Okay, I'm pouring out my soul here...

[Aurora Black]

I've been thinking a lot about this lately, and any comments/advice would be greatly appreciated. This was originally posted in the Mood thread:

...I'm still writing like a bat out of hell, and my story output is starting to scare me now. Never before have I been able to write so much so quickly.

Is this a sign that I'm ready to go professional?

That very issue came up last night when not one but two of my most respected friends said "Come on, go for it!" I thought I was going to have a panic attack. Sure, I've thought about it, but I was always thinking in future terms. Like "I'll do it when I get more stories under my belt," or "when my technique gets better."

I've always been a perfectionist. Blame my father. He was always demanding more from me, like if I brought home a report card and I got a "B" in something, he was always asking "Why not an A?" Or when I graduated from high school with a scholarship, he wasn't thrilled about it because I missed out on another one that was worth more money. I took that shit and applied it to my stories in a way, always wanting my work to be as perfect as I can make it before showing it anywhere.

Am I good enough? Do I have a chance? Will anyone actually buy my stuff? These are the questions that are bugging the hell out of me now.

Don't misunderstand me; I'm not putting myself down in any way. I know that my stuff is good, but is it good enough for publication? That's the thing.

 

[CrimsonMaiden]

I say go for it. (But then, I'm like you. I've had a story ready to submit for a couple of weeks now but I'm too afraid to send it.)

 

[Aurora Black]

I say go for it. (But then, I'm like you. I've had a story ready to submit for a couple of weeks now but I'm too afraid to send it.)

Send it, damn it.

 

[TxRad]

I sometimes think it's not whether you are good enough or not but more of a matter of writing what publishers want.... Once you get a name maybe you can write what you want but otherwise you are at thir mercy.....

Send some stuff around... all it takes is a little time and guts......

all they can say is no and then again they might say yes......

That's an even scarier thought.....

 

[Aurora Black]

I sometimes think it's not whether you are good enough or not but more of a matter of writing what publishers want.... Once you get a name maybe you can write what you want but otherwise you are at thir mercy.....

Send some stuff around... all it takes is a little time and guts......

all they can say is no and then again they might say yes......

That's an even scarier thought.....

Indeed it is.

 

[NoJo]

Am I good enough? Do I have a chance? Will anyone actually buy my stuff?

Those questions probably bugged almost every professional writer at some point.

I think you have to try it -- the only sure way to fail is not to try at all. And even if it turns out that your stuff is not saleable at the moment, by trying to sell it, you'll soon find what you need to work on to make it more marketable in future.

Go for it, Aurora.

 

[R. Richard]

Am I good enough? Do I have a chance? Will anyone actually buy my stuff? These are the questions that are bugging the hell out of me now.

Don't misunderstand me; I'm not putting myself down in any way. I know that my stuff is good, but is it good enough for publication? That's the thing.

Aurora:
I have an entire room in my house papered with rejection slips [when they were kind enough to at least send a rejection slip.] I continued to submit short stories, novellas and even novels. Finally I got "Tails of The Pussycat Lounge" published in Fictionwise.

You have to keep trying until you get something published. [When I am feeling down, I go into the room in my house that is papered with rejection slips and say "fuck you!"]

JMHO.

 

[arienette]

Go for it, gorgeous!

 

[FallingToFly]

When I was working on the Literary Magazine at school, my senior year, we had a guest speaker come in one day.

In one arm she had a big brown paper grocery bag. In the other hand she carried an envelope.

She put the paper bag on the teacher's desk and started pulling out manila envelopes, stuffed full of neatly folded, legal sized envelopes.

"These," she told us, as the stack grew and grew "All of these are rejections."

Then she smiled, and it was the most mischievous grin I've ever seen. She pulled two slip of paper from the envelope we'd all forgotten about.

"This," she said, waving the first one. "Is my acceptance letter from Penguin. ANd this one," she grinned as she flicked the other paper back and forth. "Is the stub from the seven thousand dollar advance they gave me on my first book."

I've never forgotten how much shit I'm going to have to wade through before I can make it in this field, Rora. The bottom line is- hang in there, no matter what. You're ready for the success- but are you ready for the endless round of rejection and waiting that it'll take to get there?

 

[Aurora Black]

Those questions probably bugged almost every professional writer at some point.

I think you have to try it -- the only sure way to fail is not to try at all. And even if it turns out that your stuff is not saleable at the moment, by trying to sell it, you'll soon find what you need to work on to make it more marketable in future.

Go for it, Aurora.

Thank you, Joe.

 

[Aurora Black]

Go for it, gorgeous!

Thanks, sweetie! (You too, Tex & Crim!)

