A nibble

I got a nibble this week on a short story.

Confucius said a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and so too does the path to publication. But it's easy to lose sight of the progress, and it's difficult to take satisfaction from individual steps.

The first part of my journey involved writing and learning. I did this for two years before sending anything to magazines, agents, or publishers. The terrain was gentle and deceptively easy, but it still required stamina to reach that point where I was ready to put work out there.

The path quickly turned rocky. I amassed over a hundred rejection letters in a year or so, most were simply a copy of a form letter written decades ago. Sometimes it was just the manuscript with nothing inside, as if the work wasn't even worthy of a response.

It took strength to continue on.

The drive must come from within and without a fire burning, it's impossible to keep writing. And it's the writing that kept me moving, and eventually the steep grade eased up and I stumbled into Nibble Valley.

Here's what to look for in Nibble Valley:

The nibble might take the form of a handwritten note on one of those form rejection letters, perhaps it's a suggestion on where else you might send the piece. Sometimes it's a hastily written request for more material, and if you are really lucky, it's a phone call.

It's also a lifeline, an affirmation that your hard work is actually being recognized. Getting a nibble means that you are on the right path and if you have the courage to continue on, you will eventually get published. But a nibble can also be intoxicating and it can disappoint, so a writer must not get carried away.

I have been in Nibble Valley for about a year and have come across several nibbles. This week's nibble was a phone call from a magazine. It was in response to a new short story called "Weekend Number Five."

A few more words of caution about nibbles:

A 'but' often accompanies a nibble and it was no surprise to discover that this week's nibble came with a 'but.'

We loved your story, but we have already committed to a similar piece.

Occasionally a nibble contains a second but and that's usually a good sign. And this week's second 'but' was:

But we went to your web site and liked what we saw. We'd love to take a look at more of your work.

And so I forwarded three more stories.

A nibble provides energy and gives me the boost to keep going. But the thrill of hearing that someone likes my work will soon be replaced by doubt and fear.

I remind myself that writing is breathing and without breath, I can not live, therefore I must write.

If I keep true to this mantra, then it doesn't matter if this week's nibble disappoints. What does matter is that I keep writing, because if I do, I will eventually find my way out of Nibble Valley and into the Land of Publication.