Long Time!
Wow. It’s been a week since I’ve blogged. And what a busy week.
My Kansas BIL went to the hospital and had something done to his heart–but I wasn’t there.
My friend read all of Make Me Howl (up to almost the last chapter)–but I wasn’t there, either.
I went to see Phantom of the Opera last night–but all I did was sit in the chair and marvel.
Hm. Sounds as if I’ve spent my time observing but haven’t done much at all. I’m sure I’ve done something. I’m just not quite sure what it was.
Tomorrow is the RWI meeting. Our speaker is Sharon Ervin. She’s a member and will be talking about “Riding a Rejection to a Sale.” I can’t wait to hear her. This woman is great! She makes her manuscripts work. If she sends one out and gets it back with a rejection, she shoots it right off again.
Did I mention she’s a brave soul? I can only stand a finite number of rejections on any one manuscript before I find a deep hole to hide it in, but Sharon is a better man that I am. (Okay, a better woman) When she gets one back, she finds another publisher to send it to.
For a long time, I was a publisher snob. I wasn’t going to send my wonderful work to a small press or *shudder* an E-publisher. After a while I realized I had several pretty darn good manuscripts that hadn’t sold to the Big Boys in New York.
Someday–I dreamed. Someday I’ll find a BB-NY editor who loves my voice, and I’ll have a pile of books ready to spring on the world.
But after a while I realized that I had a lot of merchandise in my proverbial storehouse. It was time to dust it off and send it out there where someone could buy it. (Besides, BF Meg had just sold her manuscript to an E-publisher and I didn’t want to be Left Behind.)
I looked at other writers like Michele Bardsley, JaciBurton and Jackie Kramer who’d started out with E-pubs, then moved on to the BB-NY. WHY WAS I BEING SO PICKY?
Why not start building my audience now, then move on to BB-NY later?
So I did. I sent my manuscript (TO SCHOOL A COWBOY) to The Wild Rose Press. They jumped on it–with a few revisions. Then I sent my next two, BLIND SIGHT and GYPSY (title soon to be changed) and they liked those, too.
I’m telling you, the women at TWRP have wonderful taste. 
Do I still want to sell to BB-NY? You betcha! Will I be disappointed if I never do? Probably.
Am I unhappy with the publisher I have now? NO WAY. I’m thrilled to death to have someone like TWRP.
They’re great.
BTW: Romance Writers Ink meets tomorrow, July 12th, in room 221 OSU-Tulsa at 1:00. Come visit if you get the chance.
I’ll be behind the sign in sheet.
07/11/2008 at 1:29 pm
Your Kansas BIL is doing fine now. He is still unsure that the feeling he had was related to the blockage. I say “who cares” they found it and treated it before I had to do CPR, right?
Seriously, I don’t care why, I’m just really, really glad that they found it before it became a serious problem. Too much stress for me! I’m worn out!
It was very, very nice of dad and R to make the trip up. I hope that they know how much Wayne appreciated it. I plan on sending a note, just as soon as I find time!
I am blessed, in so many ways.
LY
07/11/2008 at 9:24 pm
Wow #4. You were number one yesterday, weren’t you? Even if you didn’t get to go see Phantom with us.
I heard that after you took Kansas BIL home, went to eat and got to work, the heart patient was already there and hard at it.
Y’all need to take a vacation–and not at the hospital. (Tell him that’s no way to get a break.)
BTW: DO YOU KNOW CPR?????
LYT!
07/12/2008 at 12:37 am
Ms. Susan,
Right now my project looks like it has promise, but it could all change tomorow of course. I’ve had a few small things get published but I’ve been rejected a plenty too. I guess a writer should write because they have to, and then let the chips fall where they may.
I’m a bit like a buddy I had in high school. Bless his heart, the poor guy was a nice fellow, but even another guy could tell he wasn’t attractive. He wanted to got to he prom, and made him out a list. It started out with the prettiest girl in the school, and worked it’s way down in order of who he wanted to take. The boy went through all sort of phone calls. In the end, he went to the prom, but took his cousin! He was very matter of fact about it, and just happy to get a date.
I always think about him when I have to deal with rejection. No matter how bad it seems it couldn’t be as bad as it was for that poor acne faced boy, but he took it like a trooper.
By the way, he ended up quite well to do, and I don’t think he ever forgot who was nice to him in high school.
Dr. B
07/12/2008 at 12:53 pm
He went home early. He was really only there to check up on the help, and fill his many prescriptions! No, I don’t know CPR, but I promise that I would work hard on him if I needed to.
LY
07/14/2008 at 8:17 pm
I’m so glad I popped into your blog today, because I’ve been thinking alot about the BB-NY these days, as related to this post on my blog:
http://lisaalber.wordpress.com/2008/07/02/im-sad-my-manuscript-didnt-find-a-home/
I’ve always been a traditionalist, but I’m thinking about small presses now…I believe that we can make the jump — and it’s good to build an audience any way we can, right?
So, thanks for this post!
07/19/2008 at 1:28 am
Dr. T,
with the readership you already have for your blog, I’ll bet your book will go great guns!
Besides, we all like your voice.
~S~
07/19/2008 at 1:34 am
Lalber,
I’m glad you popped in, too.
Like I said, I, too, had a traditionalist bent, but I’m glad I got rid of that leaning. TWRP has been a wonderful experience for me!
If you take a peek at Jaci Burton’s climbing career, which started with E books, you’ll see that it doesn’t hurt a thing- – except your chance to tell people you’re too good for small press.
It reminds me of when I was in high school. I mentioned in front of my aunt that I’d like to work at a restaurant at the new boat dock on a new lake right outside of our small town. My aunt responded (with a sniff) “Spesses don’t do work like that.”
I was really upset by her remark so I asked my dad about what kind of work Spesses don’t do and he said, “Spesses do ANY kind of honest labor that’ll earn ‘em a buck.”
BTW: I didn’t get the job.
07/19/2008 at 2:48 pm
I can only think of one aunt who thought that Spesses were superior. If I’m correct, she’s still an aunt. Right?
I wanted to work in a restaurant once too, but decided that I’m way too clumsy. My paycheck would go for dishes. So I worked in a shoe dept instead!! Probably not a wise financial move either way!
LY
07/19/2008 at 5:06 pm
Yes, she’s still an aunt, but she’s a heavenly aunt. Sibling to our father.
Oooh, shoes! That would be a great job. From what I remember you took your pay in trade.