There was a blog that needed a writer and I said, “Let me see what I can do.”
Rather than jump in the boat, rev the motor, throttle up, and head out to sea without the crew, the blog today will consist of telling you who I am, why and what I write, and generally getting to know my fellow travelers on The Booktrap.
I have been married to my best friend for almost forty-nine years. In those years we have had many trials and at this time, I am a full time caregiver to my husband. We were in a near fatal car accident almost seven years ago and while I had whiplash as did he, he also sustained major injury to his left frontal lobes and developed dementia. When he went ‘into the dark’- his words, I lost my lifelong companion, my slash and burn expert, and gained a loving mischievous child with short visits by my husband.
This is a part of my life that keeps me jumping and running. I tell you this so as we become friends, it will not be strange to you if we are ‘chatting’ and my side of the conversation stops in the middle of a word.
Mandy The Alpha Dog was the first book I had published and that was in June 2009. I was accepted by Publish America, not a publisher with an overwhelming good name, but one that did have editors and layout artists and someone to write a press release, and one that was willing to take on my book under contract for seven years. The rest, I was on my own.
I had written the story of Mandy to help my granddaughter overcome her fears when her parents divorced. Mandy, a female Beagle, raised in a puppy mill was scheduled to be euthanized as she was a biter when we took her into our home. My granddaughter and Mandy while never left alone, still managed to form a tight bond as Samantha would tell Mandy her troubles as they strolled through the yard, and Mandy would nod her head as if she understood. Perhaps she did.
I sought a publisher because the neighborhood children, friends of my granddaughter loved the story and wanted to know if I was going to put it in a ‘book form’ and when would the next story be written, while adult friends and relatives thought the story was good enough to get published.
I am addressing writers that are new or fairly new to the publishing arena, an arena fraught with many plateaus and rivers to cross before becoming an author that makes a living writing. If you’re in the writing game for instant gain and fame, I will need to throw some disillusionment at your feet.
Most overnight success stories are ten years long, but in those ten years you will learn to grow as a writer, editor, layout artist, publisher, public relations, marketing expert, and personality. Some of you will not need to grow as a writer, you will only need to learn the rest by becoming known.
Writers do not want to be marketeers or public relations, or editors, or the myriad other task positions, authors take on as a mantle to become successful. Most writers want to write, and if becoming famous happens, then so be it. However, if you are writing for more than just yourself or family, marketing must be learned.
Rather than jump in the boat, rev the motor, throttle up, and head out to sea without the crew, the blog today will consist of telling you who I am, why and what I write, and generally getting to know my fellow travelers on The Booktrap.
I have been married to my best friend for almost forty-nine years. In those years we have had many trials and at this time, I am a full time caregiver to my husband. We were in a near fatal car accident almost seven years ago and while I had whiplash as did he, he also sustained major injury to his left frontal lobes and developed dementia. When he went ‘into the dark’- his words, I lost my lifelong companion, my slash and burn expert, and gained a loving mischievous child with short visits by my husband.
This is a part of my life that keeps me jumping and running. I tell you this so as we become friends, it will not be strange to you if we are ‘chatting’ and my side of the conversation stops in the middle of a word.
Mandy The Alpha Dog was the first book I had published and that was in June 2009. I was accepted by Publish America, not a publisher with an overwhelming good name, but one that did have editors and layout artists and someone to write a press release, and one that was willing to take on my book under contract for seven years. The rest, I was on my own.
I had written the story of Mandy to help my granddaughter overcome her fears when her parents divorced. Mandy, a female Beagle, raised in a puppy mill was scheduled to be euthanized as she was a biter when we took her into our home. My granddaughter and Mandy while never left alone, still managed to form a tight bond as Samantha would tell Mandy her troubles as they strolled through the yard, and Mandy would nod her head as if she understood. Perhaps she did.
I sought a publisher because the neighborhood children, friends of my granddaughter loved the story and wanted to know if I was going to put it in a ‘book form’ and when would the next story be written, while adult friends and relatives thought the story was good enough to get published.
I am addressing writers that are new or fairly new to the publishing arena, an arena fraught with many plateaus and rivers to cross before becoming an author that makes a living writing. If you’re in the writing game for instant gain and fame, I will need to throw some disillusionment at your feet.
Most overnight success stories are ten years long, but in those ten years you will learn to grow as a writer, editor, layout artist, publisher, public relations, marketing expert, and personality. Some of you will not need to grow as a writer, you will only need to learn the rest by becoming known.
Writers do not want to be marketeers or public relations, or editors, or the myriad other task positions, authors take on as a mantle to become successful. Most writers want to write, and if becoming famous happens, then so be it. However, if you are writing for more than just yourself or family, marketing must be learned.