Ugh! I just submitted an article to a magazine hoping to be considered for publication. The “Ugh” is because I just re-read it again for the 3 thousandth time and noticed an error. Two others had read it multiple times as well and the error wasn’t noticed. But it’s there. A shift from the plural to the singular. From a their to a her. It’s in the first paragraph. If I were an editor I wouldn’t read the next 1,000 words. I am bummed out. Nothing like a strike out first time at bat.
I guess that’s the thing. You take a chance, you finally decide that your writing is ready to send. You can only adjust and cut and move and paste so many times before the time is there to throw your hands into the air then slowly reach down and hit the submit button. Breathe in and out. I guess I should be proud that I actually hit submit. I know that there will be more times I attempt to have any writing published. It is a journey that I am prepared to take, to learn from mistakes and missteps and even mis-submissions.
Blogging is my practice to do what I would like to do for real. I think most bloggers share that dream. I know there will be many rejections where my pitch or my style or tone is not what is being looked for, but I’m hoping at some point it will be the right fit. Cinderella’s glass slipper in the writing world so to speak. I will wait for the messenger to come to my email inbox with the official invitation and I will be over-joyed. Just like being invited to the ball. The invitation to write will be that sweet. To see it in print will be the icing on the cake.
I have patience. I have 8-10 weeks left to wait to hear from the magazine I submitted my article to. I have that long to also find other magazine and topics that interest me and work on some pitches and write-ups. This is a forever process. At least I noticed the mistake myself. It will be easier to swallow if I hear a ‘no’ for this one. Until then I will keep writing and I will keep proof-reading. Obviously I need to re-read my writing 3,001 times and have more than two others read it as well. What are mistakes but opportunities to learn.
Any takers for the job? 🙂
Meaningful Mommy 