Editing My Blogs

One of the blogs I follow, A Walk In My Shoes by Susan Mills, has been discussing the topic of what we post in our blogs; specifically, things we wouldn't want potential agents to read. Susan would have been celebrating her 100th post today, but instead is celebrating 88. Why? She recently deleted several posts that she felt did not show her in the very best light when agent shopping. They weren't whiny or negative... just things that she felt didn't belong in the showcase.

I've been thinking a lot about this topic myself. I've been a little busy, and I would rather spend time on my WIP than editing my blog; but it will come. I've begun to look at this blog as a type of business blog. My main focus, in the beginning, was to document my journey in becoming a published author. I also wanted to be able to give a leg up to others... share things I learned along the way. Those are still my main concerns for this blog. However, my objective is still to be published. An important part of that goal is obtaining representation. So, like Susan, I've been considering deleting any posts that I feel do not show me in the very best light, looking at it from the viewpoint of an agent.

I've also been thinking a lot about my sister blogs. Most of my regular readers are aware that I have two other blogs. I've always kept my topics divided. When I want to share what's happening on my farm, I post to that blog. Things about writing and pursuing publication belong here. Then there's my miscellaneous blog, for anything that doesn't belong on the other two. I have links to the others in my sidebar that I will probably remove. Still, if an agent were to google, they would find the other blogs. I don't think anything I've posted there would necessarily show me in a negative way, but then...

What about the opinion posts? What if the agent I'm querying strongly disagrees with my feelings on a particular issue in the news? (Agents, after all, are people.) Would their viewpoint color their decision on my query? I don't think any agent would truly pass up on a manuscript they thought would easily sell, just because they disagree with my politics. It is how they make a living. But what if my book was a probably? What if they weren't sure whether or not to represent me? Could what I choose to write about on my other blogs tip the scales?

Of course, my other blogs could be a positive thing, too. Suppose the agent was a big animal lover. Maybe the scales would tip in my direction when she read about my relationship with Maggie. Then again, I don't edit my blogs. I just type what's on my mind and hit the publish post button. What if an agent were to scrutinize my grammar and punctuation on my other blogs? I don't think it would have much effect, really. It's not like I'm submitting these posts for publication elsewhere; but it is something to think about.

Another thing I've been thinking about lately is using a pen name. I have one in mind that is very special to me. (Sounds like another post, doesn't it? You will be the first to know.) If I do decide to use a pen name, should I completely separate my writer's blog from any ties to my actual identity? I'm not hiding. You all know what city I live in, and from pictures I've posted of my farm, it would not take a genius to track me down. Maybe I'll want to change that when (not if) I do become published.

I have a goal for my manuscript today, so I don't really have time to ponder all these things now. I would like to know your thoughts. Do you think my identity as a writer should be separated from my identity as a grandmother and farmer's wife? Do you think there are subjects I should avoid posting on this blog? Are you in a similar situation with your blog? Let me know what you think...

The Long Wait

Why is that everything I see, hear or smell gets me thinking about my MS? A story on the news makes me ponder a new plot. A song on the radio creates a scene in my head. I was born to write. I really believe that. I wrote songs and poems when I was a kid. I have long made my own greeting cards. I just don't have trouble getting the words from my brain to paper (or laptop). When I found out what blogging was, I was delighted to join in.

Even though I find much enjoyment in these things, my real dream is to be a published author... Not just published, but actually making my living at it. A career. I didn't want to be able to tell people I wrote a book. I want to someday say, "I write books!"

I am not as happy with my progress as I could be; I get side-tracked too often. (I spent my writing time this weekend twiddling with baby shower stuff.) I am determined to make a bigger push toward my goal. After all, I'm not getting any younger!

...but it does take time. I think that instant gratification spoils some things. I see that in the younger generation. They don't wait for things the way we did. The waiting is an important part. It's the part that pushes our dream to the mountain peak. Without the wait, it's just something we want, we get, we move on...

The wait. As with anything else in life, the longer we want it, the greater the reward. Didn't someone famous once say something like, "The harder we have to fight for it, the greater...." We appreciate it more. We savor the accomplishment.

I'm sitting here, reading through my morning e-mails, and I came across this devotional:


"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”
- Proverbs 13:12

Self-Publishing... Is it right for you?

Let me start out by stating that if I choose to go the route of a standard publisher, I will certainly do so only with agent representation. Even though I've only been following the blogs for a short period of time, I have learned that it's well worth it to have an agent do the hard work. Yes, writing and editing seem to be the easy parts. It's work, but it's on your time at your pace. Once you're ready to submit, it's a whole other ball game!


However, I still have not ruled out self-publishing. When I've finished my manuscript and received professional critiques that tell me I'm the next Dan Brown, I will seek an agent. What if I'm not? What if it's just a good book. I've done very little research into self-publishing. I checked some sites back when I first started my WIP. I had never read an agent's or editor's blog. I didn't even know about blogspot then; but now I do. I spend so much time reading and learning, writing notes, copying links, that I've not gone back to researching the self-pub route... until now.

Morgan Mandel at The Blood-Red Pencil just posted her seventh post of a seven-part series on self-publishing. If you have even the tiniest inkling that self-publishing might be for you, I encourage you to read the seven-part series. Morgan laid out clearly every step of her process, from the legal aspect to selling the books. She also included links to the sources she used in her journey. She shared details of how she used Word to format her ms for the print size, plus disclosed the other software she used.


