Welcome Readers!
I often read the blog of Kisa Whipkey, a writer, and acquisitions director at REUTS publications. I follow her blog regularly, because within each post, I seem to pick up a few new gems of information, some insight or an angle on a topic that I hadn’t thought of before, or validation of something I believed in.
Her recent post, “A Zebra In a Herd Of Mustangs”, hits upon all three for me: Reading it gave me a gem of confidence, insight into current trends in paths to publication, and validation of some of my personal thoughts on the topic. Within the post, Kisa outlines her diverse, non-traditional path into the world of publishing. A highlight of that post is when she describes how each meandering segment of her life led her to where she is today; each part of her life gave her skills needed to be successful in the publishing world. That last bit was the little gem of confidence I mentioned. I was inspired after reading it to write this post today.
I can admit it. Like Kisa, I am a Zebra on this path toward publication. There is nothing “traditional” about how I got to this point, but every step on my life’s trajectory has led me here. Although I am a musician, educator, former Spanish major, and travel aficionado, I also have also always been a reader, and admirer of the written and spoken word. While I am still working at getting my novels into publication, one of my short stories has been published in the Summer Nights anthology! I hope my novels will get there someday, too.
In Kisa’s post, she refers to herself as a zebra in a herd of mustangs. I like that analogy a lot, but I would even go one step further and say, we are all zebras in our own right. Even a mustang is like a zebra, with a different size and coloration. (Biology buffs: I know, genus, species, right? But visually they are similar). The stripes on any two “Zebras” are never the same, just as no two of us follow the same path. The road to publication can be windy and filled with little detours.
Which leads me to this post. I’m not taking a scientific poll or anything, but I am curious: How many of you found your way to writing by taking the scenic route as I did, and how many of you followed a more traditional pathway toward publishing. I have often thought, in hindsight, how amazing it would have been to have the opportunity to take writing courses in college, but alas, my Music major’s schedule kept me in the practice and rehearsal rooms pretty steadily.
So, if you feel like sharing, write a comment below. I’d love to hear about your path towards publication. Are you published? How did you get there? What was your path? Not published yet? What life experiences got you where you are today? I’d love to hear from you about this!
Thank you for stopping by today 🙂
S.M. Nystoriak's Writer's Block 
It makes me so happy that people are now talking about this. Not because I feel it’s the most important topic in the world, but because it’s something I think a lot of us secretly fear and/or deal with. I know it was incredibly freeing to write my post, to declare to the world that I was okay with the fact I was a little different (and you’re right, zebras and mustangs are TOTALLY different creatures; I was going for the poetic angle 😉 ) and had taken the long way to where I am now. And I truly hope that others can experience that too. Self-acceptance is something we all struggle with, but if you gain even a little of it, it feels incredible. 🙂
Thanks, as always, for reading my ramblings and for the pingback. ❤
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Thank you! I am always happy to share stories that speak to me somehow. Keep up the great work 🙂
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Another, most interesting, article. Some people believe in fate or luck and maybe it’s so. But I believe in chance and hard work. Others let fear hold them back and ‘artists’ of whatever genre are notoriously hesitant when it comes to confidence (count me in!) Having been a secretary for a publishing company, I had an insight into how the ‘system’ usually works. And ‘chance’ does come into it. For instance, say you are a mountaineer and have written a riveting book about your hair-raising experiences. It arrives on a company’s desk, beautifully typed wIth pristine photographs, ONLY YESTERDAY another mountaineer did the same thing. Yours is a day too late! Timing often comes into the equation, so don’t lose heart. My ‘chance’ came as I was leaving a hotel my husband and I had just sold and another publishing company was looking for a writer to produce a book on running one! Pleased with it, they commissioned me to write another factual book and update two others,which started my writing career. Like the majority of writers though, re poems and short stories, I received enough rejection slips to paper the smallest room in the house! So embrace it, love it and never give up!
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Joy, your name suits you. I always enjoy that you take a moment to read and comment here. What a fascinating account of your “chance”! It’s so important for writers to know they have every right to pursue their writing goals. And I think I like the image of rejection slips papering a room. It’s like displaying badges of courage. That would be a very creative way to recycle them 🙂
Thank you again for stopping by!
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