Tight deadlines.

I'm excited to announce that if all goes as planned, I will have an article published this coming December. For those interested in going this route, I thought I'd share some lessons learned:

1. Be sure they're getting your information up front

When I heard the news that my article was picked up, I was ecstatic. But when it turned out that my editor wasn't receiving my emails, the deadline came up much quicker than I expected. I had to pull an almost all-nighter to get everything finished. If I had made a stronger effort to ensure that they were getting my correspondence, I wouldn't have found myself in that situation (though I've heard tight deadlines are somewhat common in publishing).

2. Make sure you're clear on their expectations

Once the email debaucle was cleared up, I made extra sure I was answering my editor's questions in a way that made sense to both of us. Make your questions specific, and clarify their questions when necessary.

3. Find others who have published articles in similar publications and contact them if you can

To add further content to my material, I interviewed someone who had written an article similar to mine, but with a much different scope. She was extremely helpful in helping wade through unsure waters, and offered very useful advice.

4. Don't worry so much

Be confident in your work. They chose it for a reason. Don't question what you've written (as I so often did). Just dot all your i's and cross your t's, and make sure the material is useful to a wide audience (or relatable to a wide audience if you're writing fiction).