I've recently decided to go back to work (yes, back to Engineering). I'm not giving up. I'll still be working on marketing Waiting for Appa and working on my next book. I'm just not making the progress I had hoped and I'm running out of things to look into....
I guess that's the most frustrating part of all this - being self-published. I don't know what I need to know and even worse, I don't know what I don't know. So..., once I figure this out, I'll post it here.
I'm in a funk and I can't seem to dig myself out. I'm not sure I'm trying that hard. Ok. I'll try harder tomorrow. I try to remember, it always gets better.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
Editing
I love writing. I think I'll wither away and die if I couldn't write. I've written on pieces of paper, envelopes, napkins, gum wrappers, etc. But editing. Editing I hate. There is no end to editing. You can always find one more way to phrase something you've already changed many times over.
I've been editing my first book once again and I hate all the cutting I have to do. It's already at almost 400 pages and I have to cut it back to 300, add more material to make it almost 400, then cut it back to about 350. So, there's a lot of work to do. But after about two weeks of doing this, I think I'm getting pretty good at it, but more importantly, it doesn't pain me as much as it used to.
I remember when I was working with an editor to cut my manuscript down, my editor told me to shorten 50 page scene where a woman is dying. She's a minor character, but a very important one. My editor sends me an email saying - I bet you can do it in 5. I thought 5 what? 5 tries? Then my heart dropped. 5 pages? Finally, although we've pretty much communicated solely via email, I called her. She answered, then said, "I was wrong." I thought. Thank goodness. She's got to be reasonable about this. Then she continued, "I think you can do it in 3." Yikes! Well the thing is, as painful as that was, I did get it done in 4 pages. It was painful to cut out the 50 pages (my editor agreed that they were beautifully written 50 pages, but they were ultimately cut), but it saved me 46 pages. So, I try to remember this lesson and keep cutting.
Things are slowly progressing on the marketing and sales front, but what I need is a miracle. A miracle like the one that Christopher Paolini had when a random 15 year old boy picked up Eragon, read it and told his father what a wonderful book it was. The boy's father was either an agent or a publisher. Christopher Paolini was still going from a library to library and bookstore to a bookstore doing readings (dressed in costumes) when this miracle happened. So, I'm praying for a miracle. The thing is I believe in miracles and my life is full of them. Hopefully, chances are good.
I truly believe that no one ever goes into writing for money (there are hundreds of better ways) but for the love of it. Well, the love it, weighed against the reality of having children, saving for college & retirement, etc., could run out enough to get me back into the work force. If that does happen anytime soon, I'll just have to do it part, part, part, part-time. In the mean time, I'm praying desperately for a miracle.
I've been editing my first book once again and I hate all the cutting I have to do. It's already at almost 400 pages and I have to cut it back to 300, add more material to make it almost 400, then cut it back to about 350. So, there's a lot of work to do. But after about two weeks of doing this, I think I'm getting pretty good at it, but more importantly, it doesn't pain me as much as it used to.
I remember when I was working with an editor to cut my manuscript down, my editor told me to shorten 50 page scene where a woman is dying. She's a minor character, but a very important one. My editor sends me an email saying - I bet you can do it in 5. I thought 5 what? 5 tries? Then my heart dropped. 5 pages? Finally, although we've pretty much communicated solely via email, I called her. She answered, then said, "I was wrong." I thought. Thank goodness. She's got to be reasonable about this. Then she continued, "I think you can do it in 3." Yikes! Well the thing is, as painful as that was, I did get it done in 4 pages. It was painful to cut out the 50 pages (my editor agreed that they were beautifully written 50 pages, but they were ultimately cut), but it saved me 46 pages. So, I try to remember this lesson and keep cutting.
Things are slowly progressing on the marketing and sales front, but what I need is a miracle. A miracle like the one that Christopher Paolini had when a random 15 year old boy picked up Eragon, read it and told his father what a wonderful book it was. The boy's father was either an agent or a publisher. Christopher Paolini was still going from a library to library and bookstore to a bookstore doing readings (dressed in costumes) when this miracle happened. So, I'm praying for a miracle. The thing is I believe in miracles and my life is full of them. Hopefully, chances are good.
I truly believe that no one ever goes into writing for money (there are hundreds of better ways) but for the love of it. Well, the love it, weighed against the reality of having children, saving for college & retirement, etc., could run out enough to get me back into the work force. If that does happen anytime soon, I'll just have to do it part, part, part, part-time. In the mean time, I'm praying desperately for a miracle.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Book talk at the Hayward Library
I had a good time at the Hayward Library book talk on Saturday. I was nervous and excited, but the first person who showed up for my talk really helped me feel comfortable.
I had nine people come for the book talk (1 came late and 2 left early) and had very positive and encouraging responses to the talk. What was so wonderful was that there was a high school teacher in the audience and after the talk, she asked if I would come and speak to the students at her school. To top it off, she asked me what my fee was. Fee? I'm praying for opportunities to get my book exposure! When I told her I'd come for free, she asked me if I could come for a whole day of classes. Of course, I said yes.
I'm not known for my patience and this publishing business is almost all about patience, up to this point. I hope my patience will pay off, in time.
I've been reluctant to do book talks at book stores because I'm a complete unknown. My thought was...who'd come to a book talk by someone they don't even have a name recognition, but maybe I should consider it....
Now, digressing and going back to the exercise in futility...I'm thinking about trying to crack the Borders stores book signing process once again. Or should I say enough is enough?
I had nine people come for the book talk (1 came late and 2 left early) and had very positive and encouraging responses to the talk. What was so wonderful was that there was a high school teacher in the audience and after the talk, she asked if I would come and speak to the students at her school. To top it off, she asked me what my fee was. Fee? I'm praying for opportunities to get my book exposure! When I told her I'd come for free, she asked me if I could come for a whole day of classes. Of course, I said yes.
I'm not known for my patience and this publishing business is almost all about patience, up to this point. I hope my patience will pay off, in time.
I've been reluctant to do book talks at book stores because I'm a complete unknown. My thought was...who'd come to a book talk by someone they don't even have a name recognition, but maybe I should consider it....
Now, digressing and going back to the exercise in futility...I'm thinking about trying to crack the Borders stores book signing process once again. Or should I say enough is enough?
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