Published in Woman's World

Well! It's happened... I'm in Woman's World  as the author of their romantic fiction story. It's so exciting!

The magazine offered to buy my story a few months or so ago, and I was thrilled with the idea, of course. I got the check a month or so after that, and then I eagerly waited for June to roll around to see my name in print. I knew that they were buying the rights to my story, and that their editors would probably rip it apart and put it back together again before actually publishing it. I thought I was fine with that. I thought that I didn't care, at all, how people changed and edited and modified my work to make it "better".

I thought.

When I read what was published, I had a mini-breakdown. Not emotional - although, somewhat panicked and hysterical. It was so beyond my recognition that I was afraid that I had sent the wrong version -- an earlier version -- of the story to them with my contract.

I went home and double-checked. Certain that I had made the biggest blunder in publishing history, that I had sent a rough draft when they had asked for a finished copy, I kept shaking my head and cursing myself. Why hadn't they told me! It would have taken one email, and I could have sent the right version! This isn't the story they purchased! Am I now in breach of contract?

I looked, and found that no, I had sent the right version. The end result is what they felt good about publishing in the magazine.

Huh.

So, I'm trying to shrug my shoulders and just be pleased by my name in print in a national magazine that I know at least two women (my mom and good friend, Suesan) purchase on a weekly basis. Even though, it's not really the story I had proudly signed my name to six months ago.

Once you've bought the magazine and read for yourself, if you'd like to see the unpublished version, I think I would be happy to send that your way. Just let me know.