Posting Chapters

I struggled with how I wanted to write this post. My original idea fell through but the basic one is too wonderful to pass up.

There are many different websites out there that a person can sign up and post their work for the world to read and remark on. Some use blogs like this one to post their work chapter by chapters. Often times keeping their audience more on edge than the most prolific author because with a book published author the reader have the finished book in their hand and not only one chapter. Such is the case of one blog that I have been following. Crystal Collier has been posting her book for weeks now keeping a steady pace every Tuesday with the occasional spontaneous post sometime else during the week.

I, myself, have posted my poetry on FictionPress.com for a few years now to be answered with good reviews. If you wish to take a look here is my profile page. If you do read something leave a message. I love the reviews.

Yet another idea came to me as a make up for the fallen through idea. I thought I would post a poem of mine that I have come to love and I won an award for. And just to let my readers know, this poem inspired the name of my blog!

Black Ink

The scratchy sound of pen against paper, the white-tipped feather quill balanced precariously on my ink-darkened fingers. The bottle of black ink sat next to the only lit candle. The light was warm, chasing away the eerie lonely night. The handmade paper crinkled under my hand as I turned the page. The sharp scent of the liquid wafted to my nose in contrast to the musty smell of the paper. I dipped the pen in the bottle and set the tip to the page, writing whatever came to mind. The ink ran dry and I once again immersed the pen in the dark fluid. The candlelight flickered as the flame fell low, the drying wax meeting at the bottom of the holder, before going out. The nib still gathering ink, pen still in hand. The unfinished words lost to the night.

Rejection Hurts

I have received more rejections than I have acceptances. It is just how the business goes. Some of the nicest rejections I have gotten are those that offer advice along with the apology that they couldn't use your material.

My first rejection was devastating. I didn't understand why the editors didn't like my work when I put so much time and energy into the project that I devoted whole days to writing. But as time went on and I talked to my writing professors, I realized that the rejections helped my writing rather than hindered.

I was more determined than ever to get my work out there.

Just recently I sent some of my poems out to literary journals that I hoped would take my work. I received the first rejection the next day. It didn't even sting. The second didn't come until months later to the point that I had forgotten to even check if I had the email. That rejection didn't hurt either because it listed those that would be in that month's publication.

Even though these journals didn't want my work, I know that some publication will.

As far as for novels and books of the like I haven't finished mine to send out to anyone. Yet, anyway.

Remember, rejection hurts, but every rejection letter you receive only makes that acceptance all the sweeter.

Publishers and You

I am a college senior looking forward to that day when I can walk the stage and receive that diploma, but at the same time I am wondering what I am going to do with the degree(s) that I worked so hard to achieve.

As I said in my profile I am a student of the written word in all of its forms. I am a writer at heart and on paper and it is what I want to do with my life, but what can a person really do? This is my quest to find the job of my dreams (or the one that will get me to the job of my dreams) and help those who are looking for a place for their beloved poem, short story, memoir, or whatever kind of writing you do.

On a quick search, one can find mountains of places to send work and the many publishing companies out there.

Here are a few well known ones:

Random House

HarperCollins

Bloomsbury

While these sites focus on what books they have published, it is still a resource to know what kind they take. It is always good to know what is out there. These sites also link to what positions are available at the company.

But if a person only looks here they forget the mountains of other places that they could look: literary journals.

There is one site that I have found to be useful and have used:

Poets & Writers

On this website they have a listing of those journals that are looking for work to fill their pages.

Literary Magazines

While the journals ultimately rejected my work it was a great exercise to know what was out there and to start to understand what publishers want from submitted work.

But besides actual publishing companies, I will explore other ways to publish work. Through posting stories on a blog or through other websites.

Overall, this post was mostly to get started and to let my readers know what I want to accomplish, but my ultimate goal with this blog is to understand what I am getting myself into.