Living near Sedona’s well-known psychic vortexes is finally starting to take its toll, though. When I saw the message below in my fortune cookie at Panda Express one recent afternoon, it was the final impetus I needed to take a big step.
That’s right. I’m going to take the plunge into the world of indie publishing.
Now, if you ask the Boyfriend, he’ll tell you “I’ve been telling her for years she should self-publish.”
Yes, yes he has.
But until recently, I wasn’t ready. Now I am. I have stories to tell, and I want to share them with the world. With the indie route gaining more and more devotees every day, I decided to invest the money I’d have spent going to RWA Nationals this summer in getting my first novel ready for release instead.
There’s so much to learn, and I’ve been soaking up all the information I can. I signed up for an indie publishing class, and joined Indie Romance Ink, a yahoo group for self-published romance authors.
I’d planned to make a big announcement about this new direction … but then I accidentally outed myself with a few comments on Twitter, so my big bang became more of a breathy whisper.
Anyway, I’m now trying my best to set up the infrastructure I’ll need to spread the word far and wide.
You can also sign up for my newsletter mailing list, either here in this post or in the blog’s sidebar. I promise not to send dozens of missives a month. In fact, I probably won’t send you anything until August, when I hope to have a redesigned website to show off. After that, I’ll send newsletters no more than once a month.
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Join me on this new adventure. It’s going to be a wild ride.
Earlier this month, my awesome CP Jennifer Faye tagged me for a Sunshine Award. The fact that I’m just now getting around to sharing it is all on me, not Jenn.
The Sunshine Award is a lovely sunny flower that bloggers give to other “bloggers who positively and creatively inspire others in the blogosphere.”
As with most awards, ‘The Sunshine Award’ comes with a few simple rules:
(1) Thank the person who gave you the award in your blog post.
(2) Do the Q&A below.
(3) Pass on the award to 10 – 12 deserving and inspiring bloggers, inform them and link to their blogs.
Rule 1.
Thanks for thinking of me, Jenn. How did you know I needed to write a new post to keep my writing blog from dying a slow, agonizing death?
Rule 2. Q&A
Favourite Colour: Starting out with a toughie, I see. It’s so hard to pick just one, as my favorite changes with my mood. Sometimes, I love deep, forest green. When I’m feeling dramatic, I love the red/black combo. But I guess if I have to choose just one, it’s purple. My college colors were purple and white.
Favourite Animal: Yikes. Another hard one. If I say “dog,” my cats will get huffy; if I pick “cat,” my dog Cocoa will pout. How about I go with “panther” instead? Panthers are so sleek and graceful.
Favourite Number: Not 13, that’s for sure. I have an aversion to that one, which makes me very nervous for what this year holds. I’ll say 9, because the multiplication table for 9s was easy to learn once my dad showed me the trick.
Favourite Non-alcoholic Drink: I’d like to be able to say H2O — but I can’t. Give me an ice-cold Diet Dr Pepper any day. (I know it’s not good for me, but it’s one of my few vices.)
Facebook or Twitter: They both have their purpose, and I love — and hate — both of them equally. I love that they give me a chance to share my thoughts, make new friends and keep up with everyone’s news … but I hate how they siphon time away from writing. I have precious little free time as it is, and sometimes I look up from the computer to find I’ve frittered it all away farting around on the internet.
Your Passion: Umm, can I steal Jenn’s answer to this question? She wrote:
I have two. Reading and writing. And please don’t ask me which passion came first. It’d be like answering the age old question of which came first the chicken or the egg. I love them both.
This is only part of my stash …
I know exactly what she means, and I’m not sure I could answer this one any better. I love to read, although now that I spend most of my free time writing, I don’t do as much of it as I’d like (witness the stacks of books on every available surface).
Giving or Getting Presents: That depends. It’s fun to find just the right gift for someone I love … but I’m not sure anything beats receiving a hand-picked gift. It doesn’t have to be anything big or expensive, just a little something that says, “I was thinking of you.”
Favourite Day: Any day I don’t have to go to my day job (which is really a night job, since I work from about 3 to 11 p.m.). Currently, that’s the weekend — a real Saturday/Sunday. But in the past, I’ve had Wednesday/Thursday/Friday off, and Sunday/Monday.
Excuse the blurry iPhone pic.
Favourite Flower: Daffodils. I’ve loved bright yellow daffodils since seeing them grow wild on the hillsides of England as a student at Harlaxton College in 1992. We also had a patch of them in our front yard when I was growing up. Tulips, which also grew in my yard, are a close second.
Rule 3. Spreading the love.
Not sure I can think of 10 to 12 folks to pass this along to who haven’t already been tagged, but here are six I’d like to nominate:
Amy Raby, one of my Starcatchers sisters who I’m sure is busy. Her debut novel, “Assassin’s Gambit,” was released earlier this month.
