I’ve been writing a book column for fourteen years. It runs twice a month, and I love writing it. For the bulk of those years, it only ran in the first paper that agreed to let me try my hand at writing a column, the Norfolk Daily News in Norfolk, NE — my hometown.
A year and a half ago, I managed to get a newspaper in another state to run it, and then I got two more in Nebraska to start running it last December, so I’ve been really happy to be a self-syndicated columnist.
Well, the two others in Nebraska are owned by a conglomerate that has decided to “temporarily suspend” all freelance contributions to the papers, at least to those two in Nebraska. If it’s to all their papers, then the out-of-state one will probably be calling me too because it is owned by the same conglomerate. I’m hoping that doesn’t happen, but time will tell.
Fortunately, the Norfolk Daily News isn’t owned by that conglomerate, so I’m hoping at least to keep writing the column for them, and I will continue to try to get it into other newspapers. However, most newspapers nowadays are owned by one of the many large conglomerates, so it’s harder and harder for freelancers to find newspapers willing to take us on.
Supposedly, I will be able to contribute my column again to those newspapers beginning in October, but I’m not overly optimistic that the conglomerate will stick to that promise. I’m hoping they do, but . . .
This is a financial punch to the gut, too, because I am paid for my column, so I will be losing that income. It’s not much, but every cent helps when I’m barely making any money as a writer to begin with.
When I left my teaching career, and the guaranteed salary and benefits that came with it, behind two years ago, I knew that I was stepping into a great big pit of the unknown and that I would struggle a lot to get through it. I’ve loved every difficult step along the way, though, despite the total lack of financial security I now have.
This news is a big setback in my writing journey, and I’m very sad about it, but the column did run for a while in those two newspapers, and I heard from readers in those towns who really enjoyed reading it. I’m going to hope like crazy that the conglomerate will keep its promise and allow me to return to those papers in October.
I will keep searching for other newspapers who might be willing to run the column, too.
I’ve long considered making a book out of all the past columns, so that is an option for the future, if and when it finally runs its course, but I would really prefer to keep writing it each month.
I’m going to share the five most recent column pieces with paying subscribers below. I’ve shared some here before with paying subscribers. If you’re not one, please consider becoming one, if even just for one month. It’s only a few dollars a month, and this struggling writer appreciates every penny.
I know this is just a setback on my writing journey and that most of what I want to do as a writer deals with being a novelist, so I need to focus my attention on finishing the sixth novel and then on writing a seventh and an eighth, etc.
However, I’m human, and, as a human, things like this do make me sad, and feelings of self doubt surface. I try to beat them back with a figurative stick, but they still circle me like figurative sharks.
When I’m sad, I write. When I’m angry, I write. When I’m conflicted, I write. Etcetera. Thus, I’m writing to you to share my sorrow at the loss of a major step forward in my writing journey. I know I will recover and be stronger for it, but I just needed to vent a little bit. Thank you for reading, and thank you so much for being there for me on my journey.
Please tell others about me and my books, and about me and my column if you happen to know a newspaper editor whose arm you can twist a little. Ha ha.
My author website: Tammy Marshall author
I have a few readings and appearances coming up, so be sure to visit that page on my website to see when and where they are.
To focus on a positive before I sign off — at the 4th of July parade here where I live, a high school classmate of mine saw me and brought her sister-in-law over to meet me in person because her sister-in-law had recently purchased “The Clearwater House” at my mom’s store. The sister-in-law was carrying the book as she crossed the street to meet me, and the bookmark in it showed that she was almost done reading it. She was so excited to meet me, and I was very touched by her praise and enthusiasm for my first novel. They each wanted to purchase another of my books to share, so the classmate bought “Twinges” and the sister-in-law bought “State of Georgia . . . and Other Writings.” They promised to get the other two at a later date.
Moments like that blow bad news like I received today out of the water, but I’m sure you know how it is — for some reason, the bad news lingers and drags at us much longer than the good news/moments stick around and lift us up.
But I try to focus on the positive, so I wanted to end this post with that good moment — actually, it was a great moment.
If you’ve read any of my books, you lift me up. Thank you.
Until next time. Read on below if you’re a paying subscriber.
Tammy Marshall
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