About “10 Publishing Predictions”

About  Agent Laurie McLean Gives 10 Publishing Predictions for 2021

Thanks for the not-stiff-upper-lip buy the store and you’ll be famous very refreshing article. I do believe that my series will rock and that old gizzards like me who came up from the wild 60/70s and are now retired and writing will rock the publishing industry. We have been there, done that and survived. Amen!

https://annerallen.com/2021/01/10-publishing-predictions-2021/#comment-32459

Your comments and suggestions are very welcomed!

Great article on writing and publishing

Hi Friends, I haven't posted for awhile because I was busy doing edits on The Sylph's Tale teleplay, then I got a cold, and then a grandchild came to visit for a few days, always love that, it pulls me from my emotional and writing cave into the reality of what counts. 

Anyhu, just now I read this article on Poets&Writers and had to share it: Publishing Your First Book: Advice for First-Time Authors by Shelly Oria

THE PRACTICAL WRITER March/April 2018 - 

It got me out of the funk, and now I am ready to finish editing and re-submitting plus re-editing Virgins, book two of Immortals - the series. Reading Oria's open and frank commentary served me because it does not make the writer a slave to writing but how it honestly feels. Here are three quotes I love:

“I’m not shy by nature, so doing many events and going on a book tour, even appearing on TV, wasn’t the cause of my angst. I felt extremely vulnerable and exposed.” 

“is an experience that can mess with your head—regardless of how your book “does” in the world”

“There’s always something to be proud of and grateful for, and there’s always something that feels devastating. So don’t tell yourself that you’re feeling however you’re feeling because of this review or that event. You’re feeling however you’re feeling because publishing a book is kind of a fucked-up experience.”

Ta ta for now! 

Comment on: The great American novel is nothing without marketing

The great American novel is nothing without marketing

I can attest that this article is right, not just from my very recent experience but also from many who share their woes in writing groups and online. Beware grasshopper, even if you publish via a known publisher you do all the marketing. Some authors I trust told me that for the small of amount of books the first book of my series, The Sylph's Tale, sold they are amazed at the comments on Amazon, only one is by an honest author who read the book. Don't rely on family nor friends; they will not be your fans. Social media is the king of sales.
Note: The Sylph's Tale, available at Draft2Digital: https://www.books2read.com/u/mBM76N
Book Two, VIRGINS to be published May 2018

About MFA's in Writing

From Gabriela Pereira's page on Twitter, I linked to the article  "3 Myths About theMFA in Creative Writing" by Jane Friedman. A must read for those thinking about an MFA in Creative Writing. 

I value education but resent the push into MFAs or PhDs as the Holy Grail for publishing or winning contests and by most writing media. Ok, so I wouldn't want a surgeon to operate on me without a Medical degree but have books become notable only if written by those with a degree?  I have read amazing books and taken fabulous courses from teachers without an MFA or Ph.D. and some awful by those with degrees.

Although I wanted a degree in Parapsychology, Anthropology or History almost all my college was job advancement motivated. Dyslexia and that English is not my first language exacerbated my insecurity.

So, why do I write?  It’s a passion. Stories, poems, and screenplays come to me, not just in dreams but also to live in me. I write regardless of whether I publish or not. I have published some poetry and articles and wrote for Examiner.com as Sacramento Populist, and CBS-Sacramento Arts&Entertainment.

Once you read "3 Myths About the MFA in Creative Writing" by Jane Friedman, I'd love to know what you think on Facebook, @mma Twitter, LinkedIn or Google.

On reality and balance

I picked up a 99u article, from my ever-growing mailbox just to scan but read it, and I am writing about it; feels good not be alone in my scattered life.

When I retired in 2004, my goal was to write a book that in 1998 came in a dream and then an experience that shook the heck out of my sleep for months. But life does not stop because we want to fulfill our dreams. Other ideas and projects filtered in, and my family also needed my time and although grateful to help my frustration increased.  

I relate to a lot in the article: I am not a morning person and was an all or nothing person. Soon after retirement I was forced  not to be under a clock or calendar but do what I needed and wanted to do at any hour. I wrote nights into early mornings, dumping what came to my psyche without attention to my dyslexia or grammar, etc., I also posted notes and pages of research that verified what had come to me. I am into facts - I think that comes from my love of anthropology, history, religion and science, coupled with my years of work as  research analyst. When things became manageable I took on freelance jobs not significant but proof I was a published professional writer. 

Finally, as some order had come into my life, three years ago I reluctantly agreed with my  husband, not long after he retired, to move to live permanently in our home in the foothills.  I regretted the move. The house needed a ton of rehab and even though we had reliable contractors we had to be present. That same year both our mothers passed away, a loss we still mourn. I have come to appreciate the bit of isolation amid the hills of Northern California and last year we went to Paris and Spain for a month.

The article talks about reality and balance, and my reality is that I have accomplished a lot. Have completed the first book and rough drafts of two books of what is now a 1,600-page paranormal/sci-fi/mystery trilogy, and doing edits as other writers give me feedback.  Have many stories in the works and  my book of poetry. Also, my blog: hoyecomova.com has over 40K hits. And as Maria Rapetskaya's article says: I have stopped apologizing for wanting a work life balance.

Article by Maria Rapetskaya: In asense, I was a human start-up: big ideas, no funding. I knew this process would improve incrementally, probably for the rest of my life.  http://bit.ly/1M15Je5