KWE Publishing Newsletter - 04/20/23
Have you ever found yourself impatiently staring at your phone or laptop, looking at your emails, and wondering when you'd finally hear back from someone, only to realize that you never actually hit "send"?
This happened to me recently—I was waiting for a test email for our newsletter that I never actually sent to myself—and I realized that hitting send is sometimes one of the trickiest steps for writers for more reasons than one.
Now, I want to go over the reasons this happens and give you some tips on how to avoid this common issue!
Problem # 1: You genuinely forgot to hit send.
Like me, you're just waiting to get a response. Maybe you're waiting to hear back from a publisher, editor, or reviewer—and it feels like they're taking forever to respond.
But then, you finally realize...you didn't send the email in the first place. Whoops!
Solution: Go back and check (and schedule emails)!
First, don't be too hard on yourself—this happens to everyone sometimes!
To avoid having this problem too often, though, it's helpful to go back and look at the emails you've sent. This will let you know if you've waited long enough to send a follow-up message or if you should wait a little longer to do so. And, of course, if you didn't send the email, you'll realize this pretty quickly, too.
Another way to avoid this problem is to schedule your emails. This way, you can optimize the chance of someone seeing it (we often recommend sending important emails in the morning to make sure they're at the top of someone's inbox) and takes away the worry that you didn't send it.
Problem # 2: You can't find what you're looking for.
You know what piece of writing you want to share with someone, but you just can't find it. Is it in your Google Drive? Microsoft Word? Your Notes app? Did you send an email to yourself? And what was the title of the piece, anyway?
Soon, you've gone down the rabbit hole looking for your work, and suddenly, way too much time has passed. Eventually, you might decide that it's just not worth it to send the email because searching through every file on your computer sounds exhausting.
Solution: Spend time getting organized!
I know, this isn't everyone's favorite thing to do, but trust me, it's worthwhile to spend the time getting organized!
There are so many ways to get organized, so first, consider where you write most often. For many writers, that's either on Microsoft Word or Google Docs, but if that's not your cup of tea, don't worry.
Wherever you most often write, create folders to separate your work. Make sure to save all of your pieces of writing with names you'll recognize. Saving your files using the date and version of the draft can also make it easier to find a piece of work. When you consistently store files in one place and save them with actual names, it'll be much easier to find them.
Problem # 3: You don't send the email because you're scared of rejection/that your writing's not good enough.
This is one of the most common reasons people don't send their writing to others. Even if you've gone through your writing a thousand times, made edits and revisions, and had friends and family read it, sharing your writing with someone else—especially if you want to publish your work—can be intimidating.
Sometimes, your fears get in the way, so instead of sending that draft or sample, you let it sit in your files.
Solution: Just go for it!
This is both the easiest and hardest solution: just send it.
That doesn't mean you want to send your writing without first reviewing it and making sure you avoid basic grammar or spelling mistakes. However, once you've polished your writing to the best of your ability, the only way you'll move closer to your goal of publishing your book is to share it with those who can help.
The worst thing that can happen by sending it is that someone says your writing may not be a good fit for them—in which case you're exactly where you are now. No harm done. The best outcome, though, can be that you find a good publisher and start your author journey. And sooner than you might think, you'll be holding your book in your hand. So why not take the plunge and go for it?
Remember, too, that you're often your own worst critic. Ask for feedback, know that your writing has value, and share it!
It's easy to be a little forgetful, disorganized, or afraid to send out your writing—but ultimately, you have to hit "send" to get your book out in the world! Even if it takes a little time and patience (and work, of course!), it's worth taking the leap and sharing your story!
Do you struggle with hitting "send"? Reach out and let us know; we love hearing from you!
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