No Cat Book thru Publications International

'Tis not to be.  Received an e-mail today from the Publications International editor that they've selected someone else for the cat book.  It's really been a marvelous week ego-wise for me as a writer. Don't know if I can stand any more bliss.

No worries.  That August deadline really had me scared.  And the editor did say the panel liked my writing and she wondered if I would be interested in applying to work on some inspirational/humor books they would be producing?

I jumped on the humor one and she is to e-mail me details later this week.  As for inspirational...not sure that's my thing.  My way of inspiring people is to tell them to get their heads out of their asses and get on with it.  But maybe if I wrote that and inserted something about the "heartbeat of life" I could get away with it? Hmmm....

Meanwhile, work is going swimmingly on the public speaking book.  I'm devoting at least an hour a day to it and it's amazing how quickly the words add up.  I'm also enjoying writing it (and amusing myself in the process) which tells me I'm on the right track.  I'm looking to get a few chapters written and then critiqued by my Writer's Group while I plot out a proposal to send to agents/publishers.  As I recall from the Lessons In Stalking experience, that's a good 6-12 month wait for replies.

That's all.  I'm working on an article for public speaking for The Toastmaster magazine that I need to get back to.

Class Cancelled

Just confirmed that my Get Published! The Ins & Outs of Magazine Submissions class for Saturday is indeed cancelled.  There was one bright spot, however.  The college administrator said she called the one person who'd signed up and the woman was terribly upset that the class wasn't going to run.  Cheers me up in a weird sort of way.

I'm still convinced there' s a great market out there for the class.  I can't even count how many people I run into who, when I tell them I'm a writer, launch into the "I've always wanted to be a writer and here are my ideas" speech. The writers are out there...I just need to do a better job marketing to them.

Blair is working this Saturday so I'll still make use of the time and get some work done.  I have an article for The Toastmaster magazine due at month's end that I've done a ton of research for but haven't written word one.  It's just a matter of getting started.  Looking at all the research and trying to figure out who to structure the article is overwhelming.  What I'll do on Saturday is give myself a "play day" with the material, meaning I don't have to construct the article, but can just write random bits that may or may not find their way in.  It's funny that I KNOW I'm tricking myself into writing the article and yet the trick works every time.  Apparently I'm not too bright.

Self-Promoting Your Workshops

I believe I've documented in earlier entries my panic about preparing for a class I'm teaching for the first time this Saturday: Get Published! The Ins & Outs of Magazine Submissions.  I made myself sit down for five hours last Sunday and plow through setting up a syllabus and content.  Turns out it may all be for naught.

So far only 1 person has pre-registered for the class.  (And a big "thank you" to you, anonymous student.) It's my own fault.  I hesitated on sending out press releases because I was worried about being prepared.  Now I'm prepared with great content and ideas and no one to teach it to. Of course there's always the chance that between now and Friday a great horde of people will see the light and sign up, but I'm not holding my breath.

On the one hand--yea.A cancelled class frees up my Saturday, takes away the pressure and hey--I still get the promo on  my site that I offered the class (so much of marketing is...I was about to write "deceptive" but that's not it.  It's an illusion.  I can create the illusion I'm offering a great many classes and workshops and while it's true I do offer them, it's also true that a lot of them don't make.  But I can still list them on my resume and writer's bio and no ones the wiser. )

I spoke at Saturday's writer's panel on the importance of networking and self-promotion.  It never ends.  I'm knocking my head against walls, trying to get this blog the way I want it, not because I'm making any money from it but because I'm counting on it pulling in some loyal readers and establishing a reader base. Self-promotion never ends.  I'm always looking for ways to connect people, help others, get my name and book title and website address out there.

It's hard because you never know where the payoff will be.  You might spend big bucks on a conference and no magic sparks occur and the next day you'll attend a free lecture in a podunk library and make the connection of a lifetime.  That's also the fun part of it.  Nothing is ever wasted and everything is for a reason.  The fun part of life (also the challenging part of life) is figuring out what those reasons may be and what to do with the opportunities laid before you.

Which is a REALLY long of saying shame on me for not being proactive on those press releases.  No one to blame but myself. 

Participating in a Panel Group of Writers

We returned this AM from our trip to the mountains to see the Highland Games (see "Highland Games" entry) and I ran a quick shower and then dashed into downtown Greensboro to participate in a writer's panel sponsored by the Writer's Group of the Triad (WGOT).

I must say, there was a certain feeling of having "arrived" as a writer in being asked to sit on the panel and have a roomful of people looking to you for advice.  I can only hope I didn't disappoint.  Actually, I was really more secondary to the panel.  Most people in the room appeared to have an interest in how to publish their book--either fiction or non-fiction--they're working on. 

I was floored by the turnout.  32 people! When Blair said good-bye and asked me how many people we thought would attend I shrugged and said it could be as low as five and we'd be happy with 12-15.  It shows me how many people have the desire to write and be heard.  I think there's a little place in all our hearts where we long to live on a bit past our days, maybe imparting humor, wisdom or knowledge for those that follow.

I wish I'd thought to bring a camera to the event.  I usually carry one but we'd packed it for our trip and I didn't think to take it along.

I'm drop dead tired.  It's 8:20 and I'll consider it a successful night if my eyes stay open until 9.  However, before I go to bed I've got to have Blair go over his notes with me from where he proofread the LIS book this afternoon, catch up on some e-mails with my website designer, mail checks to the petsitter and the final installment to my book cover designer, and answer about 8 of the 52 e-mails that were waiting to greet me when I got home.

Or promise myself I'll get up early in the morning and do it then.  Ah ha ha!!! (evil laugh).