It's the Little Things in Life:
In this case, my new Apple I-pod Shuffle. I bought it in hopes it would help inspire me to get out and walk more. The fact that Apple sells these teeny music libraries in various colors, allowing me to coordinate with my custom-made purse, is just an added perk.
I spent Saturday night adding the music to it. When I began the selection process, I realize just how varied my tastes have become. 135 songs later, my I-pod is filled with rock, reggae, classical, traditional, Latin, blues, and my cousin-in-law's music mixes. (He allows anyone to download his themed mixes for free, so don't hesitate to take advantage.) The only genres unlikely to be represented are country and rap, but even then I occasionally run across songs in those genres I like too.
Beyond the Mortal Coil:
For a period of years, my dad and I wrote short stories and novels together. I freely admit that he was the imagination behind the endeavor. I had a few non-fiction articles published, but fiction thus far has not proven to be my forte. The last book, Beyond the Mortal Coil, was reviewed by an editor at Ballantine. We were so excited to have the manuscript under consideration by a big New York publisher.
The editor had the manuscript for 3 or 4 months. When he'd finished with it, he sent us a glowing review that said, the book was well-written with good plotting and characters; very original, but since it didn't fit in any specific genre, he did not know how to market it, and therefore was turning it down. Really? WTF? Every publisher's website claims to want original stories. I guess they forgot the caveat ~ but don't make them too original.
The manuscript has since made it through 3 computers with me, getting transferred every time. Now technology has caught up making it easy for authors to self-publish. I've used Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing and now have the digital version available for purchase.
And the hard copy version is in the works. The proof has been mailed to me.
Now, I just need to become an expert in marketing. If anyone has any suggestions, don't be shy!
In this case, my new Apple I-pod Shuffle. I bought it in hopes it would help inspire me to get out and walk more. The fact that Apple sells these teeny music libraries in various colors, allowing me to coordinate with my custom-made purse, is just an added perk.
Beyond the Mortal Coil:
For a period of years, my dad and I wrote short stories and novels together. I freely admit that he was the imagination behind the endeavor. I had a few non-fiction articles published, but fiction thus far has not proven to be my forte. The last book, Beyond the Mortal Coil, was reviewed by an editor at Ballantine. We were so excited to have the manuscript under consideration by a big New York publisher.
The editor had the manuscript for 3 or 4 months. When he'd finished with it, he sent us a glowing review that said, the book was well-written with good plotting and characters; very original, but since it didn't fit in any specific genre, he did not know how to market it, and therefore was turning it down. Really? WTF? Every publisher's website claims to want original stories. I guess they forgot the caveat ~ but don't make them too original.
The manuscript has since made it through 3 computers with me, getting transferred every time. Now technology has caught up making it easy for authors to self-publish. I've used Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing and now have the digital version available for purchase.
Now, I just need to become an expert in marketing. If anyone has any suggestions, don't be shy!
