Saying Thank You

Have been notified that I have won an award from Romantic Times Magazine and they wonder if I will be at their get together in Chicago to accept it. I have never been to this convention even though every writer I know who has gone says it's well worth the trip. Unforgettable. Fun. Informative.

But it ain't FREE! The less I write the less I think in terms of tax write offs (at this stage paying for postage and paper pretty much puts me in the losing $ column) so I have to think in terms of budget. I would love to go but nowhere in that budget is a file for "EGO".  I learned a long time ago that EGO can be pretty costly so it went bye bye along with thing like cute shoes and  fancy coffee with weird names.  So what's a writer who really would love to have somebody in the wide world of writing say - hey, you did okay instead of "yeah, it's okay, I guess, if you'd just change everything about it" a writer who ADORES Chicago, btw, to do?

More thinking my way. Who knew the writer's life would have these kinds of decisions?

Thinking is Hard

Really. Have been taking time to think through the options for writing from this point forward. I find it much harder than actual writing.

Once upon a time it was much easier. The paths were pretty straight forward - the goal pretty much the same. Publish. Publish. Publish.  Now the paths range from footsteps in the snow... in a blizzard and major six lane highways and everyone who is whizzing by or trudging along is sharing the experience in blogs, tweets, FaceBook, Shelfari, GoodReads, Linkedin, websites, lists, .... the options never end.

Even the people I have turned to for years (author pals) are giving conflicting advice - "epub and don't look back, you'll be rich." "NYT publishers are the only way to have real success." "Write X" Write Y." "It doesn't matter what you write just get it epubbed NOW".  "This is a great time to be a new writer." "This is a great time to be an author with a name and backlist."

Excuse me while my head explodes!

And who is going to clean that mess up, young lady?

Frustrating mostly because I really do think everyone has a good point. I really do have a lot of faith in both epubbing and traditional publishing. I love them both. In my heart, I would LOVE to see Helen Hartman in print on a bookshelf from a major house. In my head, I would HATE to lose control over someone I have been building slowly and will continue to do so, a character that I could do SO much beyond a novel or series with (cookbooks, humorous advice books, columns, tacky stuff with quotes on it).

So I am giving myself the advice I have given so many authors lately - figure out what YOU want. Decide who you are as a writer. Decide what your work is.
I can't tell you how many time at a booksigning I'd have to explain what a book WAS, it was exhausting to me so I can imagine it was not easy to listen to! So what choice is there?  I gotta think this thing through!

How about you? Do you know who you are as a writer? Can you tell me what your work is in a few words that I can relate to easily? Love to hear it because this thinking is getting to me.

That Gate Swings Both Ways

I have started this at least three times and whisked it away with the magic of backspace. I worried about seeming ungrateful to those I have worked with in my career so far but this thing happened. Wait, no, ANOTHER thing happened  and, well, its getting a bit hard to be a team player when you look around and realize you seem to be the only one actually on your team.

Why sure I'll come up with the idea, create the characters, craft the story, edit, promote, build my platform and be a good girl while you... wait you did WHAT?

If you're reading much about what's going on in print and ebook, traditional and self publishing these days you have run across the term Gatekeeper. The publishers keep proudly proclaiming that the reason writer NEED them is that they are the gatekeepers of all that is good and right and worthy of being published (how do they do that standing next to a stack of celeb centered tomes taller than bestselling author Snooki. Okay, that doesn't take much, bestselling author Khloe Kardashian baffles me).

From poor editing (I've had a few - not at Love Inspired, btw) to poor covers (one sank my single title career before it could even get started) to poor marketing (can it be worse than no marketing? You tell me), any stage of the process of getting a book from writer to reader can make a world of difference. Sometimes they can have long term repercussions that can submarine a whole career. I worry that this may have just happened. With One book.

One book in my backlist that an old publisher decided not to give me back the rights to so they could put it out in an ebook. It's cheap and why not, right? I guess that's what they were thinking. The marketing on it was of the free and why not type. They sent out a book about southern women to reviewers who with one glance can be seen are addicted to Amish. The reviews range from mid range stars with nice comments to 2 stars and outright mean comments. If I were still working with this publisher I might have some say in all this but...

