Is it worth it? Yes. If you don't believe me, ask my friend, Terry W. Ervin II, author of Flank Hawk. It may take you years to break through the publishing world, but think of the joy you'll experience when it happens.
Until then, is it wrong to dabble in the world of non-fiction? Are you selling out on your fiction dreams? Not really. While you're publishing, even non-fiction, you are putting your name out there for others to see. You could consider this a form of self-promotion, preparing the world for your fiction.
Is the non-fiction world easier to break into? I'd say yes, if you have the qualities of a good writer. There seems to be a bigger market for non-fiction pieces. I have not researched rather the quantity is higher than the market for fiction, but when it comes to fiction magazines, how many are you aware of? It just seems that the magazine industry publishes more non-fiction than it does fiction.
This is not to say to quit submitting your fiction. You can't get published unless you send it out. Also, the more you send out, the higher your chances will become. Don't gage your possibilities by how many other writers are sending work out. In this game, it's you against the opinion of an editor. The more he sees your name cross his desk, the more likely he'll give you that break if you write quality work.
One avenue of breaking into the world of writing is to publish articles with an online company. There are many out there willing to pay you for your written articles. The income is pennies per view, but think of the experience you could get from the writing and setting an actual deadline for finishing a piece.
A couple of these locations are eHow and the Examiner. These are only two out of a hundred or more. Research your possibilities and choose what best meets your abilities. Google 'writers wanted' and you will find a lot of possibilities.
Good luck in your ventures as a writer. Feel free to share opportunities you find. A writer is always looking for new outlets and opportunities.
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4 comments:
Cher,
I've had 9 fictional pieces (short stories and one novel) accepted and published, and 15 nonfiction (articles) accepted and published. And I had 6 articles published before I had my first fiction piece accepted.
You may be right in some respects, as far as it being a little easier to get work published with respect to nonfiction vs. fiction. It appears to be the case in both of our experiences. I am equally happy to get acceptances for both, but I spend the bulk of my time pondering fiction as opposed to nonfiction.
Good luck in both realms.
Terry,
Thanks for stopping by. I also tend to put more emphasis on my fiction rather than my non-fiction. At the moment, working on getting a routine established. As you know, life is a little hectic for me at the moment, with attempted purchas of the house and all.
I'm not interested in writing non-fiction at all! Writing for me is a way to escape into another world, and non fiction just doesn't do that. You're lucky that you can write non fiction and have found a topic that you're knowledgeable about and is interesting to read.
Aubrie,
I thought the same thing at first. Then I began writing non-fiction on writing. Articles were coming slow. I then thought about what I enjoy to do and it hit me about the Tarot. I didn't realize how many other people were also involved in the tarot. It seems like a good outlet for me.
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