Susan Buffum's Blog: Welcome to My World, page 33

Copyright Marathon

Tonight it was time to apply for copyrights. I wrote out six of the Form TX and have six packages with forms, fees and best copies ready to mail tomorrow. That was an expensive venture but it is important to protect ones work as much as possible. I don't consider writing work, but a lot of my time has been invested in creating these stories and then making them into books in the world of self publishing. The self publishing part is the real work because the author wears all the hats- some fit and some don't but you have to make them fit. It's been a real learning experience. It's been a lot of work with many frustrations, but the joy is in holding a book you wrote, designed, put together and created in your hands saying, "I did this all by myself!" It's also been satisfying because I have wanted to do this for years but kept putting it off, then putting it off again. I am finally getting it done before it's too late! Kelly was funny. While I was filling out the form and filling the mailer bags she Googled her question which was- where do the best copies submitted with the Form TX go? Answer- they go to the Library of Congress. She looks up at me from her laptop screen with wide eyes and says, "Your books are going to the biggest freakin' library in the country!" Oh yeah, baby! I think it finally hit her that her Mom is an author, not just Mom who writes me stories all the time. I'm a little bit more than just Mom in her eyes now. But, I'll always be Mom, too, plain and simple.

Missing Letters

My Dell Netbook has been the main tool of my trade for about three or four years. It holds volumes of written material. When I lift the screen to open it and look at the keyboard I realize just how much I have used this incredible little piece of technology when I gaze at the keyboard with a umber of letters worn right off the keys. Now, that's a lot of typing, to have worn the letters off the various keys like that! I love it and still use it, despite having the new HP Stream notebook now. My little Dell is the workhorse and has never failed me.

September

September first has arrived, It has me dreaming of fresh, crisp apples, just pressed apple cider, leaves changing color, falling, crackling underneath our feet. I was born in the springtime but autumn has always been my favorite season. A lot of my stories and novels are set during the fall time.

I am almost finished putting together book three of my Christmas stories; then I have one more volume of Miss Peculiar's Haunting Tales to assemble, edit and self publish before I take a break and work on other things. I have a 40-42 page button collector's magazine to put together for the MA State Button Society over the winter.

My friends and co-workers have been reading my books (I treated them to two Free Book Days in the past two months-very well received!) and I'm getting a lot of positive feedback, and some critiques but that's welcome too because I firmly believe a writer cannot grow without the kudos and the criticism being flung at their feet. I, myself, am not one who would criticize someone's writing, but I can honestly say that I have set aside a number of books that looked interesting on the bookstore shelf but proved unreadable for various reasons, designating them donations for two area library book sales. Even some of my favorite authors have stumbled on occasion (sequels can veer off course badly, but they usually redeem themselves with the next book in the series. And yes, the farthest I've gotten with a series of novels of my own was three before I was rolling my eyes at my own writing and saying, this is it, time to wrap it up and move on.

September is writing time- I hope! The past three months have basically been all about putting my books together and getting them out there because it is something that I have been wanting to do for a long time, I'm not getting younger or healthier by the minute. It was time to start somewhere.

Let's see what September holds in store.

Yuletide Stories

I just wrapped up Yuletide Stories and it is available on Amazon.com. This is the first of three volumes I am putting together as a collection of my annual Christmas stories that I've been writing for friends and family since 1999. The stories range from inspirational, to traditional, to contemporary. This project, collecting the stories into volumes and getting them published, has been a longtime goal of mine so I am finally at the point in my life when I am able to get it done. Always Christmas in My Heart will be available next. The third volume is nearly ready. I'm giving the final story for that book its last edit and proofreading now. All it needs is a title now!

My Other Blog

I have another blog where I post things also. That one can be reached by Googling Susan Buffum Author or tying in susanbuffum.blogspot.com into your browser. That blog has links to all my books and pictures and probably more detailed postings.