The A-Z blogfest posts on 4/1, but my own, first blogfest posts on 3/25/11. If you haven't signed up yet, go ahead and take advantage of this great opportunity now. It would mean a lot to me. :)
So, RWA will notify their 2011 Golden Heart finalists on Friday 3/25. Will I be one of them? Who knows? I go back and forth between bursts of confidence and pity-fests. What do I know? Well, I found out today that none of the 2010 finalists have their book in the process of publication, which means it's not a shoe in for agents/publishers. More's the pity. I sincerely do wish success upon my fellow authors -- and that's not an entirely selfless sentiment. If unknowns are getting picked up, the chances are better for me.
I have recently been asked for a full read for Courtly Scandals by one small-ish publisher and the first three by one big publisher. I have not been asked for anything by agents. I really want an agent (see post). I want an agent who will honestly care about my future and not just sign up because I lined up a deal on my own. Is that too much to ask? Perhaps -- but I'm naive still. Heck, I've only been at this a couple years. Give me one more year before bitterness takes hold. Based on my heartbreak last year, my critique partner is worried for me. I'm not. I have my wine-fridge stocked.
On other fronts, Courtly Abandon is really coming along. Seriously, there's nothing like the positive reinforcement of a publisher saying they couldn't put down my first three to get motivated. I engaged in some role reversal for this book and my male lead is almost virginal. The problem with being character lead is that stupid Percy is wussing out while alone with Jane in her bedroom. Stupid gentlemanly sentiments. Pshaw.
In regard to real life, my daughters are having mini-dinosaur Spaghetti O's for dinner tonight because Percy won't follow my outline. It's alright, my girls think it's great, but I'm disappointed. That means later I'll have microwaved Brussle sprouts with lemon and garlic salt -- not because I like them, but because they're a vegetable that also has protein.
BTW, many of my friends are busy in the thick of preparing for the Southern California Renaissance Pleasure Faire, but I have opted out for this year. It gives me time to write and focus on getting published, but it makes me sad. I miss them, miss the dancing, miss the costuming, and miss my pretend-Mom. I may visit this year, but not in costume because my kids have grown too much and I need to finish this novel before the school year just in case I am a Golden Heart finalist (so will have my one sheet ready for agents during RWA in New York this summer). Again, not pinning my hopes on anything... but I am. Yes, I'm ridiculous.
Speaking of ridiculous, there's no way I can afford the air fair to NY, room/board, plus the conference itself... but the conference scholarship request deadline was 3/15 and I won't know if I'm a finalist until 3/25. Again, this year, I am not banking on being a finalist because I have a clearer world view than I did this time last year... but still, I hope. Silly me.
Man, Friday I pray that I will really have a great teaching day and NOT think about Golden Heart. :)
Until then, my friends, Godspeed.
~Erin
PS. both of my daughters just told me that they wanted to be writers when they grew up. I'm creating monsters.
So, RWA will notify their 2011 Golden Heart finalists on Friday 3/25. Will I be one of them? Who knows? I go back and forth between bursts of confidence and pity-fests. What do I know? Well, I found out today that none of the 2010 finalists have their book in the process of publication, which means it's not a shoe in for agents/publishers. More's the pity. I sincerely do wish success upon my fellow authors -- and that's not an entirely selfless sentiment. If unknowns are getting picked up, the chances are better for me.
I have recently been asked for a full read for Courtly Scandals by one small-ish publisher and the first three by one big publisher. I have not been asked for anything by agents. I really want an agent (see post). I want an agent who will honestly care about my future and not just sign up because I lined up a deal on my own. Is that too much to ask? Perhaps -- but I'm naive still. Heck, I've only been at this a couple years. Give me one more year before bitterness takes hold. Based on my heartbreak last year, my critique partner is worried for me. I'm not. I have my wine-fridge stocked.
On other fronts, Courtly Abandon is really coming along. Seriously, there's nothing like the positive reinforcement of a publisher saying they couldn't put down my first three to get motivated. I engaged in some role reversal for this book and my male lead is almost virginal. The problem with being character lead is that stupid Percy is wussing out while alone with Jane in her bedroom. Stupid gentlemanly sentiments. Pshaw.
BTW, many of my friends are busy in the thick of preparing for the Southern California Renaissance Pleasure Faire, but I have opted out for this year. It gives me time to write and focus on getting published, but it makes me sad. I miss them, miss the dancing, miss the costuming, and miss my pretend-Mom. I may visit this year, but not in costume because my kids have grown too much and I need to finish this novel before the school year just in case I am a Golden Heart finalist (so will have my one sheet ready for agents during RWA in New York this summer). Again, not pinning my hopes on anything... but I am. Yes, I'm ridiculous.
Speaking of ridiculous, there's no way I can afford the air fair to NY, room/board, plus the conference itself... but the conference scholarship request deadline was 3/15 and I won't know if I'm a finalist until 3/25. Again, this year, I am not banking on being a finalist because I have a clearer world view than I did this time last year... but still, I hope. Silly me.
Man, Friday I pray that I will really have a great teaching day and NOT think about Golden Heart. :)
Until then, my friends, Godspeed.
~Erin
PS. both of my daughters just told me that they wanted to be writers when they grew up. I'm creating monsters.
4 comments:
I hear ya!! I really want an agent too....I love love love my small publisher...but an agent will help get me a bigger deal with a bigger publisher and therefore, get my books in front of a much larger audience.
So wish I could go to RWA....flights would be cheap for me since I live in NY state, but everything else....yikes! Not gonna happen.
Good luck on the Golden heart!!!
yay for your progress. Plus, I'm alsways impressed with writers who manage to write and look after a family. I have hubby and a cat. Both pretty much look after themselves ;)
I just posted my entry in your blogfest, as it's already Friday here in Aus :)
It was really quite horrible rewriting my scene, I wanted to puke myself. LOL. But this was a lot of fun.
That was so funny! Thanks for this blogfest.
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