Thursday, July 23, 2009

A Published Author!

The magazine came in the mail. I took it in and tore open the envelope. I flipped through the pages as quickly as my overly excited fingers would allow. Finally, having found the article I was so eagerly looking for, I read the familiar words with an overwhelming sense of déjà vu.
You see, I wrote it. I remembered reading those words before. I remembered reading them over and over, at least ten times before I pressed the send button. And then there was no turning back. Someone had suggested that I write an article on a particular topic in a particular publication. First, I reacted with skepticism. Me?
But I approached it the way I approach most things in life. If other people can do it, so can I. And so, just as I fought myself how to play a flute, bake hamentashen, write meta tags, and analyze handwriting, I decided to write that article. All over the world there are millions of people who write articles, and I would be one of them.
And I wrote...and wrote...and wrote.
And then I read...and read...and read.
And when I was confident that it was the best I could do, I clicked send.
It was a while later that I heard back from them, but the answer was positive.
Another agonizing wait...and I became, for the first time in my adult life, a published author.
The feeling is exhilarating. As small and unknown is this paper is, there ARE people out there who are reading what I wrote. It's given me a boost. I want to continue writing. I want to experience this again The marvelous feeling of looking at the work of the graphic designer and deciding if it compliments my writing. The utter exhiliration of knowing some inside bit of information, of reading an article and knowing what its going to say.
Has anyone else had their writing published? Does anyone else know this feeling?

21 comments:

G6 said...

Author... author!!!

inkstainedhands said...

Good for you!!! That's great! :] And you should definitely go for it again and again and again, because you see yourself that you can do it. Which magazine was this in? I'd love to check it out.

And yes, I know the feeling. I've been published a few times, but for some reason, I never actually read my published stories. I just flip open to the page, look at the title and my name in print, and that's it. I don't like reading my own writing once it's published.

humph said...

i definitely DON'T know the feeling but, coool!!!! what paper i wanna read it!

Dude with hat (aka BTS) said...

Soo what's the magazine?

Ink Stained Hands publishes from time to time.

itsagift said...

Wow - good for you! :)
We had a contest in elementary school and one of my writings went into a big "book" (looked kind of like a yearbook once it was published) with the best writings from many different schools...it was exciting!

nmf #7 said...

Wow, congrats! Do we get to read the article?
Keep it coming!

thinking out loud said...

wow that must be a really good feeling!!!!
can we please know which paper it's in?

Ezzie said...

Congratulations!! :D

Definitely an amazing feeling. My first time in somewhere "big", I didn't even send it to be published, but to let the editor see it. He wrote back that I should clean it up (one part had become outdated) a couple weeks later so he could put it somewhere, and I did so; I thought he meant in a daily blog-like piece he does. Only after I sent it did I reread it and see what he wrote, so I asked what he meant; rather than reply, he sent me back the link to the article itself (online version), and there was my name at the top. Quite a thrill.

Inspired said...

Wow! Congrats! How accomplishing!

Would you mind filling me in with the details?

Bas~Melech said...

Done :-)

It was seriously thrilling. Didn't pay much but it was one of the sweetest checks I've ever held; like a personal pat on the back -- not like doing some job anyone can do, but we like YOUR writing.

I'm with ink - I look once to make sure it's all there (and l-rd help the editor who lets a typo into my piece) and then I don't really look again; it gets me very self-conscious.

Mushkie said...

Wow, great! I've had that once before, it was actually a re-do of one of my school assignments that turned out pretty nice. What was it about? (Btw i also play flute)

Anonymous said...

I've had about 5-6 things published, probably in the same nondescript mag, all while I was in high school. Haven't sent anything in the past ten years. Maybe I should.
And yes, it's the coolest feeling in the world!
Congrats!

halfshared said...

Had a few things published but I didn't even see some of them in print.
It's a great feeling seeing my name on the page (albeit a pen name). I also never reread the article once it's published.

Something Different said...

G6- You just reminded me of a song I did not want to think of... :-(
I forgive you though...from one perfectionist to another...

ISH- I saw that you've published stuff. Good for you! :-)Thanks for the compliments!

Humph- you don't?? Your english is really good....for someone...[seals mouth in order to not lose a friend]

BTS- :-)

IAG- Cool! Good for you!

NMF- I'll try. :-)

TOL- It sure is!

Ezzie- And just where was that? :-P

Insp- Yeah it really was!

B~M- Yeah, I can imagine....

Mushkie- Wow, that's conveniant!

Anon- I doubt it was the same one, but good for you! Why don't you at least start a blog?

HS- That's frustrating! But good for you!


And to all those who asked...Sorry, I really don't want to say where it was. Do you think I left it out of the post by mistake? ;-)

BigChamor21 said...

Darling, we need to discuss this post....

harry-er than them all said...

congratulations!

Staying Afloat said...

Mazal Tov. May it be just the beginning.

Something Different said...

BC21- Do we? Or do we need to discuss folding laundry? ;-)

HTTA- Thanks. :-)

SA- Amein! I really hope so...

Dude with hat (aka BTS) said...

I just thought that after this amount of comments and requests to tell us were we can read it may have changed your mind... At least you can email this information to us if you don't want to disclose it to the rest of the world who didn't comment here....

Something Different said...

BTS- this is one post where I honestly wasn't looking for comments and compliments. I simply wanted to record the amazing way I felt when I saw my article in print. Sorry, but I can't say. IyH there will be other articles that will be published, and I will happily share them with you. Unfortunately, this isn't one I want to share.

Dude with hat (aka BTS) said...

I wonder why - because of topic, because it's first, because it's your real name there or because of magazine itself?
Keep in mind if something gets me i don't stop until i find it. :) Sort of....