But, of all the pieces I’ve written--fiction or nonfiction; long or short; funny, serious, or in between, I have never submitted any of my work for publication. But this year that all changes.
A call was put out by one of my grad school professors for students and former students to submit work to the Thoreau Society journal for a series on Thoreau in the classroom. At first, I balked at the idea. I teach Thoreau to my students, and they learn a lot from him. But, I could never submit something about it for publication. It’s too risky.
What if I’m rejected?
What if I’m not?
It’s just too risky.
Then, just before Christmas break, one of my students came to me with a story she’d written that she wanted me to read. I took time over the break to read it--it was good! I encouraged her to submit it to be considered for publication to several outlets that publish student writing.
She told me that she was scared to do it, and I offered her some words of encouragement and pearls of wisdom. “What have you got to lose?” I asked. “The worst they can do is say no.”
And it dawned on me--what a hypocrite I am.
I encourage my students to write and to be proud of their work, but I am too scared to submit my own for publication. So, I gave in and began working on an article to submit to the Thoreau Society journal.
This year, I’m celebrating this new step in my writing--facing the fear of submission. I am still fearful of what they will say when I submit the work. But, it is (one of many) fears I need to face. And I’m celebrating the fact that this year, I am.
Stay tuned…
Jason Walker teaches high school English at Forney High School in Forney, Texas. Prior to entering academia, he worked for 20 years in Information Technology in both corporate and academic settings. In 2014, he left his career in IT and came back to his first calling, teaching. Jason is passionate about literacy and encourages his students to expand their worlds through reading and writing. He has also worked as a freelance writer for several local and regional publications and has been keeping a blog for almost ten years. Jason holds a Master’s Degree in English from the University of Texas at Tyler and is currently enrolled as Ph.D. student at Texas A&M University-Commerce.
This is a real fear. I am dealing with it every day. And then, what if they want the full manuscript? It's like sending your baby out into the world!
ReplyDeleteI don't have any children, but yes, it must be just like that. I don't know if it every gets easier, but at least I've actually done it now!
ReplyDeleteJason--I've crept your blog a few times (haha), but have never read a full post. This one piqued my interest. I am so glad you have decided to bite the bullet and submit! You will be so glad you did in the long run. And yes, it is so freaking scary to put yourself out there--all of the 'what ifs' are so very real! Like I've told you before, in my first efforts my reviewers ripped me apart (critically speaking). But after I made the suggested revisions, I had a MUCH better paper. I learned something from each of my reviewers and improved my writing overall. Eventually, the articles got published and my writing became more concise. I also gained enough confidence to the point where I will not be so crushed if I do get a rejection. At least that is what I tell myself. But like you said, "What have I got to lose?" I do have one tip to offer you though--each time you get an article accepted and eventually published add it to your CV right away. Just like you forgot about the article you had submitted to Teach Write, LLC., you will forget about what items you have had accepted or published. Anyway--I am so excited for you! I wish you all the luck in the world at TAMUC and in the future--and I can't wait to see your name pop up in the Thoreau Bulletin!
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