Publishing and Networking

I need some chees and crackers to go with my wine please. I wasn't going to blog today, and now I'm doing it AGAIN the first one lost to the nether regions of cyber space! I so don't feel good and my allergies need to find a new home. Maybe in the same place as my last blog?

I have had a long row to hoe, so to speak, in becoming a writer and an author. What's the difference? Well, most people like to differentiate between published and non published. Of course, some snobbish types don't think you qualify as a writer if you're not making money. An opinion I would beg to differ, but I don't believe in begging to have an opinion -- I simply do.

In my mind, what you are doesn't change, whether the world recognizes it or not, or if you are getting paid or not. I liken it to being a parent. I am a mother. I don't get paid to do this. Even with child support and social security benefits for my disabled child, I don't get nearly enough to cover the cost of those children. In my state benefits max out at 674 and it goes down the more you make. So, yeah, not making money here. However, with or without that money, I am a mother. I'm not getting paid to be a mother. Child support is to support the child's physical needs. A small part of being a mother. So, if you are a writer, painter, or appliance repair man, be happy and proud and be what you are, regardless of the pay, status, etc.... Yeah, I'll get off that rabbit trail soap box now :D

Anyways, what induced me to write a blog even though I have to stop and blow my nose a hundred times? (Thank God for wipes for the keyboard, right?) This article ( http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jason-pinter/an-analog-industry-in-the_b_499817.html )that I found through the blogs I read. The blog is by Jessica Faust at Book Ends Literary Agency LLC. Side note, Jessica is an agent that gently led me to the path of what a query letter needs to be and how to find that information.

I recently sent her my query of awesomeness even though it didn't quite fit her house, and she responded as courtesly as ever. follow her blog if you have any intentions of ever getting published and READ IT ALL. She will also have links to other people, agents, etc., with more good information for the writer who wants to get published. It's called networking.

My first book, which is not done in the traditional manner, nor is it quite self-published. Go figure, when did I ever do anything the normal way? I went Joint Venture. What did that mean? I didn't put out thousands of dollars, and I got a professionally published book. It means its on Ingram and any book store can find it. What it doesn't mean, that I didn't understand, is that I don't get the press packets, review copies, networking options that usually happen withing a publishing house, nada. I have been doing it all on my own.

I didn't know how to blog, much less have one. I knew next to nothing about twitter, or how to really use the internet for social networking. Now, my best friends are cyber friends and I look to my blogs, like edittorrent and Janet Reid and others, to keep me informed and feel closer to the business I am aspiring to be a part of. Networking on the internet is a fairly new beast. Read the article to see what I mean. He's an aquisition editor and writer and really shows how the netwroking process in the business has changed, just since I began to do this with the intent of eventually making money.

Another Book Giveaway!

http://cjredwine.blogspot.com/2010/04/interview-with-annette-mccleave.html

CJ Redwine is not only a talented author and teacher (see my previous posts on Query of Awesomeness) she does entertaining interviews.

This particular interview is giving away two copies of said book and it sounds like a lot of paranormal fun.

Go visit her blog and tell her I sent you! You won't be sorry.

Interview

Not sure how this posted blank the first time, but it did. So sorry if you follow and got a blank post :D

My interview for my "day" job went well. It was for a temp agency that places people in all sorts of jobs. My office scores were high, despite, tiredness and trying to hurry and no meds.

In fact, they tried to place me for a "permanent temporary" position. One that if you work out, you are hired with benefits, etc. but you have to drive the car. I have an accident and speeding ticket on my record. No insurance yet, one of MANY reasons I need a day job. Insurance I can fix with a good job. Anyways, they were impressed with my scores and wanted to place me immediately. Good sign, but, sigh, on the loss of a city job before it even began.


Hope everyone's day is going well. Off to look at sending out more queries...

It's Saturday :D

I've applied for add staffing job. I have interview Tuesday, which should go okay as I'm sure my assessment tests came out well. I need to work because we need the money, and hopefully, between my husband and I, we will get a full weeks worth of work. It will be enough so we can buy the yard things we want and I can get ink. I told him I am writing and hitting it hard for the next year while I have child support still coming in (which will end soon enough!) and I'm not doing any job that will suck the life out of me like most of my previous jobs. Writing is my career choice.

We had a relatively good day today. A friend had a party and it was fun :D Got to see the in-laws as well. Now, trying to watch a movie with family but hubby and kids won't quit fighting. GRRRRRR hubby wants to watch movie (silly man, we have three children under 9) and a six year old who wants to ask questions through the whole movie, an 18 month old who throws a fit at the drop of a hat, and an 8 almost 9 yr old who thinks that listening to grown ups is a sin. Best movie time ever...

I'm trying to enjoy Indiana Jones anyway, but since I can't, I'm reading my blogs and ignoring the lot of them.

Maybe they'll all go to bed early.

Query of Awesmoness SCORES

I'm so excited. Everytime I think of the news I'm about to impart, my stomache gets butterflies. So what happened to make me feel like I'm in love for the first time?

My first request for partials from a reputable agency. *SQUEE Yeah, my new word LOL.

It happened earlier in the week, but I waited to post. I was barely on line yesterday, having stayed out until one in morning deconstructing the set of "HONK", which, incidently, went well. My husband can sure sing.

Anyway, they wanted 30 pages or so. I looked it over, double checking I hadn't missed anything and added a hundred words LOL and found some minor errors that I fixed. I sent it off. Yesterday, I looked over it again and found MORE minor errors. I swear that they only appear after I send things to someone who matters! Oh well, hubby's offered to go over the first fifty pages to see if their anything else. Hopefully this weekend will work for him...

In the meantime, I am following CJ Redwine's advice (see connections to her blog in earlier posts :) and keep on writing. I have to. I have too many stories in my head to stop now.

Lately

I've been writing. Obviously. Well, maybe not so obviously when you consider the rest of my life. Along with the writing, I've been promoting my book, Rebellion on Piza 7, my husband's play, which is almost over, and sending out queries on the fantasy I finished.

Plus, as my funds are limited like almost everyone I know, I've been trying to win books that are new releases or part of a series. For research, don't you know. Have to know what's on the market, it is a happy bonus that I like to read as well. ;)

So, although my word count is under 2k yesterday, and so far today, I have gotten things accomplished that are necessary.

And in case there is still any question, I do not have a PR manager, or any other type of manager or marketing person. It's just me. LOL I'm trying to get my husband to be the manager, you know, like Laurel K Hamilton's is hers, but so far, not happening. Maybe when I get a few more titles under my belt...

I'm a dunce

I think I am excited by my book signing, judging by how many posts I did on it :) on the sister blog, After the Beginning, two posts in a row were about the signing LOL

At home, hubby sick, daughter and son not felling great, although I think they have "spring fever" with a dash of "senioritis" thrown in for my daughter.

I'm fighting depression, not very well at this point, as the anniversary of my brother's death gets closer and closer. Since his (Timmy)birthday in February, I've been having unexpected crying fits and the whole he's left in my life has become more and more apparent.

I was adopted. Timmy was first baby born after that and he was my connection to the adopted family. Two of my sisters were adopted with me, but they were younger. I was ten. A hard age to be adopted at. I feel as if I've been severed from the family in a way that can't be fixed. Writing and painting has saved me from uncontrolled depression more than once these last few months.


Well, I best get to writing and hope I hit it big before graduation... All that senior stuff!