Wednesday, February 2, 2022

WINTER TEMPS AS UNPREDICTABLE AS OUR LIVES...AN IWSG POST.


 Hi, ALL

Welcome to another IWSG post. I almost always forget to post when the first Wednesday of the month is so close to the beginning. I just can't believe it's February already. Winter is certainly surging like mad all over the world. Snow in the Greek Islands? Unheard of, yet it happened!

Sadly, this winter, we also lost one of the most caring and gifted bloggers, Jeremy Hawkins. I didn't know him well, but I knew him for over a decade through his comments on others' blogs and occasionally on mine. I know he will be tremendously missed by our community. Please take a moment and say a  prayer in his memory...


As you know, we get to vent on the first Wednesday of the month, thanks to Alex and the IWSG team. If you would like to join our group, please pop over to Alex's site and sign up. Who knows, you may get some great advice or help another stressed-out writer with a problem.

A few unexpected things happened this past month. I was fortunate enough to have a query and chapter request from a YA agent during the IWSG Twitter pitch. I was thrilled, of course, but now the waiting begins... So, I decided to start pitching to magazines to use my time wisely. A first for me. I spent a whole day preparing the pitch and added the proper links to my work for samples. I felt confident because the article I was pitching was for the home section of a woman's magazine. Who better than an interior designer for over twenty-five years, right? Well, it didn't take long to get a response... ANOTHER rejection. In this case, I was honestly surprised it was rejected.

We are not talking about a novel; we are talking about an article. So, fellow authors, it is a tough sell even in this venue. Honestly, I feel like chucking the whole writing thing at times like this. TWELVE years I have been pounding away at it. THANKFULLY, I did have some fantastic news before the holidays that my short story, OLIVER'S GIRL, was chosen for the IWSG Anthology. This news is keeping me going. I know rejections suck big time, but we still need to keep at it. SO don't give up. I don't plan to any time soon. I promised myself to keep plugging away this year with query after query and pitch after pitch. My goal is to have five of my stories accepted this year. It may be unrealistic, but I am aiming for that. With short stories and magazine articles, it may be attainable.

To aid me in my quest, I bought Shannon Lawrence's THE BUSINESS OF SHORT STORIES... (You can read about it in my previous post). It is a concise and helpful guide on writing and marketing your short stories. I have read through half of the book already, and once I finish, I will put her suggestions to work. Thanks, Shannon!

Well, that is all from me this month. I wish you all a warmer winter and an EARLY spring. Take care and stay safe and healthy...




14 comments:

Liza said...

Congratulations on getting your story into the anthology. All we can do is keep plugging. Best of luck in achieving your goals.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

That's cool you got a request from #IWSGPit. Sorry the article was rejected. Bet Shannon's book will be a big help.

Rachna Chhabria said...

Hi Michael, Jeremy sounds like a wonderful person. I wish I had known him. Fingers crossed that you get an agent soon.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

That magazine missed out!

You've a story in a book coming out. You did it once, you can do it again.

H. R. Sinclair said...

Stay warm! In my neck of the woods, the low this weekend is -5.

That's a bummer about the article. I'm glad your not giving up. I remember beta reading something for you a few years back that was wonderful. Hang in there, plug away, in time.... --see what I did there?

Natalie Aguirre said...

Yes, any writing market is hard to break into. I understand how you might want to just forget it. I feel that way sometimes too. But I always come back to that I enjoy the process of writing, even if it's just for me and my critique group. Glad Shannon's book is really helpul to you now.

Bish Denham said...

Keep at it. And remember, the beloved author Jane Yolen regularly gets rejected. She has HUNDREDS of rejections under her belt, so fame is no guarantee of success.

Melissa said...

Sounds like things are going well for you. I finally got my copy of the anthology sent to my Kindle (was having technical difficulties at first). I can't wait to read your story!

Good luck with the pitch.

cleemckenzie said...

You're very smart to keep querying while in the waiting room. That will help pass the time, and it will keep you just this side of sane. :-) Good luck, Michael.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Rejections! It can be so frustrating and confusing. I'm getting Sharon's book too. I've never queried any short stories but I want to.

Michael Di Gesu said...

Thank you so much, Liza!

Shannon Lawrence said...

I got to the end of your post and got such a lovely surprise! I'm surprised about the magazine rejection, too, but it's one magazine among many. Wishing you a TON of luck on the IWSGpit response, querying articles, and your short stories!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Michael - I suspect there are many 'wannabee' designers out there - who creep into the mainstream - perhaps spoiling it for others. But we're made of sterner stuff - we persevere ... which ultimately is the answer. Excellent you've bought Shannon's book ... all the best as you write and submit - cheers Hilary

Elizabeth Seckman said...

I'll be the first to say that it's that magazine's loss! To be honest, they're probably more interested in publishing influencers than they are writer talent.

Congrats on the Twitter Pitch request. That's huge!!! Do you know how rare it is to make that cut? Same with the anthology. There were so many good stories sent in this time around. You did well!!