I'm gonna be published!
The Editor of NEW MOBILITY, “The Magazine for Active Wheelchair Users,” called me yesterday. He said my submittal, “Our Most Frustrating Day,” is very well written and they’d like to publish it.
“Yes!” I fairly shouted, pumping my fist.
Some of you have already read the piece (though at times I’ve entitled the same piece, “Outroll, Outmaneuver,” or “Midnight Awakening”). When I submitted it to NM, the “hook” I used was: “Two months of recovery from a car accident, two months of rehab for his T4-complete spinal cord injury. My husband and I were prepared for life outside the hospital - until that day he rolled and I stepped outside the hospital, and everything that could go wrong seemed to.” Those of you who read my blog during spring and summer '06 may recognize that the piece is based on the day Gary was discharged from rehab at Shepherd Center.
The Editor told me they’ve never before published anything like my piece! He also told me they’ve never before published anything as LONG and detailed as my piece. The Managing Editor told me that the women in the office read the piece first, and they were all going around saying, “Oh, man, it’s long, but we want to run it anyway!” She said she believed the piece would save a few marriages. (!)
I had suspected that the piece was going to be too long (5500 words– about 20 paperback pages). I said in my submission letter that I was willing to make any changes they suggested. The Editor took it upon himself to cut down the piece (no doubt eliminating the remarks that would’ve gotten them sued by Gary’s doctor for defamation of character :-D). The Editor said it’ll probably run between 3000 and 3500 words; he said he’d send it to me for my final approval. I’m sure it’ll be fine. He also apologized for paying only 15 cents per word. I was sitting there thinking, heck, I’d do it for free! Heck, I would’ve paid YOU! Heck, I’m just thrilled to be being published!
The piece will be published in the upcoming February issue, NM’s annual “Sex, Wheels, and Relationships” issue. In addition to their usual features, there will be two articles, one focusing on sex, the other (mine) on relationships. Or as the Editor put it, "Your article will speak to the heart, the other article will speak to other organs." (Bet I know which article y’all are going to be running out to read.) Both editors said very nice things about the quality of the writing (yea!). They said the story captures an important heartfelt moment, not only in the lives of Gary and me, but in the lives of many of their readers. They appreciated the honesty and vulnerability of the piece, and thought the story was healing.
(The Managing Editor spoke to Gary for a few minutes, regarding the photo they want. She told Gary that as a result of my story, she feels like she knows him. Gary says to me afterwards, "Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of. I’m a shy guy, and you’re revealing all these things about me." I told him that was the price of celebrity ;-)).
Well, I hope you don’t feel this is one of those letters like you get from Aunt Agatha at Christmas – full of bragging you don’t want to read about ;-). But I’m so thrilled to be being published, I couldn’t contain myself. Hopefully this will be the start of a trend (my being published, I mean, not your receiving missives of every last detail of such occurrences ;-)).
Happy Holidays!
The Editor of NEW MOBILITY, “The Magazine for Active Wheelchair Users,” called me yesterday. He said my submittal, “Our Most Frustrating Day,” is very well written and they’d like to publish it.
“Yes!” I fairly shouted, pumping my fist.
Some of you have already read the piece (though at times I’ve entitled the same piece, “Outroll, Outmaneuver,” or “Midnight Awakening”). When I submitted it to NM, the “hook” I used was: “Two months of recovery from a car accident, two months of rehab for his T4-complete spinal cord injury. My husband and I were prepared for life outside the hospital - until that day he rolled and I stepped outside the hospital, and everything that could go wrong seemed to.” Those of you who read my blog during spring and summer '06 may recognize that the piece is based on the day Gary was discharged from rehab at Shepherd Center.
The Editor told me they’ve never before published anything like my piece! He also told me they’ve never before published anything as LONG and detailed as my piece. The Managing Editor told me that the women in the office read the piece first, and they were all going around saying, “Oh, man, it’s long, but we want to run it anyway!” She said she believed the piece would save a few marriages. (!)
I had suspected that the piece was going to be too long (5500 words– about 20 paperback pages). I said in my submission letter that I was willing to make any changes they suggested. The Editor took it upon himself to cut down the piece (no doubt eliminating the remarks that would’ve gotten them sued by Gary’s doctor for defamation of character :-D). The Editor said it’ll probably run between 3000 and 3500 words; he said he’d send it to me for my final approval. I’m sure it’ll be fine. He also apologized for paying only 15 cents per word. I was sitting there thinking, heck, I’d do it for free! Heck, I would’ve paid YOU! Heck, I’m just thrilled to be being published!
The piece will be published in the upcoming February issue, NM’s annual “Sex, Wheels, and Relationships” issue. In addition to their usual features, there will be two articles, one focusing on sex, the other (mine) on relationships. Or as the Editor put it, "Your article will speak to the heart, the other article will speak to other organs." (Bet I know which article y’all are going to be running out to read.) Both editors said very nice things about the quality of the writing (yea!). They said the story captures an important heartfelt moment, not only in the lives of Gary and me, but in the lives of many of their readers. They appreciated the honesty and vulnerability of the piece, and thought the story was healing.
(The Managing Editor spoke to Gary for a few minutes, regarding the photo they want. She told Gary that as a result of my story, she feels like she knows him. Gary says to me afterwards, "Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of. I’m a shy guy, and you’re revealing all these things about me." I told him that was the price of celebrity ;-)).
Well, I hope you don’t feel this is one of those letters like you get from Aunt Agatha at Christmas – full of bragging you don’t want to read about ;-). But I’m so thrilled to be being published, I couldn’t contain myself. Hopefully this will be the start of a trend (my being published, I mean, not your receiving missives of every last detail of such occurrences ;-)).
Happy Holidays!
Labels: writing
posted by Peg Daniels at 5:27 PM
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