Deeanne Gist - www.deeannegist.com - Inspirational Romance Author

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Journalism vs. Fiction

Menu Question: "What Made You Decide To Switch From Journalism To Fiction?"

I was first published in a magazine called Family Fun way back in the early nineties. I continued to have a successful journalism career for many years thereafter. But journalism was something that more or less supported my "fiction habit." Fiction had always been my first love.

Both venues are a lot of work and of the two, I happen to prefer fiction. In journalism, you can't submit the same idea to multiple magazines at one time. It's not a pretty sight if a magazine editor calls you wanting you to write the article you pitched to him and you have to tell him his competitor bought that article last week. In the end, you only hurt yourself because the editor on the short end of the stick will never buy from you again.

So, I would brainstorm and come up with 14 or 15 different article ideas and send them to 14 or 15 different magazine editors. As soon as the rejection came back, I'd think up another idea and send it off to them. I made sure I had a continuous flow of queries on the desks of those magazines. If you sell one article for every 10 queries you send out, you are doing really well.

Some folks love this process. I did not. So, while I was waiting for the rejections to hit the mailbox, I would write fiction. Over the course of my journalism career, I wrote articles for People Magazine, Parents, Parenting, Family Fun, Houston Chronicle, Orlando Sentinel, and whoever else would pay me.

When I started doing my chore system, I began to wean myself away from the journalism. The honest truth is ... I don't miss it. Not at all.

posted by Deeanne at 11:55 AM

5 Comments:

TS said...: Dee,

I have had several friends suggest I write articles for magazines (usually they are suggesting church magazines.), but I have never felt any interest in writing 'articles.' I like fiction and poetry, and I want them on my terms, my projects. I very much understand your not missing your journalism. Especially when you can craft such a popular book like, "A Bride."

I have also always remembered what you told me, I think it was last fall, how that nothing happened until you gave it all to God. Thanks

blessings,
Marvin
Barb said...: Considering you started grownuphood as a teacher, do you prefer writing to teaching? I mean, with teaching you've got your "audience" right in front of you, face-to-face. A writing audience isn't quite as personal, tho I guess you can do it in your jammies, which is a plus!
Deeanne said...: The jammies are definitely a plus, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss my students. I loved that part of teaching. It was the administrative end that wore me out.

No, writing fiction is definitely the winner. Hands down.

And you're right, Marv. It's all about giving it to God. I'll go into that more specifically later as we work our way through the "menu."
Barb said...: Same reason my mom retired from teaching--the administrative end. Snax would also be something you can't have on hand all day while you're teaching. Another advantage of writing! What do you munch on while you work?
Deeanne said...: Anything chocolate. Cookies, candy bars, Ding Dongs, homemade fudge. All those things I shouldn't be munchin' on. But, hey, I drink it with water! And everybody knows drinking lots of water is real healthy. Right??