Learn English with American Primary School Textbooks

Chapter 37 Literature and Art (2)
Even if you have revised and edited your work several times, it is a good idea to check it again to see if it meets the needs of the magazines you have targeted. Is it too long or too short compared to other poems or stories printed in the magazine? Is the content too difficult or too easy? Revise your writing, if necessary. Then write a short letter to the editor telling briefly about what you have written. Remember to include your home address and phone number! In a large envelope, put what you have written, the letter, and a stamped envelope addressed to yourself for the editor's reply.
Vocabulary
Talented ["t? l? ntid] adj. talented, talented, talented
Reject [ri"d?ekt] vt. Reject, decline, reject, return;
n. Rejected goods, unqualified products
Sensible ["sens? bl] adj. sensible, reasonable, realistic, palpable
particular [p? "tikjul?] adj. Specific, certain, special, critical, detailed;

n. details, details

back issue back issue
target ["tɑ:ɡit] n. (shooting) target;
vt. aim at something
revise [ri"vaiz] vt. revise, revise;
vt. & vi. review
Briefly ["bri:fli] adv. Briefly and briefly

Practice
After studying how to get published, read the following steps and place them in the correct order.
1. Mail what you have written to the editor
2. Get several magazines for young writers.

3. Write a short letter to the editor about your work.

4. Target the magazines that might publish your type of writing.

5. Study the magazines to find out the type of writing they publish.

6. Check and revise, if necessary, your piece of writing.

7. Include a stamped, self-addressed envelope with your writing.

Translation
Many talented young authors have their work rejected, often because they have sent their work to the wrong type of journal.For example, a beautiful poem sent to the editor of a magazine that only publishes science fiction is bound to be rejected. To "return" a piece of work means that the editor does not intend to publish it in the journal.

If you want to reduce the number of rejections of a work, there is a practical way to "research the market" first.Remember that the "market" for writers is the magazines and newspapers that publish their work. "Researching" a particular market simply means that you should read carefully the journal you want to contribute to.In public libraries you can find many children's magazines.If the desired journal is not available, you can ask your librarian for assistance in locating the journal.Then write to the editor and ask them for a back issue.

Knowing the type of work a magazine publishes can help you "target" the market. "Targeting" simply means sending your work to the magazines that carry it.If you study the markets first, and then target them, you'll only send your beautiful poetry to poetry magazines, and you'll only send science fiction stories to science fiction magazines.

Even if you've revised and edited your work several times, before sending it to the magazine you're targeting, it's a good idea to double check that it meets the needs of that magazine.Is it too short or too long compared to other poems, stories in this magazine?Is the content too difficult or too easy?Revise your work if necessary.Then write a short note to the editor, briefly introducing yourself to your writing, and remember to include your home address and phone number!In one large envelope, include your work, your text message, and a stamped, self-addressed envelope for editorial responses.

Exercise
After learning how to get published, read the steps below and put them in the correct order.

1.Send your letter to the editor.

2.Find some magazines aimed at young authors.

3.Write a short note to the editor about your work.

4.Aim for magazines that are likely to publish your type of work.

5.Research magazines to find out what types of work they publish.

6.Review and revise your work if necessary.

7.Put a stamped and self-addressed envelope with your work.

2→5→4→6→3→7→1
03 Boy Wanted

A boy who stands straight, sits straight, acts straight, and talks straight;

A boy who listens carefully when spoken to, who asks questions when he does not understand, and does not ask questions about things that are none of his business;

A boy whose fingernails are not in mourning, whose ears are clean, whose shoes are polished, whose clothes are brushed, whose hair is combed, and whose teeth are well cared for;

A boy who moves quickly and makes as little noise about it as possible;

A boy who whistles in the street but not where he ought to keep still;

A boy who looks cheerful, has a ready smile for everybody, and never sulks;

A boy who is polite to every man and respectful to every woman and girl;

A boy who does not smoke and has no desire to learn how;

A boy who never bullies other boys or allows boys to bully him;

A boy who, when he does not know a thing, says, “I do not know”; and when he has made a mistake says, “I'm sorry” and when requested to do anything, immediately says, “I'll try";
A boy who looks you right in the eye and tells the truth every time;

