How to Get Published

by E. P. Ned Burke

Rewriting a manuscript may not be the most attractive part of a writer’s job, but it is a necessary one, which brings to mind a local television ad I enjoyed watching years ago. It showed this hillbilly character sitting near a stack of old tires. He wore a pair of bib overalls and he looked straight into the camera and drawled, “Folks, tires ain’t purty.” The ad sold a lot of tires because the actor was believable, and he stated an obvious fact; namely, tires were not beautiful, but they were necessary.

When I first started writing, I thought I was “purty.” I considered myself an “artist,” someone who splashed words upon a page and then stepped back to admire them. Creativity meant never having to rewrite a single word. Such “creativity” also resulted in a steady stream of rejection slips. Over the years, however, I matured and finally acknowledged that rewriting (or, at least, rethinking to find the best word or sentence) had to be a part of my work ethic. (more…)