 

[Salvor-Hardon]

Your work is good enough, its just a matter of is there someone out there who recognizes it. And the only way to know that, is to put it out there.

Fortune favors the daring, Rora.

 

[Aurora Black]

Aurora:
I have an entire room in my house papered with rejection slips [when they were kind enough to at least send a rejection slip.] I continued to submit short stories, novellas and even novels. Finally I got "Tails of The Pussycat Lounge" published in Fictionwise.

You have to keep trying until you get something published. [When I am feeling down, I go into the room in my house that is papered with rejection slips and say "fuck you!"]

JMHO.

Thank you, RR. That sounds like great therapy, by the way. Like screaming into a pillow.

 

[Aurora Black]

I've never forgotten how much shit I'm going to have to wade through before I can make it in this field, Rora. The bottom line is- hang in there, no matter what. You're ready for the success- but are you ready for the endless round of rejection and waiting that it'll take to get there?

Rejection and I aren't on good terms, but if that's what it takes... *hugs*

 

[Aurora Black]

Your work is good enough, its just a matter of is there someone out there who recognizes it. And the only way to know that, is to put it out there.

Fortune favors the daring, Rora.

I'm scared, Thumb Boy. Hold me?

 

[AthenasFury]

If you survive on instant gratification and are devastated by even the smallest rejection, shelve it.
If, on the other hand, you believe in what you're writing enough to keep sticking your head on the chopping block, go for it.

Many people do not realize that becoming published is more like opening your own business than it is like being discovered. I have seen many disappointments due to this fact. Prepare to build a business, and invest yourself in it. Best of luck, it is what we all dream of.

 

[Aurora Black]

If you survive on instant gratification and are devastated by even the smallest rejection, shelve it.
If, on the other hand, you believe in what you're writing enough to keep sticking your head on the chopping block, go for it.

Many people do not realize that becoming published is more like opening your own business than it is like being discovered. I have seen many disappointments due to this fact. Prepare to build a business, and invest yourself in it. Best of luck, it is what we all dream of.

Thanks for the input.

 

[Liar]

Am I good enough? Do I have a chance? Will anyone actually buy my stuff? These are the questions that are bugging the hell out of me now.

Don't misunderstand me; I'm not putting myself down in any way. I know that my stuff is good, but is it good enough for publication? That's the thing.

Well, I haven't read everything you've written, (so much to read, so little time) but from what I do remember, you are definitely a good enough writer of prose to not have that in your way of getting published. Good stuff, good style, easy to read.

The real question is: Do you have a story to tell? Something that will stand out, look fresh, attract attention and get people interrested in hearing it?

And the real question no 2 is: Do you have the pig-headed stubbornness needed to get published? Or if you self-publish, do you have the pig-headed stubbornness it takes to promote it yourself? That's the real kicker, not the writing part.

 

[Saucyminx]

Once you get the first rejection slip out of the way, it's all downhill. Three of mine have even come from real editors with ink signatures and everything--which means they got past the readers. One had a smiley face on it. I remember thinking that i'd have preferred a smiley check.

You'll never be ready to take that initial leap. So just go for it. We'll all be here to pump you back up if you need it.

 

[Recidiva]

You won't know until you try, and I think you should try.

 

[Aurora Black]

Well, I haven't read everything you've written, (so much to read, so little time) but from what I do remember, you are definitely a good enough writer of prose to not have that in your way of getting published. Good stuff, good style, easy to read.

The real question is: Do you have a story to tell? Something that will stand out, look fresh, attract attention and get people interrested in hearing it?

And the real question no 2 is: Do you have the pig-headed stubbornness needed to get published? Or if you self-publish, do you have the pig-headed stubbornness it takes to promote it yourself? That's the real kicker, not the writing part.

Thank you, Liar. Yes on both counts. If I want something badly enough, I won't stop until I get it.

 

[Aurora Black]

Once you get the first rejection slip out of the way, it's all downhill. Three of mine have even come from real editors with ink signatures and everything--which means they got past the readers. One had a smiley face on it. I remember thinking that i'd have preferred a smiley check.

You'll never be ready to take that initial leap. So just go for it. We'll all be here to pump you back up if you need it.

Thank you so much.

 

[Aurora Black]

You won't know until you try, and I think you should try.

DIVA!

 

[Liar]

Thank you, Liar. Yes on both counts. If I want something badly enough, I won't stop until I get it.

Then...um...what the heck is stopping you?

Btw, what were you thinking of publishing? Smut antologies, mainstream novels, scripts...?

 

[rgraham666]

I'm having the same problem, Aurora.

And for the same reasons. Best I could hope for growing up was nothing. So I don't have a lot of confidence in myself.

My output really worries me. I don't believe I write enough. I try, but it's hard to do when you don't really believe in yourself.