question authority--especially your own

Wow, I just finished a very encouraging writing session today. I put one article manuscript in the e-mail, and just sent another e-query, as well. Both are about the same person and their work, but are tweaked in slightly different ways to sell to different publications.

What has been different about this session is that I did most of the actual WRITING on the bus. I've finally broken my long-standing "rule" that I can't write non-opinion stuff anywhere but in front of the computer at home. While it is harder to dig up facts and exact quotes, it's possible to tag my notes (often kept in the same steno book as my interviews and writings) while doing a structural outline, and make the actual writing part as simple as plugging things in.

In other words, the hard work is in drawing up a "road map" or "blue print" for the article, not so much in writing it. That's often true for me, anyway.

I've already heard back on the manuscript submission (I sent a cc: to the managing editor, knowing that THEY handle the manuscripts--job-related secret knowledge!) already. It's at least going to be considered at the next issue's meeting. That's encouraging. It's a big newsstand magazine, so it's a nice encouragement that it wasn't rejected out of hand. :)

I've been focusing on always having at least one query or submission in the works at all times, instead of my New Year's resolution of one-query-a-week, and I find that I end up sending two at once! I can't say if that's me needing "escape velocity" for more than one project to let them all GO and be seen by editors or some other force at work.

Anyway, feeling a little more encouraged about there being some income potential in this freelancing I'm doing. It's not the only reason I do what I do, but it is part of the equation, so this has been a nice feeling that my productivity will some day bear financial fruit.