I always knew it.

Lyda Morehouse on the "secret handshake" that gets you admitted into the hallowed halls of publishing.

When I was a nascent writer I used to jokingly ask professional authors what the secret handshake was to getting published. I was kidding around, but there was a serious edge to my question. I felt like they had some clue to the whole publishing industry that I was missing. I knew there was no simple answer to how to break in, but part of me seriously hoped there was.

In the intervening years, I’ve had an epiphany about “the secret handshake.” I now believe there is one, and I think it’s surprisingly easy and accessible to anyone who wants in on the arcane knowledge.