--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the usual way I submitted manuscripts…" description: "\"In the usual way I submitted manuscripts to publishers. This was not so much a feeling that I should be published as a wish to escape the feared and ha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/204/tanith-lee-3374_adults_in-the-usual-way-i-submitted-manuscripts_104934.jpg" --- # In the usual way I submitted manuscripts to publishers… ![“In the usual way I submitted manuscripts to publishers. This was not so much a feeling that I should be published as a wish to escape the feared and hated drudgery of "normal" work. In my twenties some of my work for children was published by Macmillan. However, I was twenty-seven before my adult…” quote by Tanith Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/204/tanith-lee-3374_adults_in-the-usual-way-i-submitted-manuscripts_104934.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/204/tanith-lee-3374_adults_in-the-usual-way-i-submitted-manuscripts_104934.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/204/tanith-lee-3374_adults_in-the-usual-way-i-submitted-manuscripts_104934.jpg) > “In the usual way I submitted manuscripts to publishers. This was not so much a feeling that I should be published as a wish to escape the feared and hated drudgery of "normal" work. In my twenties some of my work for children was published by Macmillan. However, I was twenty-seven before my adult novel, The Birthgrave, was taken by DAW Books in the USA. This enabled me finally to stop doing stupid and soul-killing jobs, and start working day and night as a professional writer. It felt like a rescue from damnation, and still does.” [Tanith Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanith-lee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Publishing provided an escape from unsatisfying work, allowing the author to pursue writing full‑time and feel rescued from a bleak routine. **In simple terms:** Publishing freed the author from drudgery. Key Takeaway Creative work can be a lifeline from oppressive jobs. Themes career transition creative fulfillment publishing industry personal rescue Mood hopeful determined Type career reflection creative inspiration When to use this quote - career change counseling - writing workshops - author mentorship programs Key Concepts self‑actualization escape from monotony Practical Applications - seek publishing contracts to enable full‑time writing - use writing as a therapeutic outlet Questions to Reflect On - What risks accompany leaving a stable job for creative work? - How can writers prepare for publishing setbacks? A Different Perspective Success in publishing is uncertain; many writers remain in unsatisfying jobs despite talent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adults](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adults/) [Art work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-work/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Damnation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/damnation/) [Day and night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day-and-night/) [Drudgery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drudgery/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Killing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killing/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Publishers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/publishers/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Twenties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twenties/) [Usa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/usa/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I submitted manuscripts to publishers. This was not so much a feeling that I should be published as a wish to escape the feared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanith-lee/i-submitted-manuscripts-to-publishers-this-was-not-so-much-a-feeling/) [Tanith Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanith-lee/) > [As a graduate student, I wrote a long paper connecting the dots between mathematical models of learning and language development in children. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/as-a-graduate-student-i-wrote-a-long-paper-connecting-the-dots/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [“A professional writer is an amateur who never gave up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bach/a-professional-writer-is-an-amateur-who-never-gave-up/) [Richard Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bach/) > [To practice - write each and every day if possible - then try to attend professional writer's conferences where you can learn your craft,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dashner/to-practice-write-each-and-every-day-if-possible-then-try-to-attend/) [James Dashner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dashner/) > [At some point if you're a professional writer, no matter what, it always comes down to you staring at the blank page by yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-guggenheim/at-some-point-if-you-re-a-professional-writer-no-matter-what-it/) [Marc Guggenheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-guggenheim/) > [Is any novelist going to recognize the moment when he or she has nothing more to say? It is a brave thing to admit.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/is-any-novelist-going-to-recognize-the-moment-when-he-or-she-has/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) > [The life of the professional writer - like that of any freelance, whether she be a plumber or a podiatrist - is predicated on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-self/the-life-of-the-professional-writer-like-that-of-any-freelance/) [Will Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-self/) > [My personal opinion is that, if you're a professional writer, that you do have quotas. So every day I do try to write 800-1,200…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-bohjalian/my-personal-opinion-is-that-if-you-re-a-professional-writer-that-you/) [Chris Bohjalian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-bohjalian/) > [Here's the bottom line; writers write. Sometimes words flow easily. Sometimes it's like sloughing through mud. 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But I couldn't follow their advice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/most-people-probably-didn-t-think-i-d-make-it-as-a-professional/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [It is perfectly possible to be a professional director or a professional writer and not to be an artist: merely a sort of executor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-tarkovsky/it-is-perfectly-possible-to-be-a-professional-director-or-a/) [Andrei Tarkovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-tarkovsky/) > [I'm not the most talented writer in the world. I know that. But I also know that I'm disciplined, that I work my butt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-b-coe/i-m-not-the-most-talented-writer-in-the-world-i-know-that-but-i-also/) [David B. Coe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-b-coe/) > [“I had been a writer all of my life, every waking second, and now that part of my life was over. I suppose the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-greer/i-had-been-a-writer-all-of-my-life-every-waking-second-and-now-that/) [Bonnie Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-greer/) ## More by Tanith Lee > [No one more cynical than an idealist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanith-lee/no-one-more-cynical-than-an-idealist/) [Tanith Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanith-lee/) > [The humble were the elect of God. Did not the priests teach so, in their gemmed, kingly robes, from their towering pulpits?