Writing Prompt Story Starter: Post-it To Publication

I’ve chosen this not so much as a Story Starter, but more to reflect on the idea of writing (or submitting) a story.

And it’s aimed not so much at the seasoned writer, but the new writer.

That’s the writer who perhaps has still to dip their toe in the water (or should that be the ink?), or who has a file of stories on their computer which they’ve never yet dared to submit anywhere for scrutiny.

The pic shows the Post-it note that the Fiction team’s Alan popped on a manuscript for me this week.

He’d been working his way through a stack of unsolicited manuscripts — what we call “USMs”.

And this is how easily it happens that a writer goes from being unpublished and unknown to having their story appear in “The People’s Friend”.

The process

This story caught his imagination and his interest. He wrote a comment on the envelope and passed it over to me, with the bright green Post-it to draw it to my attention.

It happened that I was having a reading afternoon . . . and I liked it, too.

And, more importantly, we both thought “Friend” readers would enjoy it.

We passed it over to Editor Angela for final approval, and she agreed.

So now emails have been exchanged, and our standard contributor contract is on its way to this writer. Imagine her excitement!

Once we receive a signed copy, we’ll have an account set up for her and we’ll be able to pay her fee.

Then we’ll have one of our talented illustrators create the perfect accompanying image, and very soon this brand-new writer’s story will be shared with our readers in the pages of the “Friend”.

And we’ll add one of our new “Debut Author” tabs to it, so that everyone can share in celebrating her success.

From Post-it to publication. That’s how easily it can happen . . .

To pick out another Story Starter, click here to see our archives.