more on "rules"

From a *very* intelligent posters on one my loops:

“Our knowledge… should always be a tool that helps us, not a roadblock that we place in our own path.”

Sing it, sister!

And this, in a nutshell, is what I’m getting at when I say that there’s wiggle room. This isn’t putting together an appliance, where if you don’t follow the instructions precisely, you don’t get a working DVD player. It’s more like cooking by recipe — substitutions ARE allowed, and there’s more than one way too bake a birthday cake. If there’s a closed door, try a window — a contest, a conference, a very short, very politely worded query in which you clearly demonstrate why you are The One They’ve Been Looking For.

The bottom line is that while editors and agents might limit their submissions avenues to keep out the rabble, they are DYING to be the first to discover The Next Big Thing.

Let’s not be shrinking violets, people. There’s a substantive difference between polite business inquiries and nagging, and it’s a valuable one to learn.