“Get it down. Take chances. It may be bad, but it’s the only way you can do anything really good.”
– William Faulkner
Writers, painters, poets, musicians and all others who create something from nothing…do you enjoy the rough draft process, or do you like more the process of editing, once all the raw material has been pulled out of you?
Love simple but profound statements like this.
What do you think (about this statement…or if it brings to mind other simple but thought-provoking statements that are favorites of yours?) – please share in the comments! 🙂
Love this! 🙂
This really resonates with me. I’ve run into people who exemplify this in a good way and other who do not.
Sadly, in the writing business, it seems to lean toward the negative. I saw it occasionally when I was traditionally published, but I realize now that my Big Five publisher served as a kind of buffer; once I took a step out on my own into self-publishing (partly by necessity, partly by choice), that little cushion of professional courtesy vanished.
Lately I have run into some who are in the camp of “having everything” figuratively (whether fellow authors, publishers, reviewers, book sellers, and larger review sites etc) who often do not handle themselves well in this regard. I’ve noticed it in the past few months when I’ve reached out with a request or a submission of my newest book for possible review.
I’m not talking about the need for time-intensive interaction, but rather just simple gestures such as a 30 second email acknowledging a query or receipt of the $14 autographed book with professional cover letter I mailed to those with open submission policies (I did my research!) – even if the answer is a “no thank you”. A polite reply declining what I’ve queried about is far preferable than resounding silence that drags on, leaving me wondering what, if anything, will happen.
I continue to remain very patient in my relative obscurity…however, I hope I will handle myself better when (not if…when) I attain a level of greater notoriety.
Fortunately, I have encountered several authors, bloggers, and reviewers who have been courteous and gracious, whether or not they felt willing or able to meet any request I made. Those few will serve as my own role models in the future.
Professional courtesy seems to be going out of style. Life is indeed busy and packed full for most of us, but to me, good manners, even in a professional sense, are the lubrication that makes the grinding gears of life grind us down far less.
What do you think about this? Does anyone here have similar experiences (or a different take on the matter)?
First Moose Tracks book signing, 2/21/15, with a few of my older titles off to the side
One of the perks of being a published author – for me at least – has always been book signings.
I know it’s kind of a dying form; large, multi-author signings are still popular at annual writing/readers conferences and the like, but there are less and less bookstores to host individual signings. Also, I know many authors who dislike them (and I must admit I’ve had a few “interesting” experiences as well – I remember one notable occasion at a Barnes & Noble many years ago, where the only person to stop at the table and chat was someone who wanted directions to the rest room!) 🙂
But I generally enjoy them because it gives me a chance to meet people and talk about books – and not always my books, either, but books in general. Sometimes people who stop by want to know about writing itself, or how to do it, or they want tips for how to get published. I try my best to address all questions and inquiries to the best of my ability – and I’ve met some really interesting people along the way.
Because Moose Tracks isn’t put out by a traditional publisher, the opportunities for book signings this time around will likely be limited. Chain bookstores won’t carry print copies of it, and only independent book stores who have a reason to carry it would likely go through the process to order (if they have an account with Baker and Taylor, I understand they can get copies through the print publisher, Create Space).
I was happy to have a signing last weekend, therefore, in nearby bookstore: a great little shop called Mysteries on Main Street. It was a lot of fun and I met some new readers, in addition to getting to chat and visit with some I already knew. A photographer from the local paper even stopped by and snapped a few pics.
Signing a book for a friend who stopped by while the news photographer sets up shot
I think if I hadn’t been an English teacher and writer, I would have/should have been a bookstore owner, employee, or a librarian. I love books! I love being around them. And the two hours I spent at this signing flew by, not only because of the activity of people coming in to buy and have me sign a book, but also because the atmosphere of the bookstore just soothes and delights me.
If you’re an author, how do you feel about book signings? If you’re a reader, have you ever been to one – or would you ever attend one? Why or why not?
Although my re-published historical romance novels Secret Vows and The Templar’s Seduction have made sales lists recently at amazon.com US (in the “Medieval” or “Scottish” categories), my newest release, the Women’s Fiction novel Moose Tracks on the Road to Heaven, has not done so in the US as of yet. But as of this morning, the same can’t be said of amazon.com Australia, LOL!
Moose Tracks listing in Australia!
Take a look at this screen shot from this morning.
Pretty cool.
Who would have thought? I’ve been international with many of my historical romances for quite a few years (they’ve been published – with really neat and very different covers – in Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, German, French, Slovakian, Dutch, etc.), as you can see here.
But making an international sales list is a first for Moose Tracks. Many thanks to readers in Australia for this happy little perk to my day! 🙂
It seems there’s been a slight price drop over at amazon for the kindle edition of Moose Tracks on the Road to Heaven! It’s not a huge drop, but, hey, as a reader, I always go by the mantra that every little bit counts, especially for a long book (104,000 words or 347 print pages) like this one.
