Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, or Senior: Which one are you?

I bought the Randy Ingermanson Snowflake software a few weeks ago. I learned that in Randy's opinion, there are four levels of writers:  freshman, sophomore, junior and senior.  Maybe some of you might like to know your level according to his arrangement.

Freshman:  has some content, has unpolished craft, has little experience talking to editors/agents, has the belief that his/her first book will be a hit like Twilight or believes pessimistically his/her book will never be any good.

Sophomore:  has been writing for about a year, has good content (knows what she wants to say to the world and is fairly good at saying it), has polished craft, has a few connections, and has little experience writing proposals.  This writer is questioning the whole process.  Randy says these writers are sometimes confused and discouraged, but that they should stay the course and learn about marketing and about selling themselves as writers.

Junior:  has excellent content (knows what she wants to say to the world and is good at saying it), has very good craft (published authors are looking at her WIP and are saying "You're pretty good"), has submitted some proposals (has taken writing to conferences, has shown writing to an agent/editor at a conference and that person has liked it and has asked for it to be sent), has received requests for manuscripts.  This writer is very frustrated with the process.  Randy explains that most rejections say, "Not appropriate for this publishing house (this is because the conference editor thought the writer was a senior, but now the editor can see the writer is still a junior).

Senior:  Always has excellent content, always has excellent, luminous craft (Maybe you write better than some published authors? Sometimes once an author is published, then it is easier for them to publish.  This is possibly why their writing level might fall.).  She has submitted many proposals and regularly receives requests for manuscripts.  This writer is ready to go insane, or quit, but she can't because writing is in her blood.  Randy notes rejection letters now include encouraging responses which may now read, "Not appropriate for our house, but you're a good writer."   

On a final note, Randy says the senior writer wants to throw in the towel, but she definitely should NOT!  He said it took him twelve years to get published, and out of those years he spent eight years as a junior.  Not an advertisement, but his goal is to help a person get from one level to the next.

What level are you?

Here's his website if you'd like to take a look:

Award-winning novelist Randy Ingermanson, "the
Snowflake Guy," publishes the Advanced Fiction Writing
E-zine, with more than 22,000 readers, every month. If
you want to learn the craft and marketing of fiction,
AND make your writing more valuable to editors, AND
have FUN doing it, visit
http://www.AdvancedFictionWriting.com.