As 2021, another year of pandemic rumblings rolls towards its exorable end, perhaps it's time for some good news. So let's forget pandemics, Boris's Christmas parties, and rising inflation for a while and wallow in some good news.
My writing goals from late 2019 have long taken a back seat.
The pandemic of 2020 knocked back my writing targets, and 2021 has been little
better; however, I have managed to get a few projects completed, and with some
success too!
Not wishing to tease you any further, I can announce that a
feature I have written will be published in the January 2022 edition of Devon Life Magazine. I was
thrilled to receive an email from the editor on Thursday morning telling me
that my piece was being used and was on its way to the press.
My working title for the piece 'The Trafalgar Way through East Devon' may change in the final edit. It
was initially part of my writing course assignment. It was 1200 words and received positive
reviews from my tutor. The first part of the assignment was to create an
outline of the intended article. The outline is for the initial pitch towards
potential editors. The intention is that when you have an idea for an article,
you use the outline to create a pitch letter and don't write the full feature
until commissioned by an editor. However, this being an assignment, I had
everything ready to go.
In May, I pitched the idea to the Devon Life editor Andy Cooper. I was pleased to receive back, almost straight away, an email asking if I could work the piece up to the ideal features briefing notes and, with a copy date in July, it would be in the August edition. It wasn't easy getting an article of 1200 words down to 700 words with two 120 word breakout/information boxes; however, I got it done, and the copy was submitted a day earlier than requested.
August, September and November came and went with no news or
sign of the printed article.
I lost heart in the article; it had been so long without any news. I began to think that it wasn't good enough. It was disheartening, and it hit my writing output hard.
And then the email arrived; I must admit, my heart missed a beat. I was working. The rest of the team wondered why I was jumping up and down. I am known for jumping up and down, but not always in jubilation!
But have faith. Writing is a waiting game. It doesn't always
have immediate successes.
So (yes, I know that's a cliché) here I am at the end of 2021
and, I can finally call myself a professional freelance writer. That's been a
dream. It's still a dream. It's not
going to make me a millionaire, well, not just yet. For those in the know, it's a bit more than a
CAT 4, but not life-changing at the moment. It seems strange invoicing someone
as a freelance writer.
I now know what is required, how to go about it and realise
that I need patience. The editor did apologise, 'Sorry for the delay
in using it - we have been under unprecedented pressure on space due to the
economic impact of the pandemic.'
If you don't already read Devon Life, please treat yourself to this issue or maybe subscribe to the Readly app, and you can read it monthly for the cost of a subscription.
Here's to a fantastic
2022, but not before an equally remarkable 2021 Christmas. I promise there is more writing to come in
2022!
