Dear Future Me: I hope as you look back, you’ll remember wonderful things you’ve accomplished, especially as a writer! Some experiences may have been difficult, but I bet much of your writing life has been fun and maybe even a bit surprising. That’s why I’m using the Writer’s Relief time-traveling postal service to send this letter to my future writer self—to remind you (aka me) of all the important steps of your writing journey!

To My Future Writer Self…

Here’s what I already know…that it’s important to schedule time to write, even if it’s only one sentence each day. Don’t let the busyness of life put your writing goals on the back burner! But do make time for friends: birdwatching with Wynonna, coffee with Jill, and sharing David’s famous blueberry pie! You should always take time to de-stress, because it helps you be a better writer.

Keep connecting with other writers too! Attending conferences and being part of a writing group boost your creativity and inspire you to improve your work. Vince always has something nice to say in his writing critiques, and I bet he still does.

You must be on your ninety-ninth red pen by now! Rewriting, editing, and careful proofreading can be the difference between “just OK” writing and great writing. And even if you’re still wearing that oversized, ripped sweatshirt and mismatched socks (you’re not, are you?), you don’t want to submit sloppy work—that’s a real no-no for literary agents and editors.

I know getting rejections is part of being a writer—does it get any easier? Right now, I’m focusing on the fact that rejections are actually a good thing! I hope you’ve kept this mindset: It means you’re submitting your work and getting one step closer to an acceptance with each rejection. (The publishing industry rule of thumb is 100 submissions to get one acceptance—even for strong writing and well-targeted submissions!) Remember, if you’re not getting a fair number of rejection letters, you might not be submitting your writing often enough. Don’t give up!

And don’t go it alone when planning your submissions! That would be like the time Tiffany attempted to singlehandedly walk seven dogs at once: A jumbled tangle of leads, no forward progress, and we still haven’t found the corgi.

Instead, let the experts at Writer’s Relief help. Their professional researchers can pinpoint the best markets for your writing submissions. They do all the busywork; you just write!

Since Writer’s Relief boosts your odds of getting published, you’ll have to break out your happy dance more often! Shannon can show you a few new moves—you’ll be floating on air!

Here’s what’s important for you to know, future writer self: You’re a good writer with interesting ideas who’s dedicated to improving your skills and using a targeted submission strategy to increase your chances of success. You don’t let rejection get you down, because the next email may hold an acceptance. You’ve also thought to yourself more than once, I really enjoy writing! and it’s true, you do.

With love,

Present Me

Oh, PS: If you’re still considering that super-trendy haircut with neon flame accents—trust me, don’t do it.

Question: What would you say in a letter to your future writer self?