I'm Getting Published!

Yes, it's true. I'm getting published. Well, maybe I should amend that. My romance writing, outspoken, bossy alter ego is getting published.

Recently I was perusing through some publishing websites to see what they were looking for, if anything. (Okay, fine. I was supposed to be doing research for school but I was procrastinating.) Anyway, I found a reputable e-publisher (they do print as well, but are very well known for their e-books) who had an open call for submission for a short story anthology. There were a few requirements listed within the call. First of all, this particular publisher only deals in romance - some of which is definitely adult only content. The story had to involve some type of online/computer/social media element, and had to meet word count parameters along with a few other requirements. Also, space for this particular anthology was limited. I thought about it for a few days and started working out a story idea in my head. I didn't think I'd actually submit it, but I thought something like that could be fun to write. Let's face it - I like to read in a number of genres, including romance and it's sub-genres, (50 Shades, anyone?) but I don't write romance. I write short, dark, twisted, and depraved stories about death and revenge. But I digress.

I finished writing the story and asked a classmate of mine (who happens to be a genius editor) to work her editing magic on it. After I made the necessary changes, I put together the required submission packet including the synopsis and query letter. I felt a sense of relief (along with abject terror) when I hit the "send" button. A few days later, I got a huge surprise - an email stating that they are going to publish it. I was shocked. Then the publisher sent me my first book contract (I'm going to earn royalties!), which I signed and promptly sent back, all the while doing the happy dance. My alter ego is also ecstatic, and she is already working on a novel which she plans to submit to the publisher - another romance. (Did I mention she also has a one-track mind?)

It has been less than a year since I quit my job to go back to school and pursue writing full time. There are days when I feel frazzled (actually that happens on any day that ends in "y"). There are times that I wake up in the middle of the night wondering what in the gay hell I'm thinking by pursuing my dream instead of working a "normal" job. But now I have a bit of something to show for my hard work - I'm finally going to be a published author. Ahem, my alter ego just punched me. SHE is the published author. Either way, it's a reason to celebrate. ;-) So get your e-reader ready!

Butt In Chair: Write, Edit, Polish, Publish. Lather, Rinse, Repeat.

I created this blog to write about a number of things. (Hence the description “A blog about writing, motherhood, love, and life in general.”) I’ve reviewed some of my more recent posts and I realized I had a few rants in there (Family, Fundraising, and Four Years of Lies). There are also posts about motherhood, (Things I’ve Learned) and little bit about love. (Matrimony 2.0.) However, I haven’t written much lately about writing. And then I realized I haven’t been doing as much writing for myself because I have been doing a lot of writing for school. (Damn those pesky professors who want me to write essays like they grow on trees! Kidding – their guidance and feedback have been invaluable.) I have also been doing a fair amount of ghostwriting, which provides a modicum of income and tons of practice regarding the actual craft of writing. But ultimately I want to write for ME -- not some corporation or business that needs help with managing their blogs or website content.

I think about writing all the time. (Ok, I’ll be honest. I obsess over writing. I’m constantly thinking about the novel I’m working on, along with the short stories etc). I troll the Interweb looking for writing blogs, I connect with other writers via Twitter and the FB and I belong to a writers group. However, all that isn’t worth shit if I’m not actually writing.

Then there’s the publishing aspect of the whole process. As a writer, I am super curious as to how the publishing world works. I know traditional publishing is hard to break into. To be honest, I haven’t even tried. I want to, and when I finish my novel I will definitely query some agents to see if I can spark their interest and maybe get some attention from a traditional publisher. But in the meantime, I’m going to try my hand at e-publishing. I’m putting together a small anthology of short stories that I’ve written and I might submit them to one of the smaller e-book publishers. I know some people who have published this way and they seem happy with their experiences. Seems like a good idea for a newbie.

Another avenue I’m interested in is self-publishing. That means I do all of the work -- formatting, cover art, blah blah blah…. but I also clear almost all of the profit. I’m not the most computer literate person in the world, but I have a friend or two who said they were willing to help me through the process of publishing for e-readers such as Kindles and Nooks and iPads and the list goes on – I’ve made my point. For this venture I will be writing in a specific genre and using a pen name.  

The world of publishing is changing, it seems as if on a daily basis. I’d like to be part of that change. So that means sitting my butt in my chair and writing, and hopefully writing something that people might actually buy. I am a writer – and although at the moment I am unpublished, I am going to work hard to make sure that 2012 is the year I turn into a (insert trumpets, drumroll, etc. here) PUBLISHED AUTHOR! Who knows…maybe in a few short months you’ll be downloading one (or more) of my books on your handy dandy e-reader?