Backwoods Home, in a classy move, sent me a free copy of the issue in which my one and only BHM article resides.
As an insecure, egotistical bastard, I must admit the article as published is one of the main reasons I got out of writing freelance feature articles. (The other, principal reason is that the dollar value is so rarely worth the time. I did work-for-hire far too long to get any thrill out of seeing my words in print. For the record, BHM paid pretty well – and very promptly.) But when I write words and someone agrees to print them, those are the words I want to see in print. Regular TUAK readers know that I’m fond of my Joelisms. I do not like seeing them edited out, because I like Rocky Road and some editor I don’t know prefers vanilla.
BHM paid me very well for this article, as I said, but then they edited out the Joelisms. Which bugs me, I confess. I think it was Heinlein who said, “Never argue with an editor. Once he’s peed all over your work, he’ll like the taste better and be willing to pay more.” But I never aspired to Heinlein’s lofty ethics.
On the other hand, it did make the cover. So I’ll take that as an ego boost or something and move along.
You mean “10 traits for better living” isn’t your article?????
BWAAAHAHAHA!!!!!!
Sorry couldn’t resist{;>)
Nope, that was Claire. A good article, which does have a quote from Joel under “learning to relax.”
Joel, I liked your piece too, sorry to hear you got edited.
Enjoyed your article. Sorry it was edited, Like your Joelisms
Very groovy! You got the only kind of literary criticism that matters. 😉
Even that great old man, Elmer Keith, had a serious problem with editors, who took some efforts to correct his typewriter’s tendencies to awkward spelling, punctuation and grammar.
So even though those aren’t your mis-steps, you’re in real good company, IMHO.
Great article, even if somewhat “truncated”.
🙂
We get the mag, & when I saw the article, I asked the Mrs., “isn’t that Joel’s cabin”?
Shure ‘nuf.
It seemed awfully vanilla for something you wrote, now we know why. Can you post the original for us to enjoy or is that a violation of some agreement you signed?
Congrats 🙂 As a fellow writer (more hobby-writer) I relish with your front-page accomplishment 😀
Joel, I humbly suggest three future BHM articles for you to write and submit: 1) “Creative Rodent Control” 2) “Oven Maintenance and Repair for Idiots” and 2) “Economical Cabin Wrapping”. Riches and popular acclaim will be yours!
No doubt, others here could keep you supplied with even better ideas for articles.
YAY! How many writers never get published? And now for something completely different…can I have your email address? I’m far too lame to find it via stalk & search. cb1504@yahoo.com I’m between jobs, the new one starts 1/12. Plenty of time to read things. I’ve been enjoying your blog and I have some thoughts. Stay warm, cb
Oh, I’ve been published hundreds of times – just mostly not with a byline. That tends to pay much better, hour for hour, than writing freelance articles.
Email sent.
I have no idea what editorial changes they infliced on you but it might not have been that bad. The article had the “tone” of your blog even if it was a bit more milquetoast than you’d prefer. As I read it (yes I’m a BHM subscriber) I thought “yep, that sounds like TUAK”. It can’t get much better than that.
Don’t sweat the small stuff, even if it wasn’t perfect they didn’t nuke it. Plus, money!
Actually I got a very flattering email yesterday from the person I dealt with at BHM, asking for more. So now I’m starting work on a longer article. Whatcha think about “Living the simple life on $30 a week”?
It would’ve been more entertaining without the editing, but what the hell–you got paid. FWIW, it was informative, enough so to get folks who are vaguely interested to perhaps seek more info.
I guess they wouldn’t let you plug your (both more enlightening & more entertaining) tome on the same subject? Shame. Could’ve got continuing returns from this job. Hell, if folks want to find you (on the Web, I mean; I wouldn’t recommend going hunting for Joel) Claire gave a link; yay, publicity!
I think you could do more than a few. You have a skill set, expanded by where & how you’ve chosen to live, that could be useful to folks in widely varied situations.