Writing, Editing, Authoring, Oh, My!

     Back in 1981, when I sold my first writing to Washington County Magazine, a regional Maine magazine I never imagined that many years later, I would be an author of four children's books, soon to be five. (MY BOOKS).

     Many, many, years before that-- when I was about 10 - 11 years ago, I started writing Poems and Haiku's. Back then we didn't have CDs, DVDs, or Music videos we had 45s, LPs, 8-track, and cassettes. I'd write and send my writings out to all the wrong publishers, and I'd get notes back that my words were more suited for a Magazine article or children's storybook, and suggestions to enter a poetry contest. I took it all as a BIG FAT, "NO." I put my writing away, raised my family, and didn't start writing again until just a couple of years ago. Then this spring, 2010 my books hit the market. But now that I look back on it, I had people making suggestions, that may have helped me-- if I had not tucked my tail, and hid from the writing world. Now 36 years later after my first publication-- I'm starting anew and while I don't have regrets with my life as a whole, I have a small "writing regret" or lack of continuing with it when I was young.

     I guess the moral of this story would be, if you are a young struggling writer, don't give up if you get rejections, check to see if you really sent your story or song to the correct publishing company. You don't want to send a children's book out to a hot rod publisher. If the answer is yes, then it doesn't hurt to contact that company and ask them why they chose not to publish your work. You may never get an answer, but include an addressed and stamped envelope back to yourself as this makes it a little easier for them to answer you, should they choose.

     Once upon a time, I actually did that-- and I got my answer as to why they didn't want my book. Surprisingly, sometimes-- it has nothing to do with "you-- the writer," it might be the company has met its budget; or quota of books for the year, it might be they weren't looking for that particular type of story. If that were the case, you can write back, ask them what they are looking for, and again, include an addressed-stamped envelope, just in case...

So, untuck your tail, and pick up your pen and pad then start writing; or nowadays it would be-- "Get to your keyboard, pick up your mouse and start clicking!"

Happy Writing,

~Virginia Wright, Author

Have you read any Virginia Wright Books yet?