When you consider that HarperCollins/Avon used to sell my little mass market-sized paperbacks for $5.99 more than a decade ago – and they’re still selling the titles they maintain rights over for that price, with the kindle editions at $5.69 – this is a veritable bargain by comparison. 🙂
PS: if you want to go right to the book at amazon to read more about it/get the deal, then click on the cover or the title link above. Or follow this link to get the same info/back cover blurb/excerpt right here on my website-blog.
And that concludes my PSA for the weekend!
This post is for those of you who enjoy (or think you might enjoy) historical romance. 🙂
Four of my historical romances – all medieval – originally published with HarperCollins/Avon and then re-released by me when rights reverted, are on a deeply-discounted sale for the time being: only $2.99 for eBook, and anywhere from $9.66 – $10.99 for the trade size print edition! The original eBook price for all was $5.99 and print was $11.99.
Of course I also wrote three other historical titles that are still owned by HarperCollins/Avon; unfortunately I can’t get them back and so have no control over their prices. In looking at online purchasing sites, all three of those titles appear to be priced from $3.99 – $5.99 for eBook and $5.99 for mass market size paperback.
You can tell which four of the seven titles are mine and which are still owned by HarperCollins/Avon by the style of the covers.
Check out my historical books page for links to ALL of the titles HERE, or click on the covers below to be brought to each book’s individual page, with purchase links embedded there for your convenience.
Also, please feel free to reblog or share if you think this might be of interest to any of your readers or Facebook friends etc. 🙂
In order of publication:
Secret Vows – originally released by HarperCollins/Avon in 2001 and re-released by the author in 2011
The Maiden Warrior – originally released by HarperCollins/Avon in 2002 and re-released by the author in 2012
The Crimson Lady, originally released by HarperCollins/Avon in 2003 and re-released by the author in 2012
The Sweetest Sin, released by HarperCollins/Avon in 2004
Beyond Temptation: Book ONE of the Templar Knights Trilogy. Released by HarperCollins/Avon in 2005
Sinful Pleasures: Book TWO of the Templar Knights Trilogy, released by HarperCollins/Avon in 2006
The Templar’s Seduction: Book THREE of the Templar Knights Trilogy, originally released by HarperCollins/Avon in 2007 and re-released by the author in 2012
Happy Reading!
This thought is courtesy of today’s “Good Earth” tea bag. 🙂
It really struck me, because I’ve had quite a few goodbyes in the past four years…some willing and some very unwilling. I can’t say I’ve always been brave about it. But sometimes I have been.
When my father died almost four years ago and I had to say goodbye to him, I was brave. He had been cheering me on to write Moose Tracks on the Road to Heaven for about two years leading up to his death, and afterward, I faced my fears, a new door opened, and I managed to finish it in a way that made me – and I hope would have made him – proud.
When my then high school-aged daughter was hospitalized with an unexpected and incurable (albeit treatable) illness and I had to say goodbye to the safe and secure understanding of the world that I’d known up until then, I went through a period of shock, disruption and fear. But I ended up being brave. A new door opened over time – one of insight, knowledge, and the discovery of even deeper reserves of love – and it allowed me to be even more the kind of mother and wife I strive to be.
Most recently, when Moose Tracks ran into some road blocks and things didn’t go exactly as I’d planned, I was forced to say goodbye to the publication path I’d intended for it. And for the briefest of moments, I considered throwing in the towel. It had been a LONG haul…literally years of work and obstacles, tears and laughter, and digging deeper than I’d ever dug before. I was tired. But in the end I found reserves of bravery, and for every door that closed in front of me, I forced myself to face my discomfort, turn a corner, and find a new one to open. The last of these doors led to the publication of this novel that has meant so much to me…and according to early readers and two recent reviews, has been useful and enjoyable to others as well, striking the kind of chord and providing some of the thoughts, insights, and hopefulness that I was aiming to share with the rest of the world all along. I have high hopes that over time, this book will find the readers it’s meant to find, and all will unfold the way it is supposed to.
Life is good.
When we are brave enough to say goodbye…sometimes we are rewarded with a new hello. 🙂
It’s finally here…and after five + years in the writing, another six months in editing and production, and two months in pre-sale mode, it feel very good to say that Moose Tracks on the Road To Heaven is now available for purchase in eBook or print TODAY! 🙂
You can purchase the eBook in these places:
| Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | AllRomance | GooglePlay |
PLEASE NOTE: If you’d prefer a PRINT copy of the book, at this point it can be purchased here, from: Amazon
It will be available in print from Barnes and Noble and other sellers within a few days (there is a lag in terms of publisher availability).
It will also be available from some independent book stores, either in stock or upon request, including Mysteries on Main Street, in Johnstown, NY.
M. Reed McCall, Author 