Comments on: Don’t Let the Odds Hold You Back from Success

By: Jodee

Jodee — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 23:37:48 +0000

Hi Sam,

Because I know all, LOL! Not exactly. The truth is that I almost didn’t write this post but I was inspired to by something I had read over the weekend that talked in part about not holding back so much in your writing. I am so pleased to hear that it spoke to you and that you were encouraged to keep trying. You have just made my day.

By: Sam Thewlis

Sam Thewlis — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 21:20:20 +0000

Hi Jodee

Thank you so much. How did you know I was at the end of my tether and had decided it was either that I wasn’t good enough, or that it was a secret club I wasn;t allowed to join.

Just the 743 more pitches to go then…

By: Jodee

Jodee — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:44:18 +0000

@ Amy: Thank you! It’s all in how you look at the odds: if someone used the 1-in-800 shot to sell you a lottery ticket worth $10 million, you might be tempted to buy one, since those odds are a lot better than the 1 in a gazillion shot at winning a big lottery. But people buy tickets anyway because *someone* is going to win. And it’s a lot harder to win without a ticket.

By: Amy Derby

Amy Derby — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:31:27 +0000

Great article, Jodee. I’m not a print writer, but I can attest to the competition factor for online writing jobs. The competition is so fierce that I know most job posters never even get through all the replies. That’s why I tend to spend my time pitching new clients rather than responding to ads. When you’re the only one pitching, your odds are much better. Obviously, this approach wouldn’t work for a print magazine writer, but for someone who writes web content or blogs, it’s an option I’ve found to be a much better use of my time than surfing job boards and responding to ads. I do respond to ads once in a while if I see something I think I’d be a perfect fit for, but that’s not where the bulk of my work comes from. For anyone feeling discouraged and wanting to give up, I highly recommend trying to pitch a few clients and see how that goes before throwing in the towel entirely.

By: Jodee

Jodee — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:02:22 +0000

@ jsfarmer: I agreed with you completely. Those odds need to be told!
@ Wombat: A lot of people don’t do their homework first and then wonder why it doesn’t work out the way they planned.

By: wombat

wombat — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 13:53:58 +0000

Yup, it’s worth remembering that probably some large percentage of those 799 rejections are people who didn’t read the submissions guidelines, didn’t research to see what the magazine is looking for, who figure it’s easier to send stuff out scattershot to everyplace instead of carefully targeting queries. You see exactly the same thing in job applications as well. So if you’re doing it right, don’t take the 1 in 800 too seriously.

By: jsfarmer

jsfarmer — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 13:46:57 +0000

i’m a young-ish survivor of an aggressive cancer, so i told the odds to eff off a long time ago!

By: Phil

Phil — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:20:56 +0000

Find the pub’s needs before sending a query and use the phone first.

By: Jodee

Jodee — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:44:36 +0000

Thank you for the kind comments!

By: RobinMarie

RobinMarie — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 04:06:31 +0000

I love this post! It’s so easy to get discouraged when receiving tons of rejections. But I try to look at rejections as one more step towards an acceptance. I especially love it when editors/whomever takes the time to comment on something specific.

By: Kathryn

Kathryn — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 03:43:30 +0000

Good post! We all need a little encouragement sometimes.

By: Debbi

Debbi — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 02:46:57 +0000

Jodee,

What a great post–and so true. Following your passion is a key component to success in this (or any) field. It sounds like a cliche, but it’s absolutely true.