The Perspiring Writer Magazine

A strange title you might think? Not really. The vultures are out there, in the high branches and soaring in the skies overhead. Riding the winds and waiting for the right moment to land and feed off your hopes. There is a word that, for writers, is worse than rejection; it is  deception. They got me because I wanted another publication too badly. I was young and naïve, but I was still cautious and watchful.  They, however, were good at what they did. That is not a compliment for them, that is a warning for you, the beginning writer. Here is what happened.

It was around 1978 or so, many moons back for some of you who are starting out on writing endeavors. I was getting up two hours earlier than I had to for work so I could have some writing time. My efforts were starting to pay off. I had a few publications rolling in my way. My confidence was building in my ability to write and my office had moved out of my bedroom and into a small room next to it. Out of the blue skies, I received a notification in my mailbox (the snail kind—it was still in the dark ages) that Gold Seal Books, an imprint of Bookman Publishing Co., out of Honolulu, Hawaii, was accepting submissions for a series of hardcover anthologies in all genres. I was overjoyed and yet, at the same time, I wondered how they had gotten my name. I sent in the required reply, expressing that I was interested in submitting, along with that exact question and a few more I had. 

In a short amount of time I received my answers. They claimed they had gotten my name, and many more, from the list of subscribers to a well-known writer’s magazine. I read the information they had supplied in regard to length, manuscript format, etc., and all seemed in order with standard procedures, so wrote a story and sent it away.   

It took a fair amount of time to hear back from them, I can’t recall the exact duration, but it seemed like a plausible response time for the submission and it was in accordance with the information sent months earlier. So I opened it, in front of about six friends who were visiting, and pulled out a beautiful parchment certificate of acceptance for publication. It elegantly congratulated me on my success. There was a small, golden emblem on the right corner that read Gold Seal Books.   It was signed, dated, the whole works, and it looked professional. I received congratulations from my friends, and after they had left, I read the enclosed letter more closely. It congratulated me again, requested a brief biography, and suggested I send them a list of all local newspapers and radio stations in my area so they could be informed of my achievement and be contacted in the future for marketing purposes.

Also enclosed, was a publication contract with all the legalities, in  triplicate form. I had never seen anything like this. It claimed that since it was a new imprint, that a fee of $100.00 (I am not completely sure of that price anymore, but it’s close), would be required to help cover the cost of marketing the book. The bells and whistles went off like it was New Year’s Eve. So, I took it to an attorney to have him read through the contract to see if it was legally sound. When I talked with him, he said the contract was a bit one-sided, leaning toward the publisher, but most of those kinds of contracts were (no offense to any publishers--blacklist the attorney). He also explained that it was not necessarily uncommon for publishing companies to request a small marketing fee when going out on a limb with a new imprint, especially anthologies. I felt better (kind of). 

Throughout the next few days, I was still haunted by that little voice inside all of us that tries to tell us when something is wrong, but at the same time I was struggling with another voice that was saying “What if it is legitimate and I don’t follow through with it? What if I hold back, and then later realize I missed my shot at a big one?  Possibly the big one?” 

I am sure you have figured out the rest of the story.I wrote my brief biography and sent it in to Bookman Publishing Company along with the signed contract and the check made out to them. Then I waited.

And nothing ever happened. My check was cashed, and my heart and my hopes fell like rain. For the longest time, I was too embarrassed to tell anyone. When they asked, I told them the whole thing had been killed by the publishing company due to costs. I even remember crying one night in bed, because of the damage done. 

What I did not do was stop writing. I took the certificate and hung it right over my desk. Every morning before I started to write, I looked at it and told myself that I would not let that decision define me or my ability to write. I was human and all human beings make mistakes. Some also deceive and rob other human beings. I moved on, and so did my writing. Eventually, the certificate came down and went in the garbage because it wasn’t important anymore. 

So why bring it up thirty or so years later? Because it is important to remember, especially these days with the Internet and the “here one day, gone the next” website capabilities, that the writer is just as vulnerable to scams as is the average consumer. One more reason--never rush into anything for the sake of being published. The desire for publication is natural, and sometimes it can become overwhelming for the beginner, but be patient, and be resilient. Always remember that dreams can be accomplished if you work hard enough. If you run into a bad editor/publisher, for every one of those there are thousands and thousands of good, honest ones who want what you have to offer. If you fall into a bad situation and get burned, like I did, learn from it, grow from it, because one day you’ll look back and you will find out that although it hurt at the time, it shaped you for bigger and better things. 

Bio:

Bill Canavan is a part-time freelance writer and author, published throughout the U.S. and twice in Canada, which includes magazine circulations in Australia, Korea, Japan and throughout the UK. He has also written greeting card copy for several card manufacturers. Most recently, he has been published in Yesterday’s Magazette and The Perspiring Writer Magazine. He is currently working on a novel titled Frampton and Fobb.

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