A boy who would rather lose his job or be expelled from school than tell a lie or be a cad;

A boy who is more eager to know how to speak good English than to talk slang;

A boy who does not want to be “smart” nor in anyway attract attention;

A boy who is eager to read good, wholesome books;

A boy whom other boys like;

A boy who is perfectly at ease in the company of respectable girls;

A boy who is not a goody-goody, a prig, or a little Pharisee, but just healthy, happy, and full of life;

A boy who is not sorry for himself and not forever thinking and talking about himself;

A boy who is friendly with his mother and more intimate with her than with anyone else;

A boy who makes you feel good when he is around;

This boy is wanted everywhere. The family wants him, the school wants him, the office wants him, the boys and girls want him, and all creation wants him.
Vocabulary
fingernail ["fi?ɡ?"neil] n. nail
mourning ["m?: ni?] n. grief, mourning

comb [k? um] vt. & vi. sort out, search in..., thoroughly search;
n. comb
Whistle ["hwisl] vt. & vi. whistle;
vi. To honk and roar forward
sulk[s? lk] vi. Sulk;
n. sulking

respectful [ris"pektful] adj. polite, respectful
bully ["buli] vt. Intimidate, intimidate

expel [iks"pel] vt. Expel, drive away, exile, expel...

cad [k? d] n. [口] dirty people, vulgar people
slang [sl? ? ] n. Slang, slang;
vt.
Wholesome ["h? uls? m] adj. Wholesome

goody-goody ["ɡudi"ɡudi] n. 〈口〉A hypocritical person, Mr. Taoism

prig [priɡ] n. serious person

Pharisee ["f? risi:] n. Hypocrite

intimate ["inlimit] adj. Intimate, close, personal, proficient;

n.
Practice
Compared yourself to the boy, find out where need to be improved.
Translation
The boy, he should sit upright, behave gracefully, speak and act well;
When someone talks to him, he listens carefully and asks questions if he doesn't understand, but never asks what he shouldn't know;

His nails shall have no dirt under his nails, his ears shall be clean, his shoes and clothes shall be clean, his hair shall be neatly combed, and his teeth shall be well cared for;

He moves quickly and makes as little noise as possible;

He can whistle in the street, but he will not boo casually when silence is required;

He looks pleasant, smiles at everyone and never gets angry;

He was kind to all, courteous to women and girls;
He does not know how to smoke, and has no desire to learn to smoke;
He never bullied other boys, and never allowed other boys to bully himself;

When he doesn't know something, he says "I don't know", when he makes a mistake, he says "I'm sorry", when he is asked to do something, he says "Let me try ";
He will look you in the eyes, never lie every time he speaks;
He would rather lose his job or be expelled from school than lie or do mean things;
He longed to speak fluent English, not full of slang;
He doesn't want to be "smooth" or grandstanding;
He is eager to read good books;
He is the type that the partners like;

He feels so natural when he's with the girls;

He is not a moralist, a pretentious person, a hypocrite, he is healthy, progressive, happy and full of vitality;
He never complained, never thought and talked about himself;
He and his mother were very friendly, and they were closer than anyone else;

Always makes you feel good when he is around;
Such a boy is needed everywhere—the family needs him, the school needs him, the company needs him, his friends need him, the girls need him, and all creatures need him.

Exercise
Compare yourself to this boy and find areas for improvement.

04 The Little Prince Told You
You know — one loves the sunset, when one is so sad…

If someone loves a flower, of which just one single blossom grows in all the millions and millions of stars, it is enough to make him happy just to look at the stars. He can say to himself, “Somewhere, my flower is there… ” But if the sheep eats the flower, in one moment all his stars will be darkened… And you think that is not important!

Flowers are so inconsistent! But I was too young to know how to love her…

For she did not want him to see her crying. She was such a proud flower…

My flower is ephemeral, and she has only four thorns to defend herself against the world. And I have left on my planet, all alone!

His flower had told him that she was only one of her kind in all universe. And here were five thousand of them, all alike, in one single garden!

I thought that I was rich, with a flower that was unique in all the world; and all I had was a common rose. A common rose…

(End of this chapter)