Tips From a Pro

If I was going to have cancer, I was going to use it to my full advantage.

It became the perfect excuse to get out of managing the Gems. I was no longer worried about the loss of income; I really didn't care, having far better things to do with my time than to preserve dwellings that were already---who were we kidding--- essentially marked for the bulldozer. I gave my notice, stating 'health issues' as the reason. Instead of throwing a fit or getting upset because I'd let them down (my worst fear), the owners graciously wished me well and promptly found themselves another property manager.


I took some time off. I wrote in my journal. I took a few naps, and a few walks with my children and spouse. I pondered at least as much as I'd pondered while running the cleaning business, but these thoughts were even more serious and concentrated. Morbid or not, I kept envisioning a large grandfather clock tick-tocking away, and the tip of my deceased-from-cancer friend's nose sticking out of his casket during his funeral service.

I started to clean and organize even more, feeling the intense (and probably overly-dramatic) need to get things in order.

Since space at our home was limited, I had a computer and files stored in my daughter's room, where we all had no choice but to visit if we wanted to use that particular PC. I began toying with writing just a little. I started up an anonymous blog and began to spend more time in that space. My daughter began to go to sleep to the sounds of my click-clacking on the keyboard. Despite the cleaning I'd done in other areas, the desk the computer sat on was usually somewhat cluttered, as were the files I had also stored in that room. I decided that tidying up that particular space was the least I could do.

While going through files and paring down what was now irrelevant, I came upon a once- familiar green folder marked 'Freelance Writing.'

Years ago while attempting to blog for the first time, I'd become 'e-friends' with a woman named Fiona. Her writing stood out far and away from that of other bloggers. It was known she'd been hard at work making a living with her skills. Fascinated, I asked about her journey towards becoming a professional writer. In reply, I got a long and very thorough email. This I printed up and placed in the green folder for future reference.

Just days later, my first and continuously-struggling marriage began to unravel the rest of the way. Many long months of derailment and detours followed, and the thin green folder had been hastily stuffed into a portable file as it was moved from the family home in the country to the post-divorce house in town, forgotten about for years, until now. Seeing it again yanked me back to the day I'd hungrily perused Fiona's list, wondering if I could ever follow in her footsteps. I opened it again now.


"Brace yourself," she'd written, "This is going to be a long answer, since you've asked about my passion---writing.
I began with blogs and found them a useful forum for practicing. Once I felt comfortable with that, I decided to approach magazines. I sent my first article to Cosmo and was lucky, the editor was really sweet and sent back a very encouraging rejection letter. Thinking back, I cringe. I did everything wrong. (Before submitting, read their guidelines thoroughly!)
You can submit articles to online sites and if those don't sell try selling to another site until they do. Keep a list of what you've sold, and which website it appeared on. Copy and paste your articles and save them for future reference, because when querying with a new editor, I find it much more effective to say, "This sample was published in ABC newspaper..."
As a new writer, you may not have many clips but I've found that research and confidence can more than make up for that. My suggestion is that you use what you know first. If you have any qualifications that you can use, find the right publication and use them.
The idea is to be able to convince the editor that you are the best person to write the piece. You need to be somewhat familiar with the publication. (I once sent a story and then found out that they'd done a piece on that very topic in that month's issue.)
I also kept queries as short as possible. Never, ever irritate the editor. Editors get hundreds of emails a day. You stand a better chance if yours is short and to the point. Don't tell them that you've never been published and be confident in your email.
Look to your local newspapers, can you write something for them? If so, check and recheck what you send them, and edit it down ruthlessly. The easier you make the editor's life, the better it is for you. I send my articles and then leave the editor alone until I have another article idea. Also, always be polite. If a piece is rejected, send a short 'thank you' email. Don't argue about the validity of your article. If they don't want it, move on and find someone who does. If the editor doesn't respond (and many don't), move on. If the editor is rude, don't sink to their level, just cross them off the list. You have to develop a very thick skin. If your writing gets rejected it does not necessarily mean it is bad but just that it's not right for the publication. Rejection can be disappointing but don't let it get to you.
Best piece of advice? Never, ever give up. If something doesn't work, find another way. Always ensure that you read and re-read your work. Your aim is to submit perfection. Research, research, research. Know your target publication. Who is their target demographic, story length, writing style, type of articles, type of advertisements.
Read, read, read! You'll get so many ideas, it's unreal.

Regards,

Fiona"