HemperFi,
As a former English teacher, perhaps you aspire to write commercially. It's nothing like I expected when I started this project.
At 62 (wish I could retire now but Medicare doesn't kick in until 65, maybe 66, and I have skin cancer, so I need insurance), you have time. I followed "instructions" by the "Gods in Cyberspace" (reference to my first short story in "Wingspan Quarterly."
The writing experts usually want to suck novices into intensive and costly training programs. It's your choice, of course, but if you want to get published, I didn't find any reliable outcome data that these programs were helpful. They seemed more social -- members with a common interest shooting the sh...
I didn't pay any money to be trained in the literary marketplace. Nevertheless, as the sites recommended by the experts, three short stories were published in print magazines before I submitted queries to Houses that published books. I first established a small "name." "Traditional" experts seemed to have a bias against e-magazines and discounted publication in these. Therefore, I stayed away from submitting to e-magazines, although one of my stories was reprinted with permission in one.
Next, I learned that one earns no respect by self-publishing. Amazon and other companies have started self-publishing companies. Since it takes at least several months to get a reply from a traditional House, self-publishing can be tempting -- they can charge you a lot of money depending on the "option" that you choose. If you have, or develop, an interest in writing, my recommendation is to stay away from self-publishing. It is the kiss of death if you ever want anything that you write to receive future serious consideration outside self-publishing. However, after you are established (and I've got a long way to go before getting there) on-line articles, commentary, etc., can be profitable and meaningful.
The next step recommended by the "experts" was independent professional editing. My first and only novel so far (a sequel is almost finished if I can get this novel to fruition) was edited twice. The first edit was by the Director of Acquisitions for the University of Michigan. She sent me back a ton of paper with symbols in the margins and between lines that I had to learn how to read by looking them up on the internet. I didn't pay a cent. For personal reasons, she closed down her aspired publication company and I thought that I was almost at the beginning of queries again.
Fortunately, in case you are interested in writing and have not exited to a more exciting post, as also recommended by the "experts" I had joined a group of aspiring writers. These are dangerous groups. First, most members are there to promote their own interests, but this particular group seemed different for reasons that I can't explain. Do not publish your work in draft for critique through one of these groups. Once published, nobody else that counts will touch it, even if the publication was for the purpose of soliciting input from colleagues. Only send in stuff for fun, not something that you have serious hopes for. Anyway, this particular group had a contact with a publisher that was, as it turned out, a perfect fit for me and my interests in fiction. This company, in Leeds, England, had another editor, but the job was easier this time since it was the second professional edit -- less work for me, and I had only a few anxiety attacks.
Next was professional reviews. These seem to mean less now than before cyberspace. Ebooks use a lot of reader reviews after the novel is written, bought and read. But, still following instructions, I instead requested several professional reviews. Since I don't have much money, I only copied and sent out one paper manscript ($40) and was limited to submission requests to publishers by email attachment (some won't accept manuscripts by email, but this is changing). Nevertheless, my novel received lots of glowing reviews, some from once famous science fiction authors. The most authoritative review was by The Missouri Review -- this was a big deal for an author. It also got two great reviews by award winning authors and the first printing was named one of the top ten releases of 2002 by a very reputable outfit. I posted the reviews as I got them and got banned here and there. But I had no money to advertise (another new and growing self publishing industry).
Another thing -- don't sell your story to a strictly ebook company. My novel is available as an ebook, but also as a paperback and hardback (expensive). If the company won't commit to paper, at this time, your work will lose a lot of respect and future reprint potential by the big Houses that put money into promotion (advertising) -- N.Y. Times, etc. Plus, remember, you are competing against the "tried and true" same ol' sh** that has made them money for decades -- Batman, Spiderman, Frankenstein, etc. There is almost no new and original literature or films introduced to the public in this generation's marketplace, in part, because of costs of production. Creativity is a definite devalue for most Houses and rewrites of past successes have a better chance if you can avoid copyright issues.
Anyway, that's my story about writing and putting two sentences together. It was written since you are a former English teacher and may have time to join the group of aspiring authors. Half of my proceeds have been donated to a nonprofit agency to prevent child abuse. The other half is in an account to advertise the sequel if I ever get that far. Of course, all of you guys smelled me out. What I would have rather posted here would have been the name of my novel and why folks that smoke marijuana would find it particularly enjoyable. Since spam is so frowned upon, I hope that I avoided that straight forward approach this post also.
I do disagree with some of the comments made here about why people smoke marijuana (or drink, or do pills, etc.), based on my own positive and negative experiences and will reply if I don't get banned after this post.
