May | 2011 | Cathy C. Hall Writes

Writing for no compensation is an individual choice. Sometimes, it may be worth the exposure; sometimes, it may be a way of giving back. And sometimes, it may have everything to do with where you are on your writing journey.

When I saw this paragraph from the Underneath The Juniper Tree submission guidelines, I decided to share the market here:

*All of those at Underneath The Juniper Tree are volunteers and therefore we are unable to compensate writers and artists with money or abundance of gifts for their work. We will, however, put many hours into helping with editing and suggestions with pieces so that you’re best work can be displayed in Underneath The Juniper Tree if it is accepted. We love new work and want to see emerging creative people succeed.

Hours of editing could be a very useful tool for an emerging children’s writer, especially if you’re looking to try your hand at something a little outside your regular genre. Think of it as an opportunity, like an internship. It’s true that you won’t be compensated in dollars and cents, but you will learn something about children’s writing that perhaps only experience can give you.

So, you might want to take a closer look at this online magazine. If you’ve been working on something a smidge scary, a tad terrifying, or just drop-dead dark, this might be the perfect market for your creepy story. Here’s the details for submitting, and here’s the link to the contest they’re running.

Now all you have to do is decide whether to keep this market…or not.

So I’ve absolutely, positively finished the last of the edits on my YA manuscript. I’ve even started a new Middle Grade idea, and fleshed out where I want the story to go. I really, really need to get cracking on that agent query and put words on paper for the MG manuscript. And yet…I seem to be stuck in piddling mode.

You know what I mean by piddling? It’s that frittering away of time on little tasks that kinda, sorta should be done but honestly, you could let go. That chair you painted five years ago that could use a second coat? You’ve let it go all this time, but suddenly, you piddle around, looking for that can of paint…and do you have a brush? Maybe you could just dash to the store and pick up another one. And before you know it, you’ve piddled around the entire day and all you have to show for it (maybe) is a freshly painted chair.

Pondering on my piddling has led me to the inevitable conclusion: Piddling is keeping me from facing that agent-querying task. It’s ever so hard to put one’s heart and soul out there, even if you’ve had years of practice. But now I’m declaring this a No Piddle Zone. It’s GO time on that query!

Um, but before I go, I have to share what Juniorette Hall brought to my attention yesterday on a shoe-shopping expedition. “Look at this,” she said, pointing to the little silica gel packet. “Do not eat” was printed on it. The quotation marks are theirs, not mine.

Which of course, made me think of the “blog” of “unnecessary” quotation marks. I mean, why would you put Do Not Eat in quotation marks on this packet? Maybe, really, it’s okay to eat silica gel. Or maybe…oh, shoot. See?

There I go, piddling again.