Intro

This is a short piece I published on Medium about writing, only today it isn’t called writing, it is called content creation. The distinction is that content creation is the voice of many people, not just the traditional professional author. Its quite fascinating to absorb all kinds of voices from all over the world and absorb ones self into the meaning of humanity itself.

Since Andersen Design began in 1962, it has always done its own catalogs and marketing. When we are properly funded with a facility and a staff, I look forward to developing a content management team filled with many voices. Andersen Design has a long tradition of recognizing raw talent and on the job training. Please sign up for our mailing list and indicate your level of interest here.

photo by Mackenzie Andersen

A question was posed in a Facebook Conversation: When is the best time to submit an article to a publication. I gave my answer here in and arrived at a new starting point as a result:

As I writer I find that publishing is closure and waiting to be published puts me into a hold pattern before I can go on to the next project. In theory I can develop a way around this as I work with some publications that have a longer wait time but for now that is as it is.

I submit when my mind is clearest which is usually the beginning of the day so that I can read my own article with a fresh mind right before submitting, I seldom submit to large publications like StartUp that have a long wait time because it puts my own process in limbo. I need the closure so that I can move on.

Usually my stories take a long time to compose perhaps a week or so, sometimes less and sometimes more. Writing is a process that unravels in its own time. I don’t publish everyday. I used to write everyday but the longer that my articles take to compose the more I find I need a writing break in between and so I do not even write every day, resting is also part of my writing process.

There is one publication I submit to that has a week wait time but it comes with added benefits that make it worth it and so far they have published whatever I have submitted, so I have accepted that wait time as part of the process. Occasionally I write other articles better suited to other publications and they usually publish within hours.

Many people focus on publishing with the big publications but from what I read those writers regularly represented in those publications were there from the beginning and helped the publication and Medium to grow when it was just getting started.

Every publication is in its own growth cycle. Some are just getting started and if one finds publications that fit well with what one does, I have found that they are often developing their own stable of regular writers with whom their audience can identify. Its a two way street. The success of a publication depends on its synergy. Some publications are in the early stages of developing synergy and sometimes that is the best time to become involved.

Submit when your own mind is clearest about where your work belongs and when you can read it with a fresh mind right before submitting.

Now I am always arguing with this other self that is constantly contradicting everything I say!

Her idea is to publish this as a short story that took only a short time to write! Since I do not usually write about writing and publishing, I will have to make up a new consideration of how to publish this story. I haven’t invested a lot so part of me wants to simply put it out there on my own, like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone and see where it goes.