I am a 62 year old white male who is just now trying to launch a formal writing career.

I spent most of my professional life in other professions - art and creative direction, then later software development. But I kept my writing going as a hobby, anyway.

So now, against the odds, I'm taking a crack at it. Not for the money, but for my stories to be heard.

So one would think I'd see an article like this and be outraged at Ms. Sojwal.

And for sure, you'd think that I would consider myself prohibited from writing based on current trends and my demographic.

Especially after hitting my favorite online haunt for literary agents and researching agents for my novel. It seems like all the agents are women.

I'm doomed! Right?

I believe the situation out there is this: For every publication like Ms. Sojwal's looking exclusively for POC writers, there are a hundred others I can send my work to.

Did Ms. Sojwal overreact a bit to Roost's mistake? I can't say. I am not in her head. How do we know for sure Roost is telling the truth by saying her submission was an accident?

*** What writer doesn't do their homework on who they are sending submissions to? ***

I wouldn't send a submission to an AAWW if it meant Aryan Authors White Writers.

So the lesson for me as an old white guy trying to get a writing career launched is the same after I read this story as it was before.

Know who the hell you are submitting your work to.

There will always be plenty of opportunities for white male writers like me - even older ones. There are, without a doubt, still more white editors than POC.

And among POC editors, I am sure there are plenty who want to hear all voices.

Ms. Sojwal has a right to take an affirmative action approach to her editing. I don't see this as an equal opportunity issue at all. If it is an equal opportunity issue, it is one from the perspective of POC publications deserving the opportunity to take an affirmative action approach to their editing process.

I know that I often will peruse an online publication geared exclusively to POC because those are voices I NEED to hear.

White writers like me have plenty of opportunities. It's up to me to write stuff people want to read, to do my homework, and know/understand the publication I am attempting to work with.