Getting Published with No Financial Compensation: NO PROBLEM!
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"In writing, some things are worth more than money…"
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One year ago almost to the day, I sent a poem of mine to The Literary Review: http://theliteraryreview.org/. It’s a literary periodical which has been published continuously since 1957 and has featured the works of 22 winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature. How much do they pay contributors? They don’t. All you get if you defy the astronomical odds and get published in their pages is two complimentary copies of the issue in which you appear. Did the no-pay condition dissuade me from submitting my poem "Self-Esteem by-Proxy: On how Your Downfall Quells my Angst?" Not in the least! I learned quite some time ago that not being paid for a published piece does not mean not benefiting. There are other rewards which are worth their weight in gold! So I sent the piece by email and waited. And waited. Months and months. Almost half-a-year in fact. I’m telling you you’ve gotta have patience; they receive a lot of submissions and it takes time!
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As of late, I have read quite a few online articles and blog comments from writers who feel that if they will not be financially compensated for their work by a particular publication, they will not submit. Some, in their comments, have actually expressed anger and indignation that their work should go "unrewarded." I think and feel otherwise, quite adamantly in fact. Why? Because I have learned that the rewards for being published "for free" can oftentimes supersede the hundred or two-hundred dollar fee which a poem or piece of short fiction might otherwise bring. As a professional writer I have found, quite happily, that being published in print also means having the work displayed online. It means appearing in search-engines. It means appearing on Google. It means that people have easy access to your work. And it means that prospective clients find their way to your door after reading your work. This has been the case with my own personal experience.
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I waited and waited to hear back from The Literary Review editor with no expectations other than the rejection letter I was sure I would receive. It was not so long ago, after all, that I decided to expand my writing repertoire to include poetry. In this particular genre I considered myself an inexperienced, unqualified novice. When I received the email from TLR on March 7, 2009 I did not hesitate to open it for I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it would begin, "Dear Mr. Maisel, although we have decided not to publish this piece we thank you for…" I almost fell out of my chair when it began "Dear Yonatan Maisel, We are pleased to accept for publication your poem "Self-Esteem…"
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Now I know full well that I’m not in the same league as the Nobel-winners who have appeared in TLR, I will almost certainly never make a living as a literary writer, it was probably a once-in-a-lifetime event, but sometimes you send a piece in and an editor likes it. The poem in question, in addition to being accepted by TLR, was rejected by over 100 other publishers.
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After an agonizing wait of nine months, yesterday the TLR website updated to the current issue in which my poem will appear. The issue, Therapy!, is now out on newsstands. I know that it will be a while longer before the issue itself will appear online for mass-viewership, but until then, I will be pleased to send the link to friends and family which only shows my name as a contributor: http://theliteraryreview.org/current.html. It’s enough for now.
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I have written before in this very business-blog that some things are more valuable than money. I believe that this principle transcends the writing profession and can apply to almost any field of endeavor. When any type of unpaid work results in paying clients, the value which can be ascribed to the work is beyond measure.
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To all who hesitate to send out work to prospective publishers because you will not be compensated financially, I ask you to reconsider. In my two years of literary writing, although I have been published in several highly-respected venues, the grand-total of my earnings has yet to exceed $700. But I keep in mind, as should you, several important facts. Every piece which is published will be a potential magnet for new clients. Every published piece can be added to your portfolio. Every published piece can be added to your next query or submission cover-letter. And every piece can and should be a source of intense pride.
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Some things, as I mentioned, are worth more than money.
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For those interested in submitting to The Literary Review, you can use the following link to submit via their online Submission Manager:
http://theliteraryreview.org/submit.html
"Thank You" to Minna Proctor, Editor-in-Chief of The Literary Review for graciously extending the invitation for me to appear in the pages of TLR!
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My name is Yonatan Maisel. I am a professional writer, business-blogger and author.
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Dear Reader,
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If you enjoyed this article, I cordially invite you to partake of another! My most recent article presents some advice I have found useful in turning business articles and blog postings into new clients and income! To read the article "4 Keys to Closing a Business Article and Getting the Client!" click the following link:
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Ann and Yonatan,
Thank you so much for both of your responses and your valued and valuable feedback! Wishing you both all the best with your writing, your careers and a Happy Hanukkah!
Yonatan
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