Simon Says... So Much Is Out Of Our Control

Can you tell I have a wedding *and* a book coming up?

Welcome to Simon Says, a weekly newsletter from Rachel Simon all about freelance life—from the inside scoop on just-published stories to advice on how to pitch to what it’s *really* like to leave a cozy full-time gig for the chaotic, unpredictable world of invoicing (jk, freelancing, but IYKYK).

This week, I’ve been thinking a lot about the things we can and can’t control. Mostly, that’s because I’m getting married in three days (!!), and we’re dealing with some typical but stressful bumps like last-minute cancellations and unpredictable weather. (I’m muttering “sunny and 60, sunny and 60” to myself like a freakin’ mantra). But I’ve also been thinking about it in terms of writing.

In a sense, writing is largely an act of control. You get to decide what you want to say, how you want to say it, and who you want to say it to. You share only the information that you want others to know, and you do it by using language that you’ve carefully, purposefully picked; every word is a deliberate choice.

Yet writing is also an act of ceding control. You can put every last ounce of effort into telling a story exactly the way you want, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter. The reader will interpret it however they want, and decide for themselves what your words mean. Maybe it’ll be the same as what you intended, but more often than not, they’ll get something out of your writing that’s new, and different, and entirely their own.

In some ways, this is thrilling—people are reacting to your work!—but it’s also terrifying. As a writer, all you want is for readers to get you, to understand what you wanted to say and why you chose to say it. It’s why you write in the first place, why you bother being open and vulnerable in such a public way. But what if people don’t respond the way you want them to? What if they hate your work, or are bored by it, or find it dumb or repetitive or unnecessary? What if they don’t get it, and thus don’t get you?

There’s nothing you can do, as a writer, to control this. All you can do is put your whole heart into your work, word after word (or bird by bird, as I prefer), and maybe, if you’re lucky, the reader will meet you there.

(Can you tell I have a book coming out in four and a half months and really want people to like it??)

For now, I’m focusing on what I can control, and trying my best to push everything else aside.

Some Stories I Wrote Last Week

I have a bunch of ecomm stories to share from this week in addition to a few fun features:

For Vulture, I made a list of all the silly but must-see Kardashian/Jenner moments from the past year that need to be shown on Hulu’s upcoming The Kardashians.

On Real Simple, I wrote a review of a pair of super comfortable and cute leather sandals from NAOT I was recently sent.

For People, I talked about a $30 maxi dress from Amazon that has a ton of five-star reviews from shoppers.

For Daily Paws, I rounded up the best odor removers for dog/cat-caused problems, since pet ownership can be… smelly.

And lastly, also for Daily Paws, I wrote about an adorable surfing dog who also skateboards, snowboards, and sleds (!).

The Inside Scoop

Each week, I’ll pick one story I’ve written (new or old, if needed) and explain how it got from pitch/assignment to publication. This week, it’s the Vulture story on The Kardashians.

As some of you know, I’m kind of obsessed with all things Kardashian/Jenner. Should I be ashamed? Maybe. But guess what, I’m not, especially because I can turn that obsession into $$ through stories!

I came up with the idea for this one after reading about Kris Jenner hanging out with both Martha Stewart (?) and Lori Loughlin (??) and thinking, man, I really hope the Kardashians’ new Hulu show shows how the heck THAT happened. Then I started thinking about what else had happened to the family in the past year that I wanted to see on the show, and so I pitched the idea to my Vulture editor. She was on-board but wanted me to narrow the focus to small/silly things (rather than, say, Kourtney and Travis’ wedding, or Kylie giving birth), which I was totally fine with. Et voila!

Other Work/Life Stuff Of Note

I had a great freelancing consulting session with a writer last week, where I answered all her questions about sending pitches, connecting with editors, finding sources, and more! If you’re interested in booking a session, all info is here.

Reminder that if you pre-order my book Pickleball For All and send me proof, I’ll make you a custom crossword puzzle! It can be about you, your fam/friend, or a piece of pop culture you love.

Coming Up…

My next writing class, on Creative Nonfiction, starts on Wednesday, May 18 and runs for six weeks! If you’re in the North Carolina Triangle area, you can sign up here.

Also, for locals—I’ll be leading a pitch workshop at Raleigh’s Quail Ridge Books on Sunday, May 1. Sign up here!

Finally, a reminder that on Wednesday, April 13, I’ll be hosting a virtual AMA with Study Hall about freelancing, pitching, and promoting your work. Subscribe to Study Hall in order to join the chat.

Alrighty, thanks for reading, everyone! Feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, etc. I love hearing from you, truly.

Talk soon,

Rachel