Home
>
Writing
>
Seven Important Lessons for Experts Who Want to Get Published

Seven Important Lessons for Experts Who Want to Get Published

At first, I noticed that I could have written many of the articles that appeared in Instructor magazine. Having earned a B.A. in elementary education and taught for a short time, I had some experience in dealing with challenges in the classroom and wanted to capitalize on it. I also read writer's magazines and reference books, which encouraged me even more.

Initially, my biggest challenge was summoning courage to just go ahead and describe my idea to the magazine's editor. My query letter began with a hook that lead to my working title and a brief description of the article's contents. Toward the end of this letter, I explained why my related experience made me the perfect writer for the job! A few weeks later, a reply arrived from the magazine. They were interested in seeing my article and would I please submit it on speculation.

So I wrote an article, which filled a single page, and submitted it. A few weeks later, it came back in the mail bearing a rejection slip. Feeling discouraged, but unwilling to give up, I developed and submitted an idea to another education magazine. I really felt good about this idea. Evidently, the editors did as well and a few months later, accepted my article, paying 75 dollars for it. Subsequently, I submitted ideas to Instructor and after a few more months, saw my work featured in the magazine.

During that time, I learned my lessons and include them below:

Lesson 1: Don't think about "writing something some day." That time will never come! Make up your mind to follow through and do it now. There will never be a better time!

Lesson 2: Familiarize yourself thoroughly with a magazine or a book publisher's offerings. Look at and read ALL of the articles. Pay attention to their format and contents. Then consider what was unsaid. For example, the author might have briefly mentioned something in a paragraph, but did not develop it. Why not expand that idea? You wouldn't be plaigerizing, but would be putting the idea in a new perspective. Yours.

Lesson 3: Make a list of everything that was unsaid and which you could expand upon. Long before writing a query which Scholastic positively responded to, I filled sheet after sheet of paper with words relating to my subject. My object was to write a book for substitute teachers in the elementary grades. I wanted something more than the usual, so I considered my experiences as a substitute teacher and asked myself what I would appreciate having and using. The answers helped me to put a different spin on a familiar subject.

Lesson 4: Give your article or book project a working title. Brainstorm a list of possible titles. Write everything down and don't worry about your titles being wacky or "wrong." That's your inner editor speaking. Ignore it until you are ready to choose one title.

Lesson 5: Take the time to write a good query letter, keeping in mind that it is going to be the first writing sample that an editor sees. First impressions are important! Write rough drafts, allow them to cool, and revise them again and again until you are happy with every single thing! If you have the slightest concern or question about any part of that letter, revise it again.

Lesson 6: Since it will be weeks and possibly months before you receive a reply, write your article or book chapters and develop more ideas. Keep the wheel spinning!

Lesson 7: Don't allow yourself to be discouraged by rejections, which you will surely receive. Experienced, published writers are rejected all of the time. If you give up too early, your work might never be published.

Dorothy Zjawin's published work, thirty Instructor articles and a book, Teaching Ideas for the Come-Alive Classroom (Parker Pub. Co./Prentice-Hall) was based on her teaching experience. More ideas appear in her website, http://www.profitable-pen.com

whole house cleaning Deerfield ..

In The News:

Apple's new Sleep Score feature gives you a rating for your nightly rest quality. Learn how to set it up on your Apple Watch and iPhone today.

Essential phone settings to enable before losing your device, including Find My network, location services and security features for iPhone and Android.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Cybersecurity research shows weak passwords remain a major threat, with simple patterns and number sequences putting millions of accounts at risk.

New Android malware BankBot YNRK silences phones, steals banking data and drains crypto wallets automatically. Learn how this advanced threat works.

FDA approves first human trial for Paradromics' brain-computer interface that could restore speech for paralyzed patients through neural technology.

New phishing platform QRR targets Microsoft 365 users across 1,000 domains in 90 countries. Learn how to spot fake login pages and protect your accounts.

OpenTable now uses AI to track your dining habits and share insights with restaurants. Learn what data they collect and how to protect your privacy.

Google's discontinued Nest thermostats still secretly upload home data to company servers despite losing smart features, raising serious privacy concerns.

New Android malware NGate steals NFC payment codes in real-time, allowing criminals to withdraw cash from ATMs without your card. Learn protection tips.

DoorDash confirms data breach exposing customer names, emails, addresses after social engineering attack. Learn how to protect yourself from scams.

Concerned about Google's AI scanning your Gmail? Learn how to disable Gemini features that access your emails, Drive files and Chat messages for privacy.

Google warns Android users about dangerous fake VPN apps hiding malware that steals passwords, banking details and personal data from phones and tablets.

Apple's digital passport feature lets iPhone users breeze through TSA checkpoints this holiday season using Digital ID technology at 250+ airports.

A new phishing scam targets family photos with fake "Cloud Storage Full" alerts. Criminals steal credit card information through fake sites. Learn protection tips.

South Korean scientists create ultra-thin fabric muscles that turn clothes into robotic assistants, lifting 33 pounds while weighing under half an ounce.

Archer Aviation has acquired Hawthorne Airport for $126M to launch an LA air taxi network ahead of the 2028 Olympics, featuring AI-powered eVTOL operations and next-gen aviation tech.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Fake AI apps disguised as "ChatGPT" and "DALL·E" are flooding app stores with dangerous malware that steals data and monitors users without detection.

Fake buyers demand specific vehicle reports from unknown sites to steal credit card information from car sellers, but warning signs can help identify these scams before paying.

Android users can now manage apps across multiple devices more easily with Google Play Store's updated remote uninstall button in the latest update.

NASA's Perseverance rover discovers shiny metallic rock on Mars that could be a meteorite from an ancient asteroid, containing high levels of iron and nickel.

Holiday scams spike during Black Friday and Cyber Monday as criminals exploit your leaked personal data. Learn how to protect yourself from fake stores and phishing.

Commerce Department proposes TP-Link router ban over Chinese security risks. Learn how this potential prohibition could affect your home network and devices.

Hyundai AutoEver America suffered a data breach affecting 2,000 current and former employees, exposing names, Social Security numbers and driver's license information.

Seven Important Lessons for Experts Who Want to Get Published

Writing