Cobwebs

Three Star Member Joined : 07 Jun 2008 Posts : 171

In just searching through some old files, I ran across a manila envelope labled "First Sale." The package contains all the bits and pieces--acceptance letter to my query, a pristine copy of the 1972 magazine that carried my name on the cover, and a fascimile of the check with which I was paid for that first article--dated 1971. At one time I intended to work all that historic paperwork into an inspirational Thermo Plaque for my library wall. I never got around to it. Almost immediately after selling that first piece, I sold another to the same editor, and by the third one I had hired in with the magazine. From there, is has been several hundred more articles and a handful of books and I still have no inspiration on the wall. Other decorations--a couple of awards, a couple of photos and a few certificates-- but not that Thermo Plaque that I thought to be so important these decades ago.

Jim Woods
www.ultrasw.com/jwoods

Subject: Re: Cobwebs Mon Jun 23, 2008 7:10 pm

It's never too late, Jim. What exactly is a Thermo Plaque?

After reading your post I decided to nose through some of my own old and musty files. The first thing I found was a rejection slip. Why did I ever decide to keep it?
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Three Star Member Joined : 07 Jun 2008 Posts : 171

Now, Dick, I did not imply my first sale was the first I thing had written and offered for publication. That is was the first sale made it important.

Thermo Plaque is simply a trade name for a wallhanger or desk display, wood or a composition resembling wood, covered with something flat, such as paper, then sealed over with plastic. We used to present Thermo Plaqued covers to advertisers whose products graced the issue they advertised in. I'm sure that similar products are available under different names. I think I let the project slip at the time because of cost and it became less relevant over time.

Jim Woods
www.ultrasw.com/jwoods

Subject: Re: Cobwebs Mon Jun 23, 2008 7:54 pm

I have two letters from publishers framed and hanging on my home office wall. The first is the first rejection letter I received and the second is my first accepted, both are for the same story. There were a bunch more rejections in between.
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Three Star Member Joined : 07 Jun 2008 Posts : 171

Don, what happened between the two letters for the same story--did you get to be a better writer or did the editor become more educated?

Jim Woods
www.ultrasw.com/jwoods

Subject: Re: Cobwebs Mon Jun 23, 2008 9:34 pm

The only writer I've heard of who never received a rejection was Raymond Chandler. There probably have been others.
Chandler had a problem coming up with plots. To offset it, he cannibalized some of his short stories for novels.
John Creasy had his first 100 novels rejected, then turned around and had more than 600 published. He was so prolific he had to use 28 pseudonyms in order to get everything published.
I guess it takes all kinds.
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Three Star Member Joined : 07 Jun 2008 Posts : 171

I consider all my short stories as skeletons of novels, should I ever have time left to write that many novels, which I do not. But when I get a idea for a novel. I develop the character and a bit of his backstory and turn it into a short story rather than keep notes on 3x5s.

And my hat's off to Mister Chandler if indeed he never had a rejection. I know his work but never heard that concerning him, but I think I'll read him more now.

Jim Woods
www.ultrasw.com/jwoods

Subject: Re: Cobwebs Tue Jun 24, 2008 2:23 am

Jim,

Probably both...I rewrote it about ten times and did most of my own editing, but the acceptance was a different publisher also.

It also taught me not to do my own editing.
_________________
D.J.(Don)Stephens
WWW.DJSTEPHENS.NET
Writer Extraordinaire
BEARKILLER - 0-7414-4966-8
HALO - 0-7414-4846-7
DEATH RIDER - 0-7414-4550-6
Amazon Shorts Contributor
Lion Tamer, Piano Tuner,
Soldier of Fortune
All Around Nice Guy