I sit at a desk 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. I stare at a computer screen. My hand guides the mouse, becoming cramped from being in one position for so long. My eyes are skimming over words, lots of words. And the bright fluorescent lighting with the glare from the computer screen hurts my eyes, causing me to squint often. I read hundreds of manuscripts. Or what feels like hundreds, anyway. Chapter after chapter. Looking over documents that contain research that I hardly understand.
All that you can hear in the building is the clicking of computer mice and the clacking of keyboards. An occasional cough or a sneeze. A phone ringing.
We’re Communications majors, English majors or journalism majors. Most of us aspire to become writers, or are already writing desperately and looking to get published. We don’t do math, we’re not scientists or historians. We enjoy discussing the latest book or television show. And we sit all day long helping others achieve what we wish that we could all achieve—become published.
I’m new to the publishing business. But I’ve been writing for a good part of my life. When I read over manuscripts, I sometimes wonder, “How is this person getting published?” I see lots of grammatical errors, poor sentence structure, and wording that just doesn’t flow. Perhaps it sounds as though I’m jealous or prideful. Maybe I am a little. Yet, some people just don’t seem to have the gift for writing fluently or clearly—or with the ability to hold an audience’s interest. But, I sit and stare—reading, checking for mistakes and correcting them. Everyday, I help authors with their endless questions and somehow have to make time for the work that I’m supposed to get done for the day.
It may sound as though I’m implying that there is nothing good about being in the publishing business. After all, isn’t it true that those who can’t be published become publishers? While it isn’t where I would wish to stay forever, I believe that it’s a beneficial experience for me as a writer. And my reasoning is probably obvious—I’m learning what publishers are looking for. It helps me to see the other side of things. As an editor myself, I can see where authors lack and where they excel. I hear in our meetings all of the things that publishers hate that authors do or don’t do.
Of course, I don’t believe that all writers looking to become published should become publishers themselves—although it would mean a guaranteed contract! If you are determined to become published, the most important thing to do is not to give up! You most likely will be rejected many times. But the key is to keep going. Write what you know. If you are writing for a particular audience, make sure that you do your research and know to whom you are writing. Write with purpose. Write with all of your heart. You never know how far you’ll get!
