The Internet & Publishing

It hasn't, in the grand scheme of things, been that long since I started writing my first novel and stumbled over to the Internet, about halfway through, because I suddenly wondered what to do with the thing.

And yet so much has changed since then.

When I started querying that first novel, I needed a boatload of stamps because so few agents took e-mail queries.

For GRIM LIGHT, I still have stamps left over, because I miscalculated and bought too many (also, because my querying was successful, but I'll shut up now). And I definitely noticed, when I was doing my super-OCD spreadsheet of agents, that the number accepting e-mail submissions had increased significantly.

And when I first started looking for publishing blogs, Miss Snark and GalleyCat were about the only games in town. There may have been a few others, but they don't stick out in my memory. But if my (admittedly faulty) memory serves, Kristin Nelson and Jenny Rappaport came around not long after that. And of course, there's always Publisher's Lunch and Publishers Weekly,* which bring news of the more formal kind.

Then something happened. New blogs started popping up here, there, everywhere. It was like a game of whack-a-mole trying to hit them all.

Nowadays, you can't throw a gin & tonic without hitting an agent, editor, or general publishing blog. Keeping up on the news and everyone's opinions on it can be a bit daunting. Of course, you can follow many publishing folk on Twitter, and have a better chance of catching that bit of news you missed, but again...there are so many.

Thankfully, a few of these blogs have taken to posting weekly news and article roundups. I've found these such a timesaver--someone else is out there sifting through the blogs for the important stuff, so I don't have to. Bless 'em.

Every Friday, Nathan Bransford posts "This Week In Publishing", which gathers up newsworthy bits from the publishing world. And QueryTracker has its "Publishing Pulse", also posted on Fridays. This is more of a blog roundup, in addition to a listing of new agents and agency moves.

ETA: From the comments, Robert W. Leonard gives us Pimp My Novel and Market My Words, which also do weekly roundups; R. K. Charron points us toward Jane Friedman's blog, where she also does a weekly summary. Thanks guys!

For how notoriously slow** publishing is, it sure moves pretty fast sometimes. Thank the stars there are people out there keeping an eye on it.

What are your favorite publishing blogs? Do you know of any others that do weekly news roundups?


*I know that this publication doesn't use an apostrophe in its name. But I can't help but put one there. It just looks so wrong otherwise. And don't think I didn't debate about whether it should be a plural or singular possessive. Publishers Weekly gets off the hook because you could potentially look at it as a plural noun.

**I like to say that publishing isn't that slow, it just plans really, really far in advance.

Lucky

When I started this blog two and a half years ago, I thought it would just be a fun place to document my progress as a writer; somewhere to let loose all those thoughts and theories that arise during that long, wonderful, arduous, exhilarating process known as "writing a novel." You know, just another place to get the voices out of my head and onto the page.

I didn't know I would make such wonderful friends, and that has been the best surprise of all.

First Tia. We started reading each other's work, helping each other with query letters, consulting each other on decisions (I think the email thread in which I debated whether to enter the Golden Hearts lasted a week!). She's a great writer and a dedicated reader, and her insights never fail to blow me away. She sees things that I never thought of before, opens my eyes in ways I didn't think possible.

Then, when I was at the 2008 Pennwriters Conference, frequent commenter Eden asked me to write an article for Toasted Cheese about conferences. That opportunity, offered at such a tumultuous time in my writing life, bolstered my confidence--and going back to my old newspaper roots and writing in article format was incredibly fun. I must've done a decent job, because she's now reading Grim Light. Considering that she's an ABNA award semi-finalist (go read it! go review it!), I can't wait to hear her thoughts.

Lisa popped up in late 2008, offering to read Battle of the Hexes when I was considering self-publishing it on the Internet. She's a reader of Tia's, as well, and I think of her as our cheerleader. Unfailingly insightful and helpful, always enthusiastic, she pointed out aspects of my book that no one had noticed before. She's now read Grim Light--you can see her thoughts here--and as I go through her notes and apply her advice to the novel, I'm certain that we're making it a better book--together.

I met Steven on Absolute Write, early this year, after he found my blog and asked for some advice about starting his own. He's added his name to my reader list, and I've added mine to his. Considering his poetry, I'm eager to get started on his novel, A Birthday Suicide.

