Letting go

The grounds at FDR National Historic Site, Hyde Park, NY
Photo by Gail M. Pfeifer, RN, MA

It’s hard to let an article go. If you let your writing sit a bit (and I recommend that you do so), you’ll start to see errors that you didn’t notice while you were writing. This is normal and does not mean that you are a bad writer. Everyone makes mistakes during the process, and you will not be an exception. But correct those errors now, let the article sit a few days more, then read it again as if someone else had written it. Ask whether the point is clear, whether the topic grabs you, and tweak it further if you can improve on either of those domains. If not, let it go. It won’t be perfect, but if it’s the best you can do, let it go off to the editor of your targeted publication. If the topic is worthy, the editor will tell you what to do next.