cornerofmadness

Rejection, marketing and writing opportunities, three things that come up a lot on my writer's blog. Here they are again. Two great opportunities right off the bat: the first is a unique opportunity, 'speed dating' for the Knight Agency. It's romance heavy but it does do mystery, fantasy and urban fantasy among others, there's a link within this first link so check them out. This kicks off on March 7th so yeah, tomorrow. Knights Agency speed dating


The second is an open call for a steampunk anthology. The 'holiday' part makes me hesitate since I would like to try this with a short story set before Beneath the Torn Sky and that isn't an earth based steampunk. I need to spend a few more moments researching their contracts/submissions etc. I might have to consider something else and for me the side effect would be writing for two anthologies in the next 6 weeks with the same deadline. Ouch. This is a side industry for Harlequin but Carina press does not require romance as part of their stories (check out the submissions link for more information). Here’s the link: Steampunk holiday


Marketing, try this link. Marketing 101 They have a lot of good points for marketing/social networking as an author which has become a must do for us. It's geared to erotica but none of their points are exclusive to that market really.

And finally rejection. I got a couple promotional magazines from Writers Magazine and there was a nice article on rejection. I'll just include a few of the better points. Good rejections: I just had one of those where they took the time to tell me why they rejected it (it had more to do with the focus of the anthology that wasn't that clear in their open call) and one structural issue they had with my story. To me this is a very good rejection. It tells me where the strength and weakness of my story lies. It tells me the story didn't stink. The article says to treasure these rejections because they help you. Also the article goes on to say that if an editor/agent tells you to try again they mean it. You have impressed them (argh, I need to get something done for Loose Id in that case).

Get over it - You failed. It will always sting. Once the sting ebbs, get over it and pick yourself back up. So, how does the article suggest we try this?
1. Rejection party – get some friends together and go for pizza and beer or out shopping, whatever your love is. Only writers get rejection letters for their stories. You've already accomplished something
2. Start a rejection slip file. Keep those letters, at least for the fiscal year. If you're doing the by-mail submissions you can write off postage and some of your office stuff.
3. 3. send it to the next publisher on your list – what need I say
4. write something else- or if you're me, several other things

They included a few resources: rejections on display where you can put your real life rejections. Honestly I’m not so sure I’d do this. It’s sort of like bashing work publically on facebook if you ask me but eh, if you want to vent…


yearly original fiction word count -

15416 / 125000 words. 12% done!

I got up, opened the curtains and saw snow. Well then. I head for the phone to call mom and ask her if she has snow. It rings before I get there. It's mom. She asks if i have snow too. you betcha.

I go to Krogers and someone is holding up the line talking. I look to see who it is and it's one of my students. Hey, do you want to pass this week's test maybe you should let me through the line! :-)

I get outside and someone in a painter's truck pulls up behind me.

Man- Ma'am do you have a minute (he has some papers in his hand and my first thought is I am not going over there and getting pulled into a truck and dying)

Me - not really.

Man (undaunted) gets outs out of his truck. He winces and shows me where he's ripped open his leg and i though maybe he wanted a bandage. Instead he hands me a flyer. - Ma'am, please, the man who got me all the way down here never showed up. He promised me work and didn't show. I have no money and I don't even have gas to get home. Please, can i do work at your house. Anything? Please.

Me - but i don't have a house. My landlord wouldn't allow that. Want me to give this to him

Man - but...i have no way home. Please, ma'am, isn't there anything I can do for you. I have five kids and I was depending on this job but he never showed up.

Me - I'm sorry

Man - please, I have five kids who need me (he starts to cry). Can you spare anything, just five dollars.

Me, looks over his painter's outfit, the matching flyers and truck and figure if he's a panhandler he's put enough effort into it to make it worth the while. I only have five dollars for my lunch.

He kisses my hand as he takes the money. I figure he needed it more than me.


Then I go over to Big Lots which was having a 20% off everything sale and bought stuff I didn't need. If I had known mom wanted one of those bamboo rugs for outside i would have bought that too but as it was, since it was insanely crowded I backed into one that was upright and it fell, destroying a lamp. I felt SO BAD. I was almost going to cry (damn you hormones). THey had anime too, but NONE of it was the first episodes. What good does volume 3 of speedgrapher do me?

I learned my frigde wasn't sealing right. Ugh, i lost SO MUCH.it all spoiled. I THINK i have it fixed. What a waste. what a clean up.

My friend’s etsy site. Check her out. she does good work

( Day 143, rare caturday pic )