I don't even recall how Jen Hayley and I met. But I've been cheering on her progress, as she snagged an agent and is now, I believe, on submission, and I can't wait to see more success from her. Partly because it's so exciting, and partly because she keeps on posting teasers that make me desperate to read more, and I want to go to the bookstore and buy the darn things, but I can't because they're not there yet, and it's very frustrating, and it makes me write with excessive italics. I tell her to stop torturing me, but she keeps doing it. So maybe next Tuesaday I'll fight back with a little of my own...

So basically, I think you guys are so full of awesome, it must be bursting out of every pore. And I just wanted you to know that you're making the writing so much less lonely, and for that I thank you.

No April Fool's here, because it's the damn truth.*

*Argh. More italics. Darn you, Jen!

Another Layout Change

Yes, I changed my layout again. The pink was driving me batty.

Back from the 9-5 grave, and other miscellania...

Well.

I don't even want to look and see how long it's been since I've blogged. I've been a bad little blogger, neglecting my faithful readers and shying guiltily away every time I saw my blog's link in my bookmark bar. Always something else to do, somewhere else to go, something else to write.

But now I've moved to part time at work (at my own request). I have a little more free time, although it never quite feels like enough. So, it gives me great pleasure to announce...I'm baaaaaaaack, baby! I've got new plans to share, new entries on all kinds of subjects (writerly and otherwise), and I'm sure lots of silliness and the general inanity that keeps me from falling into general insanity. 'Cause you know, NaNoWriMo is coming up...should be lots of inanity and insanity there. Fun!

Before we get to all that in the coming weeks, though, I'd like to comment on something that drives me a little crazy. And that is this: the utter shock, or at least eyebrow raising, that comes when someone discovers that--quelle suprise!--girls play video games.

I know, I know. However did they escape from the kitchen?

This annoyance was mostly brought about by two recent articles: This one, by the AP and published by CNN, which is so surprised at females--female teenagers, no less, who haven't known a world without video games--who play video games. So surprised, in fact, that the author feels the need to set that fact apart with em dashes, as seen below:

The survey found that while young Americans don't necessarily play the same thing, nearly all of them -- girls included -- play video games of one kind or another.

Really? Are we so shocked at this? Did no one see this coming? But of course, we have to focus on the fact that the dainty little girls don't like the shoot-em-up, run-around-in-a-virtual-world-collecting-weapons-and-stuff, scream-obscenities-over-the-headset-at-your-gaming-buddies games.* They couldn't possible have found some girls that enjoyed these games, could they? I mean, they certainly don't exist out there in the real world, right? Because, you know, what 75% of a gender likes, the other 25% must enjoy as well.**

Disclosure: I don't much enjoy those games, myself. But that's more because they usually involve some sort of a map and a considerable amount of hand-eye coordination, and I am both spatially and directionally challenged.

Anyhow.

The second article came out a few weeks ago, and really got my feminist meter fuming. "How to Get Your Girlfriend Into Gaming," published by MSNBC. It's about a panel at a gaming expo (Penny Arcade's expo, to be exact) in which many stereotypical, and sometimes just plain demeaning, suggestions were offered. Jezebel*** really said it better than I ever could, so I'll leave it at that.

No, actually, I won't. I'll leave it at this quote from one of the ALL FEMALE members of the panel:

"Ask her to help you spot snipers," said Phillips. "Chicks like flattery. If she feels like she’s helping, then you’re making it a positive experience."

There are no words I can say to combat that kind of patronization. Except this:

When my husband, in 2004, first brought home SSX Tricky, a snowboarding game for the XBox, I idly asked him if I might like it.

"Hm," he said doubtfully. "It might be a little tough for you."****

Well, that was it. I was unemployed at the time, and not writing, so the next day was spent proving him wrong. By the time he came home from work, my snowboarder was kicking some serious powder. And had beat all his high scores.

So maybe the way to get your girlfriend into gaming is to be a jerk and tell her she probably won't be very good at it. Worked for me. Although this probably isn't going to be an issue for vry much longer, since--gasp! shock! dismay! -- girls are already there.


*Or as we call it in my house, "Tuesday evening."
**These statistics are a guess on my part. I'm not actually sure what percentage of teenage female gamers prefer the more violent games, but I'm willing to bet the number would surprise male gamers.
***This site, and it's comments, frequently features NSFW pictures and commentary. If you're easily offended, I would steer clear. I quite enjoy it, though.
****Notice he said, "for you," not "for a girl." I think he was referencing my legendary clumsiness and general lack of coordination. He certainly knew better, by that point in our relationship, to imply that I might be in any way less competent than he due to my gender. Oh, to have more men like him in the world!

