Anthologized!

I got excellent news today from Traveler’s Tales. They are interested in using one of my stories in The Best Women’s Travel Writing 2007, scheduled to be published next spring.

The piece is my “Tale of Two Turkeys” essay. That one has done well for me, having won an essay contest at the travel writing conference that initially inspired me to write the story down. I used the prize--credit with an airline ticket consolidator--to subsidize my trip around the world last summer. Since then I’ve been absolutely shameless about promoting it, sending it to practically every newspaper in the country. (I sent it to the SF Chronicle two Thanksgivings in a row.) I’ve submitted it to a handful of additional essay contests, and at least two anthologies. It’s on my website. I link to it every chance I get. I mention it every chance I get. I’m still writing about it now.

I was starting to feel like a little bit of a one-hit wonder on the state fair circuit, leaning embarrassingly heavily on my one familiar work while wondering why no one wants to hear the new stuff. But it is paying off. I’m learning that in freelance writing, marketing may be as important as talent, and it may not be possible to overplay your hand. I may be making myself cringe, but that seems to be what it takes to get the world to notice.