Please Welcome Debut Author,Selena Illyria

The Journey to Becoming Published
By Selena Illyria

I believe it was Eleanor Roosevelt that said, "Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product.". Being published is a by-product not a goal for me. As a writer, it is nice to be published, to have that tool to reach so many readers, sharing the world I created with them, but it is not why I write. I just love to write. Once I decided to become a writer, my world shifted and worlds opened up to me that I never thought possible. Now, I can't get those worlds or the characters found therein to shut up and let me think.

It's bad enough to have ideas on my own, but it's even worse to toss around ideas with my CPs Celia Kyle and Shara Cooper. They enable me and encourage me, but they are not the only ones. I started off writing fan-fiction, than tried my hand at writing my own stories. If not for the encouragement of my friend and fellow author Eve Vaughn, I wouldn't have dared to try writing Erotica. Once I started I couldn't be stopped. I found myself thinking of new story lines and new characters. But during that time I never thought I could be published, I didn't think my work was good enough compared to say Eve Vaughn, Marilyn Lee, Celia Kyle and Shara Cooper. As time went on my confidence in my writing grew. I started to love the characters and worlds I had come to create. I thought of being published, looked at the submissions guides but I was still unsure if my work was good enough.

As time went by and I started to finish more and more stories, the thought of being published become more than a passing thought. I contemplated which of my stories I could submit and which ones needed more work or thought. I finally chose one, had it beta read, edited and then sent it in. It was rejected. I was sad of course, but after looking it over I could see it needed more work. From the time I had submitted that story to the time I had found out it was rejected I had become a better author. I could now writer longer stories. I had also co-founded and contributed to the free story site The Pink Chair Diaries. That in and on its own helped improve my confidence in my writing greatly, also I was able to reach new people who discovered my work. After waiting a few months, writing a few more stories, I decided to try subbing again, this time with a new story. I was nervous, scared and worried that they wouldn't like it. During the waiting time I worked on more stories and kept on the lookout for that email that would tell me yea or nay. Finally I got a response back, they liked it. They wanted to contract it. I was overjoyed my brain couldn't process what had just happened. It happened so quickly, I signed the contract, sent it in and it all hit me, I am now a contracted author. In a few months I will be a published author. After months of hard work, after all the worrying, all the checking, me, Selena Illyria, will be a published author.

-- Dear Reader, Let Me Seduce You . . .

Website: http://www.seleaillyria.com/

Blog: http://www.selenaillyriasthoughts.blogspot.com/

My Space Page: www.myspace.com/selenaillyria

Selena Illyria Contributes to: http://www.pinkchairdiaries.com/