Karen McCoy, The Writer Librarian. Karen is in my RWA chapter, NARWA, and her enthusiasm is contagious. She also edits the chapter newsletter.
Susie Haught, another fellow NARWAn who writes women’s fiction. Her blog is fantastic, and funny.
Gwen Hernandez, another of my Starcatchers sisters and resident Scrivener expert. (She wrote the reference book “Scrivener for Dummies.”) She also recently wrote a blog post titled “My Big, Scary Goal” that set the wheels in my brain turning.
I also decided to set up a Facebook Author Page. It’s high time to separate my three FB identities. I’m looking at it as a smart career move, not another time-suck that’ll keep me from writing.
Her argument against slogging through something she’s not into:
Why waste valuable hours reading a book I don’t enjoy?
It makes complete sense. As we all know, there are only so many hours in the day. When we’re trying to write, work out, cook, tend to the day job — and families if we have them — it leaves precious little leisure time for reading.
Yet I’m one of those people who slogs through every book I start. It may take me a while to pull it off my TBR pile, but once I have a book in my hand, I finish the darn thing. Even if it takes me a month … or I’d rather be visiting the dentist than reading it …
I’m not sure where this attitude comes from. Maybe it’s a remnant from my college days, when reading was my job. As a journalism major who took a lot of English lit and creative writing classes, I read tons. Even the semester I spent in England, when I probably should have been focused on exploring a foreign country, I took a full course load that included French lit, Literature and Politics, and Shakespeare. (I couldn’t pass up the chance to take a class on Shakespeare in England, from a British prof, now could I?)
Maybe it’s just what I refer to as my good, old-fashioned Midwestern work ethic. I also can’t call in sick when I’m not really sick. Heck, I work even when I’m sick … I have to be in bed, unable to move, before I throw in the towel and take a sick day.
Whatever the reason, I finish the books I start. It’s a good thing, then, that I tend to only start books I know I’ll enjoy. I usually stick with contemporary and historical romances, with the occasional weighty book club pick.
Hmm. Now that I think about it, I can’t say I always finish the books I start. Sometimes I don’t finish my book club selections. Case in point: “Edgar Sawtelle.” I don’t care if it was one of Oprah’s picks, I didn’t like it. Too lyrical— and it was obviously heading toward a bad end, seeing as it was a modern retelling of “Hamlet” (one of my favorite Shakespeare plays, by the way.) Trudy and Claude? Please.
How about you? Do you finish the books you start? Or do you refuse to waste time on books that don’t hold your interest?
The gals at the Ruby Slippered Sisterhood posted a form to look for a critique partner. When I tried to post my response in the comments, it didn’t show up. So here it is, in all its glory:
NAME: Arlene Hittle
Please E-MAIL me directly at ahittle90@gmail.com
I write: humorous contemporary series and single title
My favorite authors are Christina Dodd, Kristan Higgins, Cherry Adair, Susan Elizabeth Phillips
My work would be enjoyed by the audience of ??? (If I knew that, wouldn’t I already have sold?)
I prefer to give and receive critiques that include:
Story & characterization analysis only _N__ With occasional line-edits Y__ With in-depth line-edits _S____
I prefer a no-punches-pulled, straightforward critique focusing mostly on problems _N_
To avoid feeling discouraged, I prefer frequent praise to surround negative comments __Y__
I’d like help brainstorming problems _Y_ I just need the problems pointed out _S__
I’m highly self-motivated__S__ I need someone to help me set goals (kick my butt) _S__
I have completed ___6___manuscripts
I usually write_______1,000 to 5,000 words a week.
I finish and polish a 90,000-word book in _8__ months.
I have been seriously writing / pursuing publication for ___2+___years.
My strengths are: dialogue
My weaknesses are: agents say they’re not in love with the characters
My writing credentials are: 2010 Beacon winner, 2011 GH finalist, BS in journalism. My nonGH-finalists have fallen into the bottom and half percentiles. Have a weight-loss blog and a writing blog.
This is an exciting time for me. My manuscript, Beauty and the Ballplayer, was just named a finalist in the 2011 RWA Golden Heart® contest.
About Beauty and the Ballplayer:
Spunky and independent to a fault, graphic designer Meg Malone isn’t exactly crushed when she finds herself pregnant soon after her no-good boyfriend abandons her to hit the professional poker circuit. After being burned one too many times by women who see him as their ticket to the good life, up-and-coming minor league catcher Matt Thatcher carefully guards his heart against “baseball babes.”
When Matt first meets Meg, he likes that she has no clue what he does for a living; she’s attracted to his solid, stable presence (and his killer bod). As they get to know one another, Matt lets Meg in on his profession and into his life. When he accepts her, baby and all, Meg sets aside her doubts about falling for another dreamer and loves him wholeheartedly — until he misses a doctor’s appointment with her to further his career. Not wanting to come in second to another man’s unattainable dream of going pro, she cuts and runs before Matt can leave her. By the time she realizes her fear of abandonment could cost her a lifetime of happiness, she’s afraid it’s too late. Meg has to hit her insecurities out of the ballpark to win the World Series of love.
