending in my first manuscript was a bit like sending a picture of my kid to the "Most Beautiful Baby" contest. I couldn't believe others didn't see it the way I did!

To sum up the politely written form letter that came back, in the fewest possible words, it read: No way, José.

So I did what any self-respecting writer, who was thrilled by the sound of her own writing voice, would do. I tweaked and snipped and primped and plumped the article, changed the title, and sent it in again. This time the response was more personalized: No way, José. And don't think you are fooling us. We know it is the same piece.

Well, I thought, at least they remember me!

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