Good article on Starv...Freelancing

Mediabistro (a sterling organization to which I proudly belong) has an article based on interviews with five relatively successful freelancers, here.

The article reminds us of the importance of perserverence. Yes.

Usually, my queries get about a 15-20% acceptance rate. Every 5th or 6th letter gets a call or email telling me they like me, they really like me (sniff!) .

But this year has been rough.

Maybe it's because I'm sending out more queries than ever before--which translates into more opportunities for rejection than ever before. And boy, do editors love to sieze those opportunities! Their silence has been deafening.

Of the 28 queries I sent since May 1, I got one "yes"--and that's the hubpages.com blog, the wonderful essays you see to the top right. Please click on one and give it a thumbs up. Please.

I also got a call from the editor rejecting my story idea but telling me she liked my clips, so maybe in future. . . and that's encouraging. Believe me, I am not complaining that an editor took the time to call.

(did you click on an article? I'm begging here; there must be something that interests you!)

The rest? Nada. Two editors commited their rejection to writing, which I accept as a courtesy. The others, no doubt buried in a sea of pitches (though none as wonderful as mine) do not respond, which is, of course, an answer.

I'm not whining about the editors, but this has been an unusually long dry spell. And it's 105 degrees out.

OTOH, I do still have the textbook work, for which I am grateful. And so is my landlord and his property manager. Evictions are nasty affairs.