About me: I am a member of Romance Writers of America, both nationally and locally and am currently serving as editor of our chapter’s newsletter. I also have a B.S. in journalism from the University of Evansville and have worked in the newspaper industry as a reporter or copy editor/page designer since 1994.
During our last NARWA carpool, we were chatting away when my friends decided I was organized.
My first thought? “Yeah, right.” I believe I said something like, “You wouldn’t say that if you saw my desk at work.”
That’s true. My desk is one of the messiest in the newsroom, with piles and piles of stuff. My bedroom is the same way: stuff everywhere. Of course, I do know right where to find most things, so I guess you could call it “organized chaos.”
And yes, I am that girl — the one who has an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of her word count progress.
I have to use that silly program somehow, since I paid an arm and a leg for it in my Office package. I bought it for the Word, but refuse to have TWO unused programs. Since I have no idea how to set up Entourage, Excel it is. I’ve even figured out how to create cool charts to show my progress.
Hmm. If that makes me organized, I’m guilty as charged. Especially now that I’m focusing on treating writing like my day job so it’ll become my day job, I’ve been keeping track.
And I have been busy: Since deciding last year to enter the Golden Heart, I’ve …
Revised Brad & Erin’s story and sent out several queries on it. (Received one nibble, which resulted in a rejection.)
Entered it in the Golden Heart, where it received solidly average scores.
Taken part in my first NaNoWriMo, writing about 25,000 words.
Finished the first draft of my first single-title length novel.
Edited it into a second draft, written a synopsis and query and submitted it to a handful of agents. (Two wanted to see more.)
Expanded Cassie and Dustin’s story to the proper length for category romance, editing and revising as I went along.
Done the same for Bree and Mike’s story.
Written about two-thirds of Meg and Matt, finishing a first draft.
Crafted the dreaded query and synopsis for Meg and Matt.
Started a second single-title story, a sequel to the first.
Wow, I have been busy. Four series manuscripts and one single-title … Now all I need to do is find someone who’s interested in publishing one — or all — of them.
… Or maybe not. Thanks to an impromptu write-in at Starbucks this morning, I had my work done early today. And that left time for not one but two walks before I headed to my day job, which is really more of an afternoon/evening job.
I wish I worked more regular hours, like 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., instead of getting off between midnight and 1 a.m. But someone has to stay up late to get the freshest news in your morning newspaper — and that someone is me.
I used to be a reporter, but decided to move into page design so I’d have more time to write fiction in my off hours. When I was writing all day at work, the last thing I wanted to do when I got home was write some more. I figured that the opposite would also be true: If I didn’t spend all day writing, I’d spend more time writing at home.
That worked for a while … but writing fell by the wayside for a while – longer than I want to admit — after the Sept. 11 attacks. I just didn’t feel much like writing “funny” after that.
Thank goodness I got my groove back. And now that I’m requiring myself to do some actual writing work before I start messing around online, I’m making some real progress.
Still, a part of me wonders if I really am good enough … Those who’ve read my stories say they like them, but they’re not the powers that be in the publishing world.
It’s probably the same part that’s holding me back from getting to my goal weight, that piece of me that doesn’t think I’m quite good enough.
Can I kick her a$$?Please? It’s time to put myself out there and risk rejection.
“Julie & Julia” inspired me to start a blog of my own. I’m sure I’m not the only one. How many people have rushed home after seeing that flick, eager to share their thoughts with the world — or at least the blogosphere?
Actually, this isn’t my only blog. I have a weight-loss blog at Blog to Lose, and I just branched out with a weight-loss blog here at WordPress.
But as I sat there, watching poor Julie struggle with a directionless life and a milestone birthday, I realized I’ve been stagnant myself.
I’ve known since second grade that I wanted to be a writer, you see. As I got older, I realized a writing career isn’t exactly practical. In my high-school-age wisdom, I decided to go into journalism because I could still make a living with my writing while I was trying to sell my first novel.
Well, I’ve been out of college for 15 years and … there’s still no novel of mine gracing the shelves. I’m pushing 40, and I’ve been muddling along as a journalist — making a living writing, yes, but not in the way I had in mind. I figured that by now, I’d have at least one novel sold. Best-case scenario, I was going to be the next Danielle Steele by 30.
Today, it hit me: Blogging has helped me lose weight, so why can’t it help me get published?
Between the support I get from Weight Watchers and my friends at Blog to Lose and SparkPeople, I’ve lost 60-ish pounds. (I have at least 15 more to go, but that’s another story.) If I spend as much time writing romance as I do with my weight-loss endeavors, I can’t fail!
So here we go … follow me on my quest to be published by 40. My first rule: No online time for the day until I’ve written at least two pages (or edited two chapters, depending on what I’m doing that week).
