Writer’s Block Or Submission Block? Play to win the Publishing Game

We came. We pitched. Did we send?

Writer’s conferences are well-planned days of speakers, workshops, and opportunities. After pitching themselves and their beloved projects, many writers leave their meetings with agents, editors, and publishers, clutching close a business card and those much sought after words, “Send that to me. I’d like to take a look at it.”

Perhaps you submitted a query or proposal and received the coveted invitation to submit your manuscript.

Editors report that they often never see the projects they invite writers to send. 

There are two types of writers. Those that submit for publication and those that don’t. In the writing industry, the difference between players and spectators is frequently determined by who takes the next step. 

While the unpublished group may claim writers’ block, professional writers are adamant that writers block is as mythical as Nessy the Loch Ness Monster. 

“A professional writer doesn’t wait for inspiration anymore than a professional plumber waits for inspiration to lay a pipe.”

John Erickson

After spending his first forty years as a Texas cowboy, John Erickson is the author of 60 some Hank the Cowdog books. “A professional plumber knows some principles like you don’t lay a pipe uphill or in frozen ground but he lays that pipe. Professional writers write. I write four hours a day seven days a week because I’m fanatical about that because that’s what I do.”

Batter Up

Are your projects stuffed in a drawer, or stored on computer files? Submission block is like a batter that refuses to swing. Opportunities wing past. 

What are you afraid of? Rejection? Success? Both? Taking action that will change the status quo of your life? Is the dream of one day being a published author greater than your courage to go after it?

Even a rejection proves you are in the game. A participant rather than a spectator. A “no, thank you,” is not calling your baby ugly. It is a step closer to connecting with the agent or publisher that shares your passion for the project. It is valuable feedback. Behind a “no” is generally three plays. 

• The piece does not fit with the purpose of the publisher. For instance, a publisher of non-fiction books is not interested in novels. 
• There are similar projects already available or in process. 
• The writing needs improvement.

A homerun response is an enthusiastic yes followed by that favorite call, “Check enclosed.” 

Get in the Game

If submission block is keeping you out of the publishing game, here are moves to get you playing:

• Accountability. Tell someone you will submit on or before a specific date. 
• Submit your best work knowing it may not be perfect. 
• Approach an editor as an eager team player. Be coachable.
• Like athletes, writers improve with practice. Every time you submit, you take a swing at the ball. 

Betcha’ a cold ballpark hot dog and warm soda that your publishing home run average improves when you submit your work. 

PeggySue Wells is the bestselling author of 29 books including Slavery in the Land of the Free, The Girl Who Wore Freedom, Chasing Sunrise, and Homeless for the Holidays. Connect with her at PeggySueWells.com