Prismatic Publishing

Shakespeare: Hamlet, Act I, scene 3: Many people are familiar with the quote I used to entitle this blog. I chose it because, when it comes to our writing efforts, we must be true to and with ourselves. My point, this morning, is that from the first original words we ever wrote to the moment we put the finishing touches on our first poem, short story, article, book, etc. which we felt was ready for publication, we have passed many milestones at which points in our writing career we have assured ourselves we were producing marketable literary works. But, presently we are wondering why we see so many rejection notices. Traditional publishers have staffs trained to recognize publishable material. They are not perfect (consider Gone With the Wind, The Good Earth, Harry Potter, etc.), but they are true to themselves and do the best they can to quickly (they receive hundreds, if not thousands, of submissions each year) evaluate and respond to what is most often an unsolicited manuscript. It is my feeling, then, that writers also be true to themselves and make sure their writings are marketable and publishable. After all, producing publishable writings is the culmination of years of learning and practice. Just because one believes his trek is complete does not mean that it is so. Be objective in your self-evaluations. Have friends and family read what you have written. Be tough-skinned as you solicit honest responses. If you are fortunate enough to have skilled writers among your associates regard what they have to say. Do not stop the submission process if you feel all along that your writings are ready for publication, but remain open to the thoughts of others. After all, you will be “asking” them to purchase what you write.

I would to like hear what you have to say about the ideas presented in this blog. Enjoy living.

Author: David R Christensen