Coming Soon

I promise you a great, big, hearty helping of Kristophrenia in the very near future. I've got it all planned out, I just have to actually, you know...write it. Which I will most likely do on Sunday. Because that's the first chance I'm likely to get.

Sorry I've been so very neglectful, of late. Let me tell you this, it's going to be one looooong summer, what with the writing two or three or four different novels, and the working, and the keeping the house clean, and the everything else.

And now I must go to bed, because I have to be up in 5.5 hours and I've already stayed up far too late. It's past midnight, yanno.

When did I get so old?

See you Sunday!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, everyone! Can't wait to see what 2008 has in store for us all.

My holiday hiatus will continue into the new year, only it'll turn into a recovering-from-minor-surgery hiatus. That's right, I'm starting the year off by having a minor organ removed.* Woohoo!

No one can say that this girl doesn't know how to party.

If I do blog, it'll be under the influence of painkillers,** so that should be interesting.

Hope your 2007 goes out with a bang...and 2008 sees you happy, healthy, and in possession of all your organs.


*No worries, it's a routine procedure.
**Prescribed, of course. What do you people think of me?

Serendipity

I know I just posted about ten seconds ago, but I had to mention this...

The contest I mentioned in this entry a few days ago? The creator and one of the judges (same person, not two separate entities, to clarify) happened to find my blog via NaNo, and of course the most recent entry was the one mentioning her contest! She mentioned the discovery in her own blog, which I'm going to peruse more thoroughly later, but I like what I see so far. And come on, she created an awesome contest, so...obviously she's cool. I don't normally put smilies in blog posts, but I can't help myself now =).

Life is truly so funny sometimes. I'm going to go shake my head and marvel at the silliness of it all. Then I'm going to start on my entry for the contest, because as she said in her comment to my blog post, it's obviously meant to be!

Nothing to Say

Erg. I'm having another one of those weeks when I have very, very little to say. Probably because I'm putting nearly all my creative energies into the book and my violin. Or maybe just because it's boring around here this week (although we had a great weekend, with friends visiting and German Beer Gardens and baseball games and fireworks!).

So, I think I'll take a break for a few days and let my blogging batteries recharge. I'll be back...oh, let's say Friday.

Layout Changes

Listening to: Barenaked Ladies, "Call and Answer" (brings back high school memories, it does. *shudders*)

Hmm. Considering some layout changes. The current look might just be until I can make up my mind.

Or it might be permanent. We'll see how much I want to procrastinate over the next few days.

One Year

Listening to: Me First & The Gimme Gimmes, "Save the Best for Last" (Anyone else think it's awesome that a band is able to make a living and a name from being, essentially, a cover band?)

Hey! Today's the one year anniversary of my very first blog post. It's a Blogiversary! And my very second blog post was that very same day, and included pictures of cows! Not to mention my gorgeous rose. So pretty. *Sigh*...I miss my rose.

So, year in review, in case anyone cares...or is very, very bored:

In July, after posting about who I am and blessing the world with pictures of cows tramping up my street, I waxed sentimental about hometowns. In August, I told a story about getting lost in the woods, then went traipsing through them once again (and posted a slideshow of it!).

In September, I talked about writing and self-doubt. And not much else, since I faltered a bit with the blog that month--a whopping FOUR POSTS!

But in October....I posted the exact same amount. Whoops. When I did post, though, the topics tended to veer all over the place.

Came back with a vengeance in November, when my dentist said funny things and I finished my second novel and began editing it.

I had a lot of fun in December, from getting stuck in a dress to coming up with my next book idea (working on that now) to getting Crapometered to nearly getting killed by my cat. Looking back, it's a miracle I survived to ring in 2007.

In January, I accepted that I should write what I enjoy, no matter what my friends and family think.

February was busy, what with considering the permanent move to Virginia and then deciding against it, which was full of its own little ironies. Funny to look back on that, now.

I started the third novel for the third time in March, and that one stuck. I also heard voices and fell in love with my protagonist's love interest (trust me, it didn't last). Then I went bowling and enjoyed some "local color". Then I went to the premiere of a movie I was in and cursed Canada, all in one post. Oh, and FLOWERS AGAIN!

April was a roller coaster ride--I got a gorgeous bike for my birthday, then hurt my back on my first ride..mourned the loss of one of America's greatest literary voices...decided to move to Virginia temporarily...wrote about cat games...and ran in circles trying to perfect my query letter.

