by Cindy K. Sproles @CindyDevoted
Since self-publishing came on the scene, the attitude of writers changed. Where we once received a rejection letter, read it, and strived to improve our work—a sense of entitlement seeped into our attitudes. First, when used appropriately, self-publishing is an excellent tool, and I hate to see so many insinuate that it’s not. It isn’t. It’s a tool. And like any tool, the user must learn to use it.
Anyone who knows me hears me continually harping, “Learn the craft. Learn the craft.” Back in the days before self-publishing, that was our only option if we wanted to be published—persistence and learning the craft. We sat through classes where we learned the differences in the types of rejection letters and how to interpret those. If rejection came, it wasn’t because it was rotten work (well…mostly not—there’s an exception to every rule), but our work wasn’t publication-ready.
