Do You Want to Be Taken Seriously?
By Robert Denson III

When I first approached the literary community, I was offended by the “hierarchy” that existed in the halls of literature. As a new writer, I was simply turned away because I had no writing credentials. Like that old cliché that “you can’t get a job without experience and you can’t get experience without a job”, I got frustrated with the literary establishment. My response to this grandeur, snobbish market was Sunpiper and Sunpiper Press. It was a good-hearted, “nose-thumbing” if you will, at the literary community and its refusal to allow new members. Since the establishment of this “literary outlet for the common writer”, I have learned quite a bit.

The most important thing I have learned is that writing is an Art. Now, I know you are asking yourself, “Who doesn’t know that?” I submit to you that not everyone does. One of the reasons people do not realize it is an Art is because it is often referred to as an Art. (Have I confused you yet? If not, well, you are already following me. If I did, let me explain.)

Art consists of subconscious symbols displayed through the vivid imagery of the artist. We often identify Art as paintings or sculpture. Because of this association, we normally decipher true art as being abstract. 

How many times have you viewed an intricately carved picture frame that held what looked like a once blank cloth that has been ravished by a child that took a paint brush and slung oil and acrylic all over it? You looked at this creation and asked yourself, “Did someone actually pay good money for that?” Then, you laugh and walk away. For me, it is quite frequent—not because it isn’t art, but because I don’t always “Get it”. But that is the beauty of abstract art—everyone gets something different and that is the objective. Abstract art works because it is visual and the impact is all about personal perception.

As I have learned over my course of time and experience, literature is not successful when it is presented in an abstract form. When a painter is articulating brush strokes, he/she is crafting a vision for the eye. When a writer articulates the strokes of the pen (or keystrokes since we are in the 21st century), he/she is crafting an emotional movement of the soul. We all perceive sights differently, but because we have all agreed to use the rules of our English language, not much luxury is afforded to a writer to express words by “coloring outside of the lines.” Because the written work has to move the emotions, the reader MUST GET IT and the reader must get it from the writer’s correct use of the language he/she has chosen to use. If the reader doesn’t get it, it is a wasted attempt at emotional imagery and the responsibility for the failure falls upon the shoulders of the writer—not the reader.

This leads me to offer this advice to new and emerging writers.

Literature is, in fact, an art form. The reason it is so hard for new writers to break into the market is because there are so many writers out there that are not serious about their Art. You would be amazed at the amount of writers out there that complain about not being allowed to play in the game when they have not taken the time to study the rulebook. My father always used to say to me, “If you want people to treat you with respect, you make sure they see you treating yourself with respect. Don’t expect them to give you more than what you are willing to give yourself.”

The long and short is this: If you want to be received as a professional, you must present yourself professionally. I will never forget the first negative comment I got regarding my establishment of Sunpiper.

An *editor contacted me about representing her work, but then told me that after seeing my site, it seemed I needed her help more than she needed mine. She proceeded to go through my complete website and point out every grammar and sentence structure mistake I made. She then left me her contact information and offered her services.

At first, I was angry and insulted. My first thought was, “I’m trying to do something good and all this lady wants to do is tear me down!” I wanted to reply in a smug, arrogant tone that “she didn’t know everything and she could stick her services where the sun don’t shine!”—but I didn’t. Instead, that editor made me STEP UP. She made me realize that there were plenty of people out there that would receive my representation of a client the same way they received my written word—as unorganized; as unprofessional; as throwing something together and expecting people to pick it up and run with it. She made me realize, I HAD TO DO BETTER.

I ended up thanking this editor and paying her to completely re-write the text on my website. I respected her bluntness because she is good at what she does—and should you expect anything less? If you shouldn’t expect anything less—don’t offer anything less.

*Linda Rimel (rhymes with primal) is the editor in which I am referring and she is good at what she does. Linda Rimel made me take my company to another level. www.sunpiper.com/lr.htm