Sigh, so they can mess with my brand, my NAME, with choices like this and feel no pain. I, however, am now wondering about trying to sell and promote ebooks in my name when I know these ugly reviews from people who were clearly never going to like my book (the publisher gave them for free) will pop up and work against me. So, name change anyone?

Probably not but really, it's hard not to feel like even when the gatekeepers are on your side, you gotta watch out not to get your fingers slammed in the gate.

Writing and Time

It's no secret I've been taking a break writing wise. Well, I just sold another ms to Love Inspired so I guess that's got to end soon.  And as usually happens, as soon as I HAVE to write something else I am instantly enthralled with something I'd RATHER write. A cozy mystery series. But...

Ever drop a ping pong ball in a tile shower? If you have you won't forget that doing doing doing sound as it hits the floor, the wall, the other wall, the floor, and so on. That's what I think it sounds like in a writer's head when they have an idea that they can't pin down. DOING DOING DOING!

It begins to drive you a bit mad, you know. And the more the idea bounces away, just out of your reach the more you begin to doubt you can ever catch it at all.

I am honestly afraid I can't finish this book. There. I said it. No, not the one I have the contract for, the one I have the passion for. But I am hoping that applying discipline and effort to writing the book that is my "work" will help that ping pong ball slow down, maybe even pass within my reach.

Ever have that happen? Struggle with one piece, move onto another and then have the first piece start to fall into place? Please, tell me it's happened to you, this doing doing doing is making me nuts.

LINKS!

It's humbling, really, all these years in to be working a full time job and not writing as much and realize how much marketing and keeping on top of the industry takes and to know how many writers do this all the time, often while doing a lot more at home, either as single parents or parenting small children. My hat is off to ya, those who do so much, and while it's off I can scratch my head and wonder if it will ever be smooth as it once was for me, to write, to edit, to promote and to follow up. We shall see.

Links to the Amazon Kindle editions

The Double Heart Diner

Cupid's Corner

The Lost Romance Ranch

Links to Nook

The Double Heart Diner

Cupid's Corner

The Lost Romance Ranch

Waiting, waiting - Here it is!

Isn't that just like publishing? You write, you edit, you polish, you rewrite, you send, you wait and wait and wait and then...WAIT!! What? I just realized my backlist books from the Route 66 series are available NOW.

No, not next week. No, not next month. No, not next YEAR. Today.  Yup. I checked. You can get them on Amazon. And itunes and wait, a minute while I check... yes and Barnes and Noble!!! (did I put enough exclamation points there?). Wow. I am totally shocked. I don't know why, I have other ebooks out but these are the first that I own the rights to and are out there as past of the brave new world of publishi
Cool. If you know anyone who loves sweet romance and/or would love a few laughs along the rocky road of Route 66, try THE DOUBLE HEART DINER, CUPID'S CORNER and THE LOST ROMANCE RANCH from Annie Jones!

Links tomorrow - as I said this caught me off guard!

Never say Never, huh?

I really thought I was done with Love Inspired books.  Not that I dislike them. Just a series of events that lead me to let go of it all and start thinking in new terms.

I am still thinking about new things, still learning and... well, mostly enjoying an extended break from writing, the first in 15 years!  But, ya see, I had this partial that I had done last year then decided not to send out. It's good. I like the story and the characters. So my agent has sent it out.

Today I am contemplating the 'what next' of it all. Not just the 'what next' of selling it but of NOT selling it. Like many of you I have my share of finished unsold books and partials tucked away. Some deserve to stay tucked as far away as possible but others... what next for them?

I actually have some say in that now.  They can become books to be sold to the public. Wow.
Second chances and self determination, control of your own career (however that looks in the new world of publishing). It's definitely worth contemplating.

It's part of the new reality for writers to consider 'what next' in the broadest sense. That has to play a part when putting words on paper just as considering the narrower version of the question (since that line wants this, I need to think about that when writing this scene, or Editor X suggested I focus on this so that's what I'm going to do, or I'd like to be known as a writer who is good at 'fill in the blank' so I need to make sure I work on that aspect of craft). Whew.

So, writers, what next? I hope it's something amazing.