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanith-lee/the-humble-were-the-elect-of-god-did-not-the-priests-teach-so-in/) [Tanith Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanith-lee/) > [“Having told of so much beauty, how is it possible to tell of her? 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But to say it's too complex is to insult the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanith-lee/if-they-had-said-my-writing-wasn-t-good-enough-fair-enough-that-s-an/) [Tanith Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanith-lee/) > [“Louisa beheld the grounds and house with the calm pleasure of one who has seen nothing, been nowhere, expects everything, and has little imagination.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanith-lee/louisa-beheld-the-grounds-and-house-with-the-calm-pleasure-of-one-who/) [Tanith Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanith-lee/) > [“Live and let love. Love and let go. Go live.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanith-lee/live-and-let-love-love-and-let-go-go-live/) [Tanith Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanith-lee/) > [Pirates have always fascinated me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanith-lee/pirates-have-always-fascinated-me/) [Tanith Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanith-lee/) > [“All the Scarabae—all but one—were crowded in the garden. They watched her. Their grim old faces gave away nothing. Like elderly kiddies at a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanith-lee/all-the-scarabae-all-but-one-were-crowded-in-the-garden-they-watched/) [Tanith Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanith-lee/) > [“She did this not out of fear of him, but out of pity. Because she had come to see the ultimate terrible truth behind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanith-lee/she-did-this-not-out-of-fear-of-him-but-out-of-pity-because-she-had/) [Tanith Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanith-lee/) > [Writing is writing, and stories are stories. Perhaps the only true genres are fiction and nonfiction. And even there, who can be sure?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanith-lee/writing-is-writing-and-stories-are-stories-perhaps-the-only-true/) [Tanith Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanith-lee/) > [“Tanaquil gently toed the peeve. "I'll unfasten the window. Jump out to the lower roof and run." "Stay and bite," said the peeve.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanith-lee/tanaquil-gently-toed-the-peeve-i-ll-unfasten-the-window-jump-out-to/) [Tanith Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanith-lee/) > [The bitterness of joy lies in the knowledge that is cannot last. Nor should joy last beyond a certain season, for, after that season,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanith-lee/the-bitterness-of-joy-lies-in-the-knowledge-that-is-cannot-last-nor/) [Tanith Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanith-lee/) [Explore all 131 Tanith Lee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanith-lee/) ## More Adults quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [Plainly, the environment must be a living one, directed by a higher intelligence, arranged by an adult who is prepared for his mission.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/plainly-the-environment-must-be-a-living-one-directed-by-a-higher/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [Almost everywhere we find . . . the use of various coercive measures, to rid ourselves as quickly as possible of the child withinus--i.e.,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/almost-everywhere-we-find-the-use-of-various-coercive-measures-to-rid/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) > [Education, for most people, means trying to lead the child to resemble the typical adult of his society . . . but for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-piaget/education-for-most-people-means-trying-to-lead-the-child-to-resemble/) [Jean Piaget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-piaget/) > [I do not believe in public shaming. I do believe that young adults go to college to learn things, and that this process will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/i-do-not-believe-in-public-shaming-i-do-believe-that-young-adults-go/) [Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/) > [The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance”: “The differences between expert performers and normal adults are not immutable, that is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-anders-ericsson/the-role-of-deliberate-practice-in-the-acquisition-of-expert/) K. Anders Ericsson > [Part of life is doing stuff that you don't want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/one-who-does-not-wish-to-be-named/part-of-life-is-doing-stuff-that-you-don-t-want-to-do/) One Who Does Not Wish To Be Named > [ He \[an earnest young reporter\] seemed to share the view of many intelligent, well-educated, well-meaning people that, while adult literature may aim to be… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-paterson/he-an-earnest-young-reporter-seemed-to-share-the-view-of-many/) [Katherine Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-paterson/) > [Kids, if anything, are harder to write for because they are a more discerning audience. 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As much as we like them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-abagnale/when-i-was-a-child-at-sixteen-i-was-just-a-child-all-sixteen-year/) [Frank Abagnale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-abagnale/) [Browse all 3,113 Adults quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adults/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In the usual way I submitted manuscripts to publishers. This was not so much a feeling that I should be published as a wish to escape the feared and hated drudgery of \"normal\" work. In my twenties some of my work for children was published by Macmillan. However, I was twenty-seven before my adult novel, The Birthgrave, was taken by DAW Books in the USA. This enabled me finally to stop doing stupid and soul-killing jobs, and start working day and night as a professional writer. 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