FAQ what you need to know first

This question would best directed to a publisher or agent and at the point of a writer's career that they actually have something to publish; a product that has a history of research, interviews, drafted outlines, writing, more research, re-writing, more editing, time in a writing group, reading, looking for better writing groups, reading more, watching TV, re-writing, getting pissed off at the comments that members of the writing groups give you, spending time stewing, more research, more re-writes, giving up, watching more TV, teach yourself grammar all over again.

After doing open mics around town (Santa Monica/Westside LA) with the same three poems, I had the opportunity to read the poems at an Open Mic at a Chicana Writers' Conference at Santa Monica College. After my reading, a man approached me. He said he was a publisher and was interested in publishing my work. I don't think he was all that serious, but I still kept on him, almost like nagging him to keep his word. The conference was in the spring and I worked all summer in finessing "my manuscript." I remember I loved telling people that. "So what are you up to this summer?" "Oh, I'm working on my manuscript…" Anyhow, the end result was Chicana Falsa!

"I definitely had to become more focused with my editing and writing. I started to write daily and took the risk of finally submitting stories to magazines and anthologies."