This Little Piggy Went To The Market

”This Little Piggy Went To The Market” — A London nursery rhyme

I would amend it to add –  ”And Squealed All The Way”.

For me, there is a big difference between going shopping and going to the market. Shopping means I’m going to buy something I want. There is excitement and anticipation involved. Going to the market means I have to buy food or some other necessity. One is fun; the other is work.

This equates to writing in a big way. I love writing, even when I spend months shopping for the perfect words and ideas. My imagination takes me to worlds of unseen wonder. I am entertained and invigorated, intrigued and sometime astonished. Seeing something in my mind become something on paper is great fun.

Maybe for some writers, it’s enough to write for themselves.  If you want to publish your work and perhaps make a difference to someone in the world besides your family, you must write well. But even that is not enough. You have to learn how to market your writing.It’s hard work researching the markets, trying to find open houses or agents willing to read your work.  It’s easy to squeal and complain about how difficult it is to get published.  It doesn’t stop there. If you are lucky enough to get a publisher, you will be required to take an active part in marketing. If you self-publish, there will be more work involved.

Take my advice and be like the famous ‘Jacks’ of nursery rhyme fame.  Be nimble, climb that hill, scale that beanstalk and discover the gold.