I blame my children. Nine years ago, they said, "Mom, you need to start a blog." And I listened to them. Those innocent eyes, those sweet little faces ... no, wait. They weren't kids anymore. They were adults, and they knew exactly what they were doing.
Now, nearly a decade later, I've caught a tiger by its tail. And if I let go, it will eat me.
My goals were humble when I began Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity. I simply wished to share some of my insights about the publishing process with the world or, more specifically, with writers. But I had to admit that the brave new world of the Internet was beyond me. So, I simply began by shedding light on all the mistakes I was making.
Lord, there were so many of them.
Eventually, I realized that humorous as they were (and continue to be), my mistakes were not only limited in scope, they didn't get at what my blog was actually for, which was to impose order on the disorganized mess I affectionately call "my files." What the Internet is for, I realized somewhat belatedly, is not to watch cute ducklings with arms chase a cat around (although it's really very funny), nor is it for being outraged on Twitter (which is not nearly as entertaining as those ducklings or - even more amusing - watching a teenager try to figure out how to work a rotary phone). No, dear distracted readers, the Internet is for organizing and storing things which are more useful once they are not in a file drawer gathering dust.
In particular, this blog which my spawnlings roped me into is useful for assembling places to submit writing, keeping track of agents who are looking for precisely what I have written, along with publishers that don't require those feckless agents who have so heartlessly rejected my queries, even though I really did write precisely what they were looking for.
Now, nearly a decade later, I've caught a tiger by its tail. And if I let go, it will eat me.
My goals were humble when I began Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity. I simply wished to share some of my insights about the publishing process with the world or, more specifically, with writers. But I had to admit that the brave new world of the Internet was beyond me. So, I simply began by shedding light on all the mistakes I was making.
Lord, there were so many of them.
Eventually, I realized that humorous as they were (and continue to be), my mistakes were not only limited in scope, they didn't get at what my blog was actually for, which was to impose order on the disorganized mess I affectionately call "my files." What the Internet is for, I realized somewhat belatedly, is not to watch cute ducklings with arms chase a cat around (although it's really very funny), nor is it for being outraged on Twitter (which is not nearly as entertaining as those ducklings or - even more amusing - watching a teenager try to figure out how to work a rotary phone). No, dear distracted readers, the Internet is for organizing and storing things which are more useful once they are not in a file drawer gathering dust.
In particular, this blog which my spawnlings roped me into is useful for assembling places to submit writing, keeping track of agents who are looking for precisely what I have written, along with publishers that don't require those feckless agents who have so heartlessly rejected my queries, even though I really did write precisely what they were looking for.
(Oh, shoot, I missed it again! No matter how closely I watch that pageview count, I never quite catch it.)
So now, I am bravely going where I have repeatedly gone before, and like Mickey Mouse with those brooms that kept multiplying in Fantasia, I keep finding more calls for submissions every month (even though you'd think that the caveat of having to pay writers would diminish their numbers), and more fee-free writing contests (same as above, more or less), and more agents (so many of them ... how do they find enough publishers to keep themselves busy?) and more godawful news about the latest mergers, buy-outs, and increasing monopolization in the publishing industry (oh, it's enough to make you want to self-publish).
My hope is that in my quest to keep my file cabinet relatively uncrowded (that's a blatant lie), this blog has been useful to you, beloved writers. Don't stop writing!
So now, I am bravely going where I have repeatedly gone before, and like Mickey Mouse with those brooms that kept multiplying in Fantasia, I keep finding more calls for submissions every month (even though you'd think that the caveat of having to pay writers would diminish their numbers), and more fee-free writing contests (same as above, more or less), and more agents (so many of them ... how do they find enough publishers to keep themselves busy?) and more godawful news about the latest mergers, buy-outs, and increasing monopolization in the publishing industry (oh, it's enough to make you want to self-publish).
My hope is that in my quest to keep my file cabinet relatively uncrowded (that's a blatant lie), this blog has been useful to you, beloved writers. Don't stop writing!
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