Publishing a Story

I have long harbored ambitions to be a published writer and author. I started writing stories when I was six or seven, and have always been interested in story telling. However--despite having gone to considerable lengths--I have been unable to muster the requisite talent to actually have my work accepted at a single publication other than my own. As much as I like writing, all this leads me into a catharsis of failure, and all too often the companion piece to failure is self-pity.

I suspect that many artists--or people like myself who deem themselves aspiring artists--know what I'm getting at for the most part. I would love to be like Nietzsche's "Superman", unencumbered by pity and able to accomplish the impossible. However, what type of man--or woman for that matter--is inherently born with this superhuman ability to write a publishable story? Perhaps anyone who has actually gotten something legitimately published. That seemingly finite list does not include me.

I have spent twelve years since leaving undergraduate university writing off and on in a desperate attempt to get my stories and essays accepted at a plethora of literary publications. If you are a writer like me, you may have read articles in writing journals like Poets and Writers or Writer's Digest (sorry, I can't italicize in this blog format--thanks Wix) offering you advice based on subjective experiences from people who 'have been through it", or who "know the publishing industry". However, the advice offered has not been terribly ground-breaking: subscribe to the magazine, read other magazines similar to the ones you submit to, send a query email, folllow the guidelines exactly, make sure the story is something fresh, and please make sure to follow the guidelines exactly!

This is not an all-inclusive list, but it is one that should lead you to a simple enquiry (yes, there's my ode to Hemingway, so don't question the British spelling. Yes, I know Hemingway is American, just flip through one of his anthologies to get the reference): why is it so hard to get a story published? I have a few conjectures and theories as to why this is, and I have concluded that the odds are inexorably stacked against the writer. Having explained my premise, I think it's worth analyzing a few of the hiccups and what to ultimately do about them.

First, the publisher is there to serve those who give them money. Small and independent presses rely heavily on private funding from a niche of people who actually give a toss about the publication. Consequently, if you give them money, they will, in theory, publish you. I'm o.k. with this, because I get it. But if you are a small press who does this, don't--in your call for submissions--suggest that you are looking for the best fiction, because you're not, you're looking for the best-funded fiction. Ironically, if this is the motis operandi (remember I can't italicize) of the publisher, consider your audience. In other words, if you're already getting funded and you generally publish the work of authors who proivde funding, don't send out a call for submissions. If you don't like this suggestion, then stop charging a ridiculous reading fee. I no longer submit to a very prestigious journal because its reading fees have swelled more than my stomach has, and that is genuinely saying something.

Furthermore, most publishing is dominated by a certain way of thinking. I hate to be political, so I won't, but most publishers won't publish your story unless it fits a niche they are looking for. This may sound like a no-brainer, but the reason I emphasize this is that there is simply no way to know what publishers are looking for. Now, this may sound bitter, but let me give you an example. There is another certain magazine whose publishers call for literary fiction, and for six or seven years I sent over twenty submissions to this magazine in an attempt to breakthrough. Consequently, I have received over one hundred rejection emails. I had a subscription to the magazine, I read every story in each issue, I read work of the author's getting published there, I subscribed to their newsletter, I paid reading fees, read easily over a hundred short stories from the magazine, gained a sense of what they were looking for, (yes, I do the Oxford comma thing) and tried to submit something I inaccuarately thought they'd love and--nothing! After being rejected, I'd go back and re-edit and subsequently send the story elsewhere only to get rejected and I simply go on and on with this process. If you'd like to know how many stories I've gotten published this way I'll tell you: zero. Now, before you get completely discouraged, I have a solution: self-publishing.

I know there are many of you who think that this might be difficult or just not practical, but it is actually a very easy process that allows you to experience some individual success, get you some practical book production experience--giving you complete (well, 98% control) over the process, and you might even have a little fun and make a little money. Self-publishing appears to be the next inside track to getting a book published. Publishers don't want to take a risk on a book they have no idea will sell, but a self-published book that has garnered sales and attention on social media, and generated following and enthusiasm on the author's website might be worth looking into without the publisher losing too much money. In other words, if some people are liking it, the book has been somewhat successful and it gives publishers more flexibility and less risk involved in getting the book to major print. Yes, this seems like an extra step for the author, but the process is truly enjoyable and will definitely build your confidence as a writer and entrepreneur when undertaking the endeavour.

A few questions that I get about self-publishing: Where do I start and what if I need help? I asked my friend, Lyndon Perry--a relatively successful self-published author in his own right--for some advice and I will pass the same on to you: If you have a publication that you want to get to print, there are two tremendous self-publishing websites to choose from: createspace.com and lulu.com. For beginners, I suggest createspace because it allows you a little bit of flexibility in book design and layout which is always the most fun part of the process. If you want to maximize your professional look, I would go with Lulu because the templates are simply a bit more professional. However, with Lulu, the production process is much more complicated and in the long run, a bit pricier to actually produce and therefore, you must overprice your book to really make a profit.

The point of this article is to illustrate that yes, it can be a frustrating process to get a story and or book published anywhere, especially for a no-talent fellow like me, but don't let that discourage you from trying. As someone a lot smarter than I once said, "You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don't take" which I actually think is mathematically impossible, but you can definitely experience some success and enjoyment if you take a risk and try and make it happen! Good luck!

#scholarly