Thursday, March 18, 2010

Publishing Problem Solved

Underwired accepted my essay, "Cop A Feel!"

(That's their October 09 magazine cover to the left.)

It was accepted on the 13th, just two days before The Mom Egg needed a response from me regarding that essay - so I was able to decline with The Mom Egg, withdraw from Skirt, and give Underwired the go-ahead, all in good time and good conscience.

In an earlier post, I'd written that I liked The Mom Egg and its reputation (which is linked to Mamapalooza, an organization that empowers women and girls) and was excited my essay was accepted there - but The Mom Egg is not a paying market, like Skirt and Underwired. And not only do the other two pay, but they have snazzier presentation, for those of us who appreciate visual inspiration.

When The Mom Egg originally accepted, my friend Jennifer Margulis had suggested that if the other publications don't have a problem with multiple submissions (and they don't) then I could try emailing them and telling them my piece had been accepted elsewhere but I preferred their publication if they wanted my essay.

I did that with Underwired, which I felt strongest about, and got a sort of business-y response that said they just had their submission deadline a couple days earlier and wouldn't even read them all until the 18th, so I could withdraw my submission if I wanted.

I decided to let it lie.

I felt my essay was strong and didn't want to be annoying to them - so I made up my mind to just see what happened when they actually read it. I was going to wait until the last minute on the 15th and go with The Mom Egg if it came down to that. Needless to say, I was thrilled then when, on Saturday morning, the 13th!, Underwired emailed to let me know it had been accepted there.

Now I'm $100 richer, have another publication to check off my goal list for the year, have a little more publishing savvy, and am being published in a Kentucky market, which is exciting in light of my novel setting.

My essay will appear in the April issue of Underwired, which has the theme "Backside."

I'll post when it's out!

6 comments:

Jennifer Margulis said...

That's fantastic Anjie. I can't wait to read it! You go girl!!

Jennie Englund said...

I'm so glad that all worked out for you! How are you spending the moola???

Shelby said...

I'm not comfortable with you telling me to "cop a feel".

anjie said...

Maybe you'll be more comfortable with my next essay - the one that portrays Ethel Merman singing "My Body's Nobody's Body But Mine." Huh Shelby?

Miss you, Bug. It's about time you commented on my blog again.

anjie said...

Jennie, in answer to your question, I think I have to put it toward replacing the porcelain bathroom sink I cracked yesterday. Dane had a bloody nose and I dropped a heavy glass soap jar in our bathroom sink. Big chunk out of the basin, a few tendrils of cracks. BIG BUMMER.

Anonymous said...

Anj:
Talk about timing. Really excited you are reaching your goals.
Will have to see about trying to get the magazine, or seeing if the library might have it...will look around. Cover looks pretty jazzy!
Love, Mom
Ps. Too bad about having to spend th moola that way.