When Misha Gericke and I started this blogfest, I had a goal of writing a million words and making a million dollars. Specifically, making a million dollars in a twelve month period. At the time it seemed possible. I seemed on top of the world. I had just signed with a well known agent. My book was being published by an imprint of Harlequin. And then things fell apart.
The thing about digital imprints is they're not that different from self publishing except that you're being paid less because you're splitting royalties. A year and a half later I separated from my agent, and while it was my decision and we separated on good terms, it still feels like a huge step back to once again be in the slush pile. And somewhere in there, my husband lost his job and I was faced with the necessity of going back to work. While he quickly found a new job better than the last one, being faced with the peril of no income--I was a SAHM--led us both to think it's better for me to work even without the need. At this point, I'd be happy to make $1500/month writing. That would allow me to quit my day job, which would allow me more time to write. Ironically, because the day job takes so much time I'm barely closer to reaching that million word goal than I was when I started.
Progress? Well, I'm about 22,000 words into a new manuscript. I suppose that's progress. I'm also working on an MFA and I'm almost done with my first semester.
Goals? I have no idea. Keep on surviving?
Best of luck to all of you out their conquering your goals and living your dreams.
Hi! I'm so glad to see you posting again. Setbacks suck.
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you mean about digital imprints. That's why I decided to call it quits on the idea of traditional publishing for now and going the self publishing route. I'm not saying I'll never look at a publishing deal again, but it just doesn't make sense to pay publishers when they're doing nothing I can't do for myself.
Best of luck with the new job! I have to say that $1500 a month threshold sounds mighty nice to me too. We'll get there.
‘philanthropic + epiphany’ (=so much to give + vision):
ReplyDelete~let these two words be the start of our journey~
I looove RITErs;
I looove giving'm new opportunities
for thots/ideas/structural integrity,
taking'm in a completely-new-direction:
Why else does a moth fly FROM the night
than to a bold, attractive candle Light??
Don’t let His extravagant Brilliance be extinguished.
You’re creative, yes?
Then, fly-away with U.S. to the antidote…
Whether you obtain moralityB4mortality to wiseabove
or just glean tantalizing specimens for thy next best seller,
you shall find in our blogs a lotta (subliminal) moxie
which has taken this sinfull mortal yeeeeers to compile!
I lay it ALL out for you, dear, with All-Star-Oxygems:
Wouldn’t ya love an endless eternity
of aplomBombs falling on thy indelible cranium?
An XtraXcitinXpose with no zooillogical-expiration-date?
An IQ much higher than K2 all-go-rhythm?
An anti-establishment, savvy victory +
avant-guarde-humility =
you’re promptly astonished, ain’tcha?
withe extraordinarily explosion of maelstrom mellowdramatic??
Here’s what the exquisite, prolific GODy sed
(with a most-excellent-detector of bull§ht):
“Faith, hope, and love,
the greatest of these is love –
jump into faith…
and you’ll VitSee with love”
Doesn’t matter if you don’t believe (what I write);
God believes in you.
Meet me Upstairs, girl, where the Son never goes down
from a super-passionate, lucrative iconoclasm where you’ll find
nonillionsXnonillionsXnonillionsXnonillionsXnonillionsX…
of deluxe-HTTP [<- pi] opportunities for excitement BTW.
Do it. Do the deed, dude. Sign into the Big-Zaftig-House.
PS “It is impossible that anyone should NOT receive all that they have believed and hoped to obtain; it gives Me great pleasure when they hope great things from Me and I will always give them more than they expect”
-our Lord Jesus to Saint Gertrude
...think about it, girl:
if 1-outta-1 perishes in 88ish years;
then, how WE sinfull mortals have lived
is where we go for eternity, Up or Down,
Seventh-Heaven or the Abyss o'Misery.
Yes, dear, life’s extremely tough now…
yet, life’s extremely short now…
then, we have the length of eternity
to consider where our decisions have placed U.S.
And Satan’s working overtime
to take over your indestructible soul.
Don’t let him.
I Choose Heaven.
Choose.
‘philanthropic + epiphany’ (=so much to give + vision):
ReplyDelete~let these two words be the start of our journey~
I looove RITErs;
I looove giving'm new opportunities
for thots/ideas/structural integrity,
taking'm in a completely-new-direction:
Why else does a moth fly FROM the night
than to a bold, attractive candle Light??
Don’t let His extravagant Brilliance be extinguished.
You’re creative, yes?
Then, fly-away with U.S. to the antidote…
Whether you obtain moralityB4mortality to wiseabove
or just glean tantalizing specimens for thy next best seller,
you shall find in our blogs a lotta (subliminal) moxie
which has taken this sinfull mortal yeeeeers to compile!
I lay it ALL out for you, dear, with All-Star-Oxygems:
Wouldn’t ya love an endless eternity
of aplomBombs falling on thy indelible cranium?
An XtraXcitinXpose with no zooillogical-expiration-date?
An IQ much higher than K2 all-go-rhythm?
An anti-establishment, savvy victory +
avant-guarde-humility =
you’re promptly astonished, ain’tcha?
withe extraordinarily explosion of maelstrom mellowdramatic??
Here’s what the exquisite, prolific GODy sed
(with a most-excellent-detector of bull§ht):
“Faith, hope, and love,
the greatest of these is love –
jump into faith…
and you’ll VitSee with love”
Doesn’t matter if you don’t believe (what I write);
God believes in you.
Meet me Upstairs, girl, where the Son never goes down
from a super-passionate, lucrative iconoclasm where you’ll find
nonillionsXnonillionsXnonillionsXnonillionsXnonillionsX…
of deluxe-HTTP [<- pi] opportunities for excitement BTW.
Do it. Do the deed, dude. Sign into the Big-Zaftig-House.
PS “It is impossible that anyone should NOT receive all that they have believed and hoped to obtain; it gives Me great pleasure when they hope great things from Me and I will always give them more than they expect”
-our Lord Jesus to Saint Gertrude
...think about it, girl:
if 1-outta-1 perishes in 88ish years;
then, how WE sinfull mortals have lived
is where we go for eternity, Up or Down,
Seventh-Heaven or the Abyss o'Misery.
Yes, dear, life’s extremely tough now…
yet, life’s extremely short now…
then, we have the length of eternity
to consider where our decisions have placed U.S.
And Satan’s working overtime
to take over your indestructible soul.
Don’t let him.
I Choose Heaven.
Choose.
You've had a bad time and been forced to readjust your goals. It happens. Now you must concentrate on the small steps - one step at a time - and get back on track with your writing. Best of luck for the next month.
ReplyDeleteLife really has a knack for throwing curve balls, and it always feels bad to be forced back to square one. But, it sounds like you've tackled everything head on. Even though you've had to reassess your goals and your priorities, it's no failure to change your course as long as you keep moving forward. Best of luck with your new focus.
ReplyDeleteVisit my blog at angelinetrevena.co.uk/blog