Boost to ego and energy

Just as I was thinking of giving up yet again I opened this month's Writing Magazine and find that they have printed my letter. I wonder if I should just concentrate on writing letters since that is the area in which I have had the most success.
How fragile are writer's egos. I am unable to take criticism even though I know it is necessary and helpful. Praise, however faint, is like sunshine and water to a plant.

Dear Writer's News,

I noticed that Alliance of Radical Booksellers has announced
a substantial new writing prize (Writer's News Dec. 2011).

Ross's comments about not accepting self-published books were very interesting.

Isn't self-publishing radical?

I agree that editing is important and valued that is why most self-published authors do have their work edited.

If you exclude self-publishers from the competition, are you really opening up the

discussion and looking outwards? It sounds insular to me and even Nimbyish.

You can always give a self-published radical writer a deal, that would be opening up

awareness and discussion too.

I say, 'Look behind you Ross or even in front of you'.

Yours sincerely,

Jean Wild.

London

 I have no idea why they think I live in London. This just illustrates the above points. I don't care if nobody knows that I wrote the letter it is enough to know that it was good enough to print.