Big Dreams Blogfest

The Big Dreams Blogfest is hosted by Misha Gericke and I which makes it especially bad that I'm so late to the game today. But those of you who follow me on facebook know I've had a rough week, and while it's not an excuse I hope you will forgive me.

My dream is to make a million dollars from my writing by 2024. Last month I laid out a list of goals to help me get there. Unfortunately, I don't think I've met a single goal on that list. Instead of laying out new goals this month, I'm still working on last month's goals. So this is Beth a month behind, over and out.

A Special Thank You

A Missing Peace has been out for almost two weeks now, and while it's not a bestseller the reviews it's garnered have been touching. It's brought a whole new group of people to my life. And I realize that it wouldn't be out in the world without the help of A LOT of people, so I'm saying thank you today.

First of all, I want to thank my husband who works so I can stay home with the baby and write. He reads my romance and pretends to like it even though he'd rather I wrote something serious. (But he felt A Missing Peace was serious). And my little angel for putting up with a mother who often turns on PBS and sticks her face in a laptop or book. Thank you Patrice Caldwell for her amazing support and hard work on my street team. I truly appreciate everyone who participated but Patrice helped me start it up. Thanks to Nova Ren Suma for her early critiques . Kelly Hashway for her thorough edits and Sara Nego for her critique of the first five pages. And most of the blogosphere for being part of the last three years. And thanks to Jenni Million and Shelly Sly who have critiqued other projects.

Still In The Slushpile

That's probably a title you didn't expect to see from someone with an agent and a book under contract, but I'm still in the slushpile. Why? Because the slushpile has changed. I'm in the new slushpile, and lots of you are too. Here's my theory: if you aren't a best seller, you're still in the slushpile. In this day and age there is a published paid slushpile. Your book can sell. It can even sell okay and you can still be in the slushpile. That's what happens when anyone with a laptop is allowed to publish. I learned this from you! I did a post on how hard self publishing really made it for writers which you can read here. And most of your comments were really thoughtful but used this word "slush." And that's when it hit me. Today it's easier to get published and maybe even easier to get an agent than it was ten years ago. BUT it's harder to be successful. Except not really. Most writers would have been on a ten year plan back in the day. I started in 2010 and gave myself ten years to get an agent and a book deal. It's only been 3.5. I have an agent and a digital deal. I was all proud thinking I'd done in three years what should have taken ten. Here's the problem. We get proud too fast. It still takes ten years to really make your mark. In ten years I will be a bestseller. And now I'm off to write.

What are your thoughts?

Blah

If I could count the times I've used this title over theyears. OMG! I need to write. I can't write. Yesterday i could write but had too many distractions namely a beautiful little ELF who refused to quit screaming. It's nap time. I have time to write but the words aren't coming. I just want to sleep. I even tried this. (I never nap--bad idea for insomniacs). But I thought if I could sleep maybe I'd be fresh to write. Can't sleep either. So I'm staring at a blinking cursor. And I want to cry. Also, I got a two page editorial letter yesterday for the companion to A Missing Peace, and I want to cry. So that is the theme of today.

Thanks.

IWSG, A Need For Gatekeepers, And A Disappearing Beth

The Insecure Writer's Support Group is hosted by Alex J Cauvanaugh.

What am I insecure about? And what does that have to do with gatekeepers and a disappearing Beth? Sales. I'm insecure about sales. Book sales. You want to know why? Because in the past month I've talked to so, so, so many writers whose well-written books are not selling well. I'm not saying well-written as in my personal stamp of approval. I'm saying well-written as in a 4-5 star overall rating. People who read it seem to enjoy it. The problem is no one is picking it up. I'm not talking about unknown self published writers, small press writers, or big 5 writers. I'm talking about all of the above. That's right the cries I've heard have been across the board. So what's an overanalytical girl to do if not search for a cause? So search I did. I learned 1.5 million more books were created in 2012 than 2011. So that's N (number from 2011) plus 1.5 million our books have to compete with. The main reason for this is the self publishing phenomenon. That's why I've jumped ship. I now believe we do need gatekeepers. Before you start rolling your eyes hear me out. The extra 1.5 million books is extra competition for us all. Truthfully, a lot of these 1.5 million extra books are unedited crap slapped inside a pretty cover and rest comfortably on some amazon bestseller's list. While I have nothing against self published writers, (I'm actually self published) if you are publishing unedited crap for me to compete with be assured you are so not on my Christmas list. Here's the thing the old way took longer to get published, but once you did you had a better chance of making a comfortable living. Self publishing allows anyone and everyone to be published. The downside is a saturated market.

And what about the disappearing Beth? I'm hoping to add another book to the mound. This could very well be my last post until next IWSG as I need to finish my book.