January 4, 2009
Loss & Gain
Happy New year to Bloggers and anyone else who might stumble onto my blog messages. This morning I was forced to revisit an organizational plan for sending manuscripts that I launched last January (2008). During recent knee surgery and reequired (boring!!) exercises, I failed to consult this plan, thinking I remembered everything I needed to remember from the past year (HA! HA!)
The plan that I set forth on in Jan. 08 was to use a calendar f with spaces large enough to actually write notes in. I briefly listed any title sent out that day and to which publication it went. I was diligent in keeping this up, but not diligent in checking it until I received a notice from the on-line WOW (Women on Writing) organization, (connected with Skirt Magazne) this morning. The editors said that the essay I submitted was in the top 35 for prize consideration. Though this does not make me jump for joy, it is better than an out-and-out rejection.
What I could not recall was the title of the essay I'd submitted. Totally forgotten. However, then I remembered my diligent calendar entries, took out that blessed calendar, and scanned the months to learn what title I had sent and when. FOUND! on Nov. 28. However, the title I gave the entry could not be found in the list of several hundred titles in my computer listing of "Manuscripts." The date of entry was clear. By reversing my listings to show them by submission date, rather than alphabetically by title (my normal way of listing), I was able to find that Ms in my file and pertinent e-spondence with it.
I've preached KEEP ACCURATE RECORDS over and over to my workshop members and,as my early new year activity today, I've recorded on the 2009 calendar all the titles from 2008 that I have not yet heard from. And I'm adding in the alternate titles, as sometimes, in a flurry of creative enthusiasm, I change a title at the last minute before submitting .iszvvyt. Now all titles, old and new, are a part of the 2009 calendar.
Have a "calendar-sharp" writing year in 2009. –Willma
1 Comment on Loss & Gain »
January 11, 2009
S. Kay Murphy @ 9:10 am:
I'm not completely comfortable with computer software programs, but on a teacher inservice day I learned how to shove things into a database. (A database program, I happily learned, comes standard with the Microsoft suite of office software; if you have MSWord, you probably have the database as well.) When I went to work trying to sell my book, Tainted Legacy, I created a database to keep track of when and to whom I sent it. Worked better than my old method of writing on the inside of the manilla file folder where I kept the manuscript…. Now I use the database method with all my finished work. It only takes a moment to type in "rejected" or "SOLD!" And the database automatically alphabetizes….