Home
Log in / Sign Up
    Private Messages   Advanced Search   Rules   New User Guide   FAQ   Advertise   Contact Us  
Forum -> Working Women
All the articles I send to publications are rejected



Post new topic   Reply to topic View latest: 24h 48h 72h

amother


 

Post Sun, Jun 17 2007, 9:04 pm
Crying Crying Crying Help What Pale Pale Silent

I try so hard to write good articles, and nobody ever ever takes them.
I feel like crying.
am I really such a loser?
we really need parnassah
I feel like this incredible burden getting heavier by the day
I try and try to make my hishtadlus but it doesn't work.
I thought it would be easy to do this but it's not.
Back to top

miri123




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jun 17 2007, 9:09 pm
I'm sorry to hear that amother, I wish you all the best and ALL the articles that you write or have written be accepted right away!
Back to top

Iluvmykids




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jun 17 2007, 9:10 pm
Don't give up and keep trying, It took Dr.Suess hundreds of rejections before he got printed.
Back to top

mushmom




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jun 17 2007, 9:39 pm
OP- I am a writer. I work for a company so I dont go through what you do but I do have something of an editor's eye and would be happy to go over your pieces if you'd like. you can pm me
Back to top

chocolate moose




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jun 17 2007, 9:43 pm
OP, perhaps you should look for work in addition to your writing?
Back to top

ILOVELIFE




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jun 17 2007, 9:45 pm
I suffered many rejections and still do. (((((Hugs)))))))).

I did learn one thing from a good friend who is an incredible writer, that in the Jewish world, in general unless you have a steady writing job, it's simply not a parnassa. Getting 100 for a story once a week is NOT a parnassa.
Back to top

mimivan




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jun 17 2007, 9:51 pm
amother wrote:
Crying Crying Crying Help What Pale Pale Silent

I try so hard to write good articles, and nobody ever ever takes them.
I feel like crying.
am I really such a loser?
we really need parnassah
I feel like this incredible burden getting heavier by the day
I try and try to make my hishtadlus but it doesn't work.
I thought it would be easy to do this but it's not.


I am sorry to hear what you are going throug...I was very sad when a certain publication consistently turned down my articles...then I realized that, as much as I loved reading that magazine, I just wasnt' mean to be a contributor, and b'h found something better. Just believe you will find your niche! Very Happy

What is useful to consider is, first of all, be honest with yourself--are you doing this as a creative outlet or for parnassa. I am just saying this to ease some pressure. I also had a lot of parnassa pressure (didn't want to do a job I hated, wanted to be at home with the kids, dh wanted me to write if it brought parnassa, because time is scarce etc..) and still have.

Ultimately, I decided I had to cast my net wider, and publishing a very inspired piece on a Jewish website or magazine, while fulfilling, was not going to pay the bills. I do write for Jewish publications, but it is not the mainstay of my parnassa (now I work for a company which b'h is stable). I think you should seperate out what writing is for inspiration and what is going to relieve some financial pressure.

An article I worked very hard on was published in my favorite Jewish magazine and what did I get paid? $0.0...b'h that was great, but I gave up expecting money from certain writing projects, and the pressure to "get published" lessened, so I began to relax and enjoy these projects and not take rejection so hard.

for finding parnassdiche jobs...try www.writersrow.com, Wahm.com and Craigslist.
Back to top

downsyndrome




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jun 17 2007, 9:51 pm
OP, having your articles rejected is not a reflection of your being a loser. It may just indicate that writing is not your greatest strength and perhaps you should move on to some other areas of strength. Please don't berate yourself; not getting articles approved does not make one a loser. C'mon, pick your chin up and you will be the greatest winner of all!!!
Back to top

amother


 

Post Sun, Jun 17 2007, 10:17 pm
DH has been trying ot get published for 5 years now and he keeps getting rejected, now he's turned to magazines and still keeps getting rejected, it pushes him to do even better....
if u can stand it keep going, keep submitting and iyh eventually I'm sure something will come form it
hatzlacha raba
Back to top

btMOMtoFFBs




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Jun 18 2007, 6:27 am
I am also a writer and have also suffered rejections. This is just part of being a writer. I totally agree with ILOVELIFE and mimi. Writng for mags is a fun outlet but more like a hobby. Certainly not parnassah unless you are employed.

One tip is to get in touch with editors at a few mags and see if there an assignment available for you. Writing a stam piece and hoping its a match with a magazine it like throwing darts - sometimes you'll hit and sometimes you'll miss.

I got some good information about approaching editors at different mags at www.Jewishwriting.com.
Back to top

spinkles




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Jun 18 2007, 8:01 am
I agree with what other posters have said; this is not a parnassah if you limit yourself to the frum magazines. Why not try non-frum newspapers/magazines? There are many small local Jewish papers which are interested in Jewish content as long as it is not too overtly "Orthodox." Try looking on www.ajpa.org for contact info and names of different papers. I have found it is sometimes easier to work with non-frum publishers--quicker response times, more professional attitude--although of course there are many exceptions. You could also try some of the small local parenting mags--they are always looking for quick practical articles on parenting. Humor is always marketable, too--if you are able to write "top ten" lists and parodies, etc., you might try that. I also agree with what another poster said, about how just submitting things to a magazine is not likely to work well--as she said, try speaking with an editor first, & have in mind some topics you could cover before you speak with her.

Hatzlacha rabba! It's totally normal to have pieces rejected all the time, so don't take it personally. It's not necessarily an indication of how good a writer you are--more to do with editorial calendars and whether a certain topic has already been covered ad nauseum.
Back to top

spinkles




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Jun 18 2007, 8:09 am
I just wanted to clarify--working with little non-frum papers is not going to be a decent parnassah if you do the occasional article here and there. But if you are able to churn out a lot of pieces quickly for a lot of different little publications, it can add up and be a nice supplement to your or your husband's regular salary. But once you have a number of good clips to show bigger papers, you can make more $. Look at the smaller places as stepping stones. It may take a few years, but yes it is possible to do this and make a normal (albeit not *amazing*) parnassah.
Back to top

greenfire




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Jun 18 2007, 8:41 am
if this is what you want to do ... I wouldn't give up ... change perhaps some things to create a better article ... get help from someone in the field for the know-how ... yagati u'matzasi taamin!!!

"difficult = that which is hard
impossible = that which take a little longer"
Back to top

amother


 

Post Mon, Jun 18 2007, 2:45 pm
Thank you all for your kind, helpful words. I feel so much better. And I think I will follow the good tips you have given me. Thank you so, so much. Flower
Back to top
Page 1 of 1 Recent Topics




Post new topic   Reply to topic    Forum -> Working Women

Related Topics Replies Last Post
Need a place to send mishloach manos asap
by amother
4 Mon, Mar 25 2024, 7:31 pm View last post
[ Poll ] Is it ok to send mm to teacher after purim? 17 Thu, Mar 21 2024, 9:03 am View last post
by zaq
Beware what babysitter you send to!
by amother
98 Wed, Mar 20 2024, 10:14 pm View last post
Mishloach Manos to send in Baltimore?
by amother
6 Fri, Mar 15 2024, 3:21 pm View last post
What to send with baked ziti?
by amother
11 Tue, Mar 12 2024, 12:00 am View last post