by Linda Gilden @LindaGilden
As new writers one of the first things we learn is there is so much to learn we couldn’t possibly put it in a few pages. However, I thought it might help to know a few of the most important things to find out as you start writing. I thought if we started with three of the most important things that would at least get us started.
Three Important Things for Every New Writer to Know
1. Know your audience.
When I started writing. I learned a very valuable lesson at my first writers conference, and it has served me well for over four decades.
At this conference, we were invited as part of our tuition to submit one article for a publisher or editor to look at and make suggestions on how to improve it. Before that conference, I had spent time at our lake house, sitting on the bank and watching our son skipping stones across the water. He was very good at it and as I watched, my mind filled with related analogies. I decided to write an article about the experience and how encouraging it was to me to sit and watch my son skip stones. That was the article I submitted.
When I met with the editor, the first thing he said to me was not, “Oh, you are such a good writer. I’d really like to buy your article.” Nor was it “This is the best article I’ve ever read.” He simply said with a sigh, “I used to skip stones when I was a little boy.”
What was the lesson I learned? His words indicated to me that it was not so much the writing, but it was the emotion that accompanied it that he based his comments on. I had sparked a happy memory in his mind and connected to his heart.
What was the lesson for me in that? Who knows the publication’s audience better than the editor. To connect with the publication’s audience, you must connect with the heart of the editor first. When you do that, you know that you have hit the bull’s eye of the publication’s audience.
2. Not everyone is going to like your work.
When you begin to submit to publishers and periodicals, you won’t always get an acceptance letter. Sometimes you’ll get a rejection. I’ve heard many experienced writers say, “Just don’t look at it as a rejection. Consider it a ‘no thank you.’”
Many times, the “no thank you” is a creative way of saying we can’t use this right now. It may be they have published something similar recently. Or it could be they don’t have room for it on their editorial calendar. It doesn’t mean the editors don’t like your work, particularly if they end their letters with statements like “Please send us more of your work.” It does not fit our current needs.” “Great writing but we don’t publish anything on that subject. Please check our guidelines for subjects we are looking for.”
Following the publishing guidelines will give you the greatest opportunity for acceptance of almost anything else. If you know you have given a publisher just what they have asked for, you at least know your format is correct and you have given them what they are looking for.
3. Perseverance is key.
No one who cares as much as you do that you succeed. Therefore, it is up to you to work as hard as you can to become the best writer you can be. Learn everything you can about writing. Read books, go to conferences, network with every writer you know. Your networking relationships will prove invaluable to your career. When you meet writers who have areas of expertise, especially unlike yours, make notes of the things they are experts in. You may need to call them someday to verify points in your book or article. Make friends with those who are writing in the same genre as you. They will be able to help you learn the genre as well as meet others who are writing what you are. You can share marketing tips and opportunities for publication with each other. Read the market guides for publishers especially looking for specific stories.
Almost every writer you ask will give a different answer to the title question. So don’t stop asking others what you want to know. Most writers love to encourage other writers and help them along in their writing journey. Along with these three things, I would recommend you bathe every part of your writing career with prayer. Only God knows why He has called you to be a writer. But I know that everything He calls us to do, He will equip us to do well. Don’t disappoint Him.
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AMEN, Ms. Linda. Thank you for always being one of my biggest encouragers when I first started on my Christian writing journey. Without your guidance, mentorship, and friendship, I'm not sure I could have continued the sometimes long and tumultuous journey to publication. God's blessings to you and your family, ma'am.
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