Publish and be damned — or so I’ve heard and I guess that’s where I am

So, yesterday, I did a remarkable thing – for me. I actually sent off a manuscript to a publisher. As I am in a sort of legendary realm in terms of procrastination, this was nothing short of an amazing achievement.

Now, all I have to do is sit back and await the rejection notification and console myself in the sure knowledge that guys like Hemingway, Fitzgerald and countless others could have wallpapered rooms with their rejection notices.

But, one thing was a relief, as I expedited my manuscript, and that was that this particular publisher would accept electronic submissions. How cool is that? I did not need to print off multiple chapters (at considerable cost), stuff them into a big envelope, ,but be sure to also include a SASE so that the bastards could send the whole thing back to me with a subtle stated: “Screw you, how dare you send such drivel our way?” but muted to the castrated statement: “Does not meet our needs at this time.”

It was that sort of folderol that led me – despite having a number of completed manuscripts – to procrastinate outrageously over the years. And procrastination, if carried on long enough can be a bit soul-destroying.

Or, as a client of mine when I was addictions counseling opined: “Procrastination is like masturbation, in both cases you’re just fucking yourself.” Indeed you are.

So, I was delighted that I could send all my chapters by email. That opened up an entirely new world of potential rejection for me. As a consequence of me having sent the thing off, I actually got a reply. A reply that indicated they got the thing. May or may not be a good thing, and I shall remain optimistic.

All of this means is that ‘I write’ and I also write better than some people who have seen their musings published. So, why haven’t mine been? Well, maybe because I haven’t sent them off.

The other day I was having coffee with a dear old friend who proceeded (most diplomatically, I might add) to, as the parlance goes, rip me a new one for not sending my stuff off to publishers. I heeded her admonitions, and the very next day I acted on them.

And today I am scouring the Internet to find other publishers who might be interested in some of my other stuff. It’s just a wonderful brave new world for me.

I’m in an earnest attempt to cease coiting myself.