What was May like, you ask? Well, there's not much from May to link to, because I was too busy moving to blog. Oh, and I won not one, but TWO awards for my writing, but I took down the post about them so that potential agents can't connect my query letter with this blog. Hurray, pseudo-anonymity!

Despite the sweltering temperatures in June, I managed to send out my first queries for book two, bake birthday cookies, have some Virginia adventures, and post cat pictures.

July's been interesting--oh yes, it certainly has--but I think I'll review this July on my two year blogiversary.

Wonder where I'll be then, and what I'll be doing? I certainly didn't expect many of the things that have happened since I started this blog--Virginia, writing awards, my bike--so who knows what might happen between now and July 26, 2008?

I guess I'll just have to wait and find out.

Calling All Nerds

Listening to: Weezer, "The Good Life"

I am calling out to my fellow nerds, geeks, and dorks, in the hope that you will join an ongoing project/movement dedicated to decreasing worldsuck.

First, some background.

The Brotherhood 2.0 project, which I've mentioned once or twice before, is an ongoing video blog by John and Hank Green, in which they have banned all textual communication (emails, text messages, letters) between themselves, and only communicate via their daily vlog posts (and the phone, and in person, of course).

The vlogs themselves are always fascinating, and if you start from the beginning and work your way towards the latest vlogs, you really start to feel like you know these guys. I mean, it's just three or four minute snippets of their daily lives, but it's interesting. I'm pretty close to my siblings, but I don't get to see them that often, and honestly, watching Brotherhood 2.0 makes me really, really miss them. It's that good.

So, the vlogs have spawned some terminology, which the brothers Green helpfully define on the website. For instance, Nerdfighters, which originated here. And decreasing worldsuck, although I don't have the time to find the vlog. And there's even a forum called "My Pants"...so, if you want to talk about nerdfighting stuff, you go talk about it in My Pants. See how wonderfully silly and nerdy it all is?

If stuff like this had been around when I was younger, I probably wouldn't have been so ashamed of my nerdiness. I might have been quicker to embrace it, knowing that I wasn't really alone.

So anyhow, the brothers, after a recent trip to the Dominican Republic, have started a project aimed at decreasing worldsuck. The project involves donating--actually, loaning--money through Kiva, a website that allows people to make mini-loans to Third World residents starting small businesses. You can learn more about it in this vlog post, and this one.

The nerdfighters ha've raised a few thousand dollars so far for several businesses. It's a pretty damn cool project, and one that hits close to my heart, since I spent a week in Jamaica building houses a few years ago (someday, I'll do a post about that). People go to posh resorts and hotels, and they don't realize that life-threatening poverty is right down the road. This project not only raises global awareness, but also helps people rise above that poverty.

The problem is, they're running low on nerdfighters. They need more nerdfighters, because the more nerdfighters there are, the more people they can help!

So, fellow nerds, go to Brotherhood 2.0 and get to know the brothers Green. Browse through the vlogs posted since January 1st--I promise, you'll be entertained. Then, if you feel so inclined, check out Kiva and consider making a donation.

Be a Nerdfighter! You know you wanna!

Running on Empty

I am fresh out of ideas. Nothing to blog about.

If anyone who drops by would like a blog-on-command--tell me what to write about and I'll do it, within reason--feel free. Preferably writing-related, but I'll consider other topics. I'm not really an expert on anything, but I'm sure there must be some opinions and information somewhere around here, if I can just dig them up.

Seriously. I'm beggin' ya. Give me something, or I'll be forced to talk about my cat. And post pictures.

The 'tubes have enough cat pictures. Don't make me add more.

Getting Ready

Here is my querying status as of today:

• Short Synopsis: Finished.
• Long Synopsis: Needs one more revision.
• Query Letter: Picture perfect, I think...I'll know after I scan it fifteen more times.
• Printer: Finally in the same state that I'm in, and working, too!
• Stamps: Could use some more.

Am I ready? Not quite, but I think if I devote today to prepping, then I should be ready to send the first batch out by tomorrow. I have other stuff to do today, but most of it can wait until the afternoon or later.

I'm considering letting the blog go dark. I enjoy this, I really do, but my week without internets only showed me how much time I spend on the internets. If I decide to go less extreme, I might pare down to writing my blog and surfing a (very) few industry blogs that are useful, as well as visiting other bloggers who stop by to comment.

I have so much to do, after all, and once I get started "winning the internets", as my husband calls it, I can't seem to stop. Addictive personality and all tha'. I do love this blog, though.

Just something I might have to think about.

-K.