Just Keep Writing!
What I’ve been up to lately.
You may know I’ve had a couple giveaways for The Unmoving Sky. While my GoodReads giveaway had near 1500 entries my blog less than ten, I wonder if blog giveaways are a thing of the past. As I’ve seen several Twitter RT giveaways over the last year. Quick and to the point. Live and learn, I suppose.
I’m not self-published, and I’m not with the Big 5 publishers, I’m published through Leap Books, a small press that’s under “traditional” press in the SCBWI Big Book, etc. The Unmoving Sky is my little novella that could. The book was too short and I was too late to join a debut group in 2016, the year I was published. I’d joined the International Thriller Writers, but when they found out my book was a novella, I lost a few of the marketing/awards benefits that come with membership. Apparently, I’d slipped through without anyone noticing my book was a novella. They were wonderfully kind, but unhelpful promoting my book.
I was on my own, with a middle-grade (SFF) book coming out – (editing two books simultaneously was quite the endeavor.) Alas, the rug was pulled out from under me, and the publisher culled 50 authors. I’ve never quite recovered, I’m still writing – of COURSE! It’s where I go to feel better, have a little happy. My short story Charger Nine was published in the October 2017 in the Anthology Alien Dimensions. I have a couple short stories out there, awaiting decisions, and I’m currently revising my Historical, YA with a touch of Fantasy, for THREE YEARS now (almost ready to query. Again.), and last November I finished another YA contemporary—it’s with readers. While researching my latest NaNoWriMo draft, I pulled out old diaries of mine to get back into my YA head. It was a trip! I advise everyone to keep a journal, you will learn so much more about yourself looking back. I laughed because I actually talked to my future self often: “I have to write through these tears, so in years to come, I’ll remember.” A hoot! And much like time traveling. It was mind-altering, and I live for that! It’s also what I like to read. J
As far as my MG, my cancelled book, I may rewrite it and change the characters – when there’s a window of downtime. I enjoy writing short stories when I’m between projects or my work is with readers being critiqued.
I’m still seeking an agent! I can’t wrap my head around organizing the business side when I’m a writing machine! Ha! Until my bottom hurts! I really need a standing desk at this point. But I LOVE talking to people, it actually comes pretty naturally, but the publishing stuff – help!
For 2018 I’m shouting it out to the Universe, I want a GOOD agent. I have to say after querying for so long, with a couple shelved projects, I know who my top agents are – and can’t wait to meet them!
You may know I’ve had a couple giveaways for The Unmoving Sky. While my GoodReads giveaway had near 1500 entries my blog less than ten, I wonder if blog giveaways are a thing of the past. As I’ve seen several Twitter RT giveaways over the last year. Quick and to the point. Live and learn, I suppose.
I’m not self-published, and I’m not with the Big 5 publishers, I’m published through Leap Books, a small press that’s under “traditional” press in the SCBWI Big Book, etc. The Unmoving Sky is my little novella that could. The book was too short and I was too late to join a debut group in 2016, the year I was published. I’d joined the International Thriller Writers, but when they found out my book was a novella, I lost a few of the marketing/awards benefits that come with membership. Apparently, I’d slipped through without anyone noticing my book was a novella. They were wonderfully kind, but unhelpful promoting my book.
I was on my own, with a middle-grade (SFF) book coming out – (editing two books simultaneously was quite the endeavor.) Alas, the rug was pulled out from under me, and the publisher culled 50 authors. I’ve never quite recovered, I’m still writing – of COURSE! It’s where I go to feel better, have a little happy. My short story Charger Nine was published in the October 2017 in the Anthology Alien Dimensions. I have a couple short stories out there, awaiting decisions, and I’m currently revising my Historical, YA with a touch of Fantasy, for THREE YEARS now (almost ready to query. Again.), and last November I finished another YA contemporary—it’s with readers. While researching my latest NaNoWriMo draft, I pulled out old diaries of mine to get back into my YA head. It was a trip! I advise everyone to keep a journal, you will learn so much more about yourself looking back. I laughed because I actually talked to my future self often: “I have to write through these tears, so in years to come, I’ll remember.” A hoot! And much like time traveling. It was mind-altering, and I live for that! It’s also what I like to read. J
As far as my MG, my cancelled book, I may rewrite it and change the characters – when there’s a window of downtime. I enjoy writing short stories when I’m between projects or my work is with readers being critiqued.
I’m still seeking an agent! I can’t wrap my head around organizing the business side when I’m a writing machine! Ha! Until my bottom hurts! I really need a standing desk at this point. But I LOVE talking to people, it actually comes pretty naturally, but the publishing stuff – help!
For 2018 I’m shouting it out to the Universe, I want a GOOD agent. I have to say after querying for so long, with a couple shelved projects, I know who my top agents are – and can’t wait to meet them!
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message 1:
by
Jacqueline
(new)
Feb 08, 2018 05:53AM
I feel your pain because I’ve been there. You’re not alone. But the YA market is saturated — too many books, too few readers. Digital publishing has made every wanna-be writer an author (not saying this is you, just my observation from experience). I’ve published with Leap too, and although they had grand plans early on, they’re too small to make a dent in the market. Really, my most profitable books have been NONfiction. They’re still selling after decades in print, no agent.
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Thanks, Jacqueline! I'm kind of hoarding shelved MSs at this point. I can't stop writing long enough to figure out what to do with them. I'm also subbing short stories and learning patience.
