Rejection is a part of every freelancer’s life. We all hate it, but it’s a reality we need to face.
However, now that I’ve sat on both sides of the writing desk, that of freelance writer and editor, I view at rejection differently than I used to.
Quick note: although I make a point to not read too many Filbert Publishing queries anymore I recently spoke to the person who has taken over that task for me. Things haven’t changed much in the six months since Elizabeth become our first line of defense in filtering appropriate projects toward the correct people in our tiny organization.
Here’s what she tells me:
Nineteen out of twenty queries she receives are for works of fiction. Unfortunately we aren’t accepting any new fiction until 2007… probably later. Sad fact is, fiction doesn’t sell very well. Fiction that doesn’t sell doesn’t pay our bills. When we don’t pay our bills we don’t stay in business.
We mention that we aren’t accepting fiction in our online writer’s guidelines, but evidently many writers don’t check online guidelines before querying.
So… Query Tip #1 – Check your market’s most current online guidelines if you can. The Writer’s Market often lists publisher’s website URLs so take that little extra step to give you a big edge when it comes to your queries.
Tomorrow… Query Secret #2.
Till then, keep writing.
Beth
