ClothPaperScissors

Well, well, well...last week I got Gideon the Goldfish back from ClothPaperScissors along with a complimentary issue of the July/August 2009 magazine. I submitted a .jpg of Gideon for the reader's challenge "Life's a Beach". It sent it in the day of the deadline & was surprised to get an e-mail from the editor telling me it was a semi finalist. I sent Gideon to them for photographing & boy did they ever do a great job on it. Reading the article I saw that they had over 296 entries, but only chose 15 to publish & Gideon was one of those chosen. I am so pleased & delighted. So my goal of getting published in a different magazine came true. Now, it is not a beading magazine, but I'm still working on that. Speaking of...it is work getting things published. I know earlier this year I blogged about one of my Guild sisters grousing about my bragging too much about being published. Well, DARN IT! I'm proud of this achievement & I want to say right here and to her face if she'd ever confront me that it is work to get your pieces out there to the publishing world. Magazine editors don't come knocking on your door when you are still unknown. You have to submit to every challenge, write proposals for articles, hunt out other opportunities to be published, and use networking skills to get to know who/how/where to submit pieces for recognition. It is not easy, and does take time & some thick skin. Oh, I can't say that rejection is still easy, but I've developed a better coping mechanism for the "sorry, but..." letters or e-mails that I get. But it can be done. Look at me...and I'm not finished yet. I'm constantly looking for new avenues to promote my Art and my name. I'm working right now while I'm still working full time for my future goal of being able to make money teaching when I retire in about 10 years from now. MOF, I also sent out a package with three of my cuff bracelets to a fashion magazine. I'm pretty sure I'll get that "sorry...but" letter from them, but hey! You never know. And I'm actually thinking quilting magazines...never say never. So if you don't think your work is good enough to be published...poppycock is what I have to say. Try it! It is so much easier now with the option to just shoot off an e-mail or a .jpg to an editor. Also, think about teaching. Don't be shy! Go to your local bead store or quilt shop with a portfolio of your work or of the class you'd like to teach. And let me tell you that teaching is FUN. (oh, I did forget my camera even though I blogged about taking it). Join a Guild or a club and let those women be your mentors on how to get out there & get recognized for your skills and art. And don't let one person put you off, as it is thrilling to see your name in print even if you aren't getting paid for it (my Mom still doesn't understand this aspect of the game). Because it is just that...a game! So I want to be your cheerleader & get everyone interested,inspired, and gung ho to be published. It is addictive, I warn you!