You will note in her comments that she does respond to questions. I left a comment inquiring about her cost, which she promptly answered and openly revealed. I urge you to visit her sites; and hey! How about buying her book? I read the excerpt and I'm going to get my copy!

helpful sites and my tips for organizing

I hate to break a promise, but I didn't really promise, did I? I did say that I would occasionally update my sidebar links with the new sites I found to be helpful, but I didn't promise... I started following a half-dozen new sites today! I can see my sidebar running off the screen and across the keyboard. (I'm a bit under-the-weather and I haven't been able to focus on my writing, so I'm using the time to surf Blogville. However, I'm getting better so I might not hook up with any new ones for a while.) As soon as I get a chance, I will edit my list to the ones I find most helpful for the beginner. Yeah, like me.



Just now I added a blog that talked about hiring a tax guy and how to handle your earnings. I took notes from another on book signings. Well, if you're like me, you've got a ways to go before worrying about that. I plan to have the links on my sidebar focus on the blogs that pertain to writing, editing, querying, and things like that. One step at a time. If you are beyond that point in your journey, chances are you've already discovered helpful blogs for your circumstances.

On another note, I thought I'd share my thoughts on Microsoft Office One Note. I know a couple of people that have the program (it came installed on their PC) but have never used it. I was that person for a long while. One day I checked it out... wish I'd have done that a long time ago. It's the best for being organized with outlines, etc. It has books, tabs, sub-tabs, pages... and the best part? The search. You can search your entire One Note, or just a tab or book.


For example: My One Note is broken up into many books, such as recipes, author (bet you know what goes in that one), and one for Hubby's stuff I'm responsible for remembering. Within the 'author' book are section tabs: publisher, free-lance, agent, tips, promotion, after the check (the tax guy stuff), and a section for each book/series I am developing. Under the section for agent, I copy info on querying, choosing an agent; anything dealing with that step of the way.


The section for my current ms contains tabs for outline, locations and New York City. (Read the book - you'll understand.) Under outline, I have many pages: chapter outline, characters, time-line, Liz, Nick, Bill & Natalie, story layout, and of course, misc. I always need a miscellaneous spot! On each page, I group notes for that particular. Bill & Natalie's page is for notes about their relationship. Things I need to remember for later chapters. (When & where did he see her?) The time-line page is a must for me! If someone has a kid at fifteen, they must age at the same rate. In other words, she can't be thirty with a ten-year-old running around.

In the early stages of writing this ms, I found that I had given Liz one child, but later talked about her getting pregnant again. Oops. Don't worry... I found a way to make it work even better! Since I've discovered One Note, that will not happen again. If she has a kid, it goes in there! Most importantly, I make sure to use short notes; just enough info to refresh my memory. My time-line is a chart for easy reference. Don't overwhelm yourself with writing notes with a word count bigger than your ms! BTW... word count is in there.

Now for that search feature... You know all those lengthy e-mails that list a gazillion helpful hints that you'd like to remember when you needed them? Copy and paste it into your One Note. Dog gets skunked? I go to my Lily book (my e-junk drawer) and search skunk. Lipstick on carpet? Carpet. Vinegar, WD40, whatever... If there's a tip for it, I can find it lots quicker than you can Google!

I think I've praised this MS program enough. There may be similar programs out there that work just as well. My point is, FIND ONE AND USE IT! Having organized notes will not only speed up the writing process, but hopefully shorten the editing time.

There! Does your brain hurt?

In it for the long haul...

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. T. S. Eliot

This quote was on Judy's The Road to Here blog this morning, in her post, A Far Reaching Thought.

It quickly reminded me of one of my favorite quotes... Thomas Edison said, "Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up."

I have spent a lot of time this week reading blogs of writers, authors, agents, editors and publishers. If I weren't so determined, and I didn't have my Blogville fan club cheering me on, I could easily get discouraged. Blog after blog advises the same thing: You have to be better than the very best to have the slimmest chance of having anyone even ask for a paragraph of your work. You must spend three years perfecting your query letter, and this only after spending twenty years editing your first novel. Then, if you're luckier than a lottery winner, you must repeat that almost thirty years of work in a few months for your second book, or risk acquiring the reputation of a loser and violating your contract.

I have learned that there are plenty of people out there that make a living at helping you with your query letter, and that using them practically guarantees a letter (according to an agent's blog) that will be tossed. I have also learned that it is much harder to write a good query letter than it is to write a novel.

I have learned that you must make a terrific and lasting first impression with an agent, but must, at the same time, blend into the woodwork, so as not to appear anxiously self-promoting. There are conferences that allow you to mingle with agents, but if you get some face-to-face time, do not, under any circumstances, mention the fact that you have written a wonderful book.

I have learned that if a publisher is interested in reading your manuscript, by all means send it to them, even if it is the wrong thing to do!

I have learned that self-publishing can be a great route for many, but you'd have to be crazy to publish your manuscript without an agent... You will be taken to the proverbial cleaners!

I have learned that there are firm rules that you must adhere to, and even when you do, you'd have better luck getting struck twice by lightening.

With all this wonderful information, am I discouraged? Heck, no! How do you think people advised T.E. when he wanted to fly a kite in a thunderstorm? I'm probably on the verge of a sensational best seller!