And, anyone who tries to tell you differently is full of it.

Now I’ve got 24k more to write.

So, I haven’t reach brain dead yet, but there is still hope.

What’s ironic is when I set my goal in January for The Year of The Writer I really didn’t know what it meant. I knew it meant change, I knew it meant growth, but I didn’t know what it encompass. The great and scary thing about it is that I don’t know what this new me is going to encounter.

The important thing, I’ve discovered drive again. When I was Melthegreatest I had it in spades. *Come on, I called myself Melthegreatest.* I can look back and see being and getting publishing was a matter of when, not if. Back then I was only a submission away from getting the call. I’m a little ashamed to say getting published knocked the drive right out of me. I had succeeded.

Now what? That question has been plaguing me ever since. Get the next one published just seems so vague. What kind of book? To what publisher? What’s the next milestone?

And then knowing it all comes down to luck. Yes, you have to be prepared when luck comes by.The downside is being prepared for years and never having lady luck on your side. I would like to believe this new Melissa is much more humble. I would like to believe this new Melissa will never give up what she has found to be important.

Yet I know I won’t be the same Melissa Blue next year. There would be something in my path that will make me learn a new lesson. I just hope no matter how I change, I will always then in when not if.

Who were you a year ago? Who do you want to be in a year?

So I’ve had to step back and look at my career. It’s dragging. I will give myself leeway because the first half of the year was CRAZY time. But now the vacation is over. Up until last week I’ve been at a lost to what to do with myself. I gave my writing CPR when I wrote the 18k story. But writing that story gave me a light bulb moment.

I wrote this story with the intent to send it in to a publisher. It’s a themed story. I was able to write this story to submission. Something I have never done before. I kind of like.

Ok. Understatement. I love it. I have to thank Jennifer Leeland for planting the thought in my head to write in one genre. I’ve also decided to aim my writing at a publisher.

Dear baby jesus, I now have a GOAL for my writing career. Yes, it’s scary because I might crash and burn. I may spend the next two years writing toward this publisher and we probably won’t fit. But for me it’s better than writing willy-nilly and then hunting for a publisher who will take the novel, only to find my novel doesn’t fit ANYWHERE.

Again, thanks to Jen, she said the floodgates would open. I didn’t believe her. Yet I’m looking at my notepad and I have five ideas I can work with. I have one that’s knocking and yelling louder than the others. I even have a goals spreadsheet. I’m scary folks when I’m on a mission.

But, it’s never felt so good.

What is your career goal? It doesn’t have to be about writing, but if you are a writer do you have a goal? Are you still willy-nilly? Maybe you can join me. Put the goal out there.

Mine: Kimani Press Romance line.

Quite frankly I wouldn’t want to narrow the question. As if being ambigious I could get the pulse of the industry through newbies, experienced authors and long-timers.

Example: I think it was on the Bookends blog, maybe a month ago, Faust posted a reader’s opinion. In essence, the reader was angered that a newbie, who didn’t even know the basics, was out there querying.

Now, I’m paraphrasing and probably not to the reader’s advantage, but her point was in the publishing industry some people want to play with the big dogs who don’t even know the rules yet. A part of me wanted to disagree. I still remember my newbie days. And, oh, thank the Lord, I’ve blocked out some of the stupid mistakes I’ve made. If only someone had stopped me.

Yet this realization only made me accept there are levels i.e. stages of being an author. Some learn faster than others. Some are much slower, but regardless there are levels. None of them, in my eyes, come with the published/unpublished stamp. Maybe with this aspect I’m still naive. Yet you can’t convince me someone who has been writing for 20 years, has friends who are open about their publishing experience aren’t more knowledgable than someone who has been writing for a year, sent out their novel the same day they finished it, and got published.

No one expects or welcomes they will crash and burn in this industry, but how many have looked at the odds, know them and can recite them to someone else? Who has paid their dues to this business and knows the ropes? Who is just starting out and only knows Harlequin publishes romance novels?

From all of them I want to know what do they expect or have experienced from being in the publishing industry? How is it different? How is it the same?

Hell, what do they think the publishing industry expects of them?

And, yes, I mean you. Hash it out in the comments.

The other thing that lets me know summer is here…RWA kerfunkle. The uproar may happen at the beginning or mid-summer but it always rears it’s head. It could be the heat that has tempers shorter than usual. That doesn’t mean the debates aren’t important.

Every year the debate has a different face, but I have to say it boils down to the same points–the only thing you can control is your writing, and publishing *note I didn’t say writing* is a business.

Don’t believe me?

I would like to say I’m slave to my ideas and I can only write what the muses give me, but that’s a crock. I get story ideas all the time. The ones I *choose* to write are contemporary romance. I may dabble with YA or WF, but I shine when I write contemporary. When I’m bored that when I do other things.

When I open up a word document I control how much dialogue, narration and description goes into telling my story. I choose the ending that fits best.

But, when I’m done with that story, I stop looking at it the same. Doesn’t make me love the book any less. Doesn’t negate the hours I spent honing a scene. It doesn’t make the process any less precious. It just means I want to sell my novel. In order to do that I have to separate the creative part with the business woman.

And, with this latest kerfunkle I think that’s the point being looked over when one side is saying “money, money, money” and the other is saying “there is, recognize it, already”.

Both sides, on some level, are misleading. For every author that sells well in NY there are writers who don’t. There are authors who are never published again and it may not be for the lack of trying. Just like for every e-published author who makes money out of the wazoo there are some that don’t sell more than five copies in their first month.

And, the argument I side with, educating those who don’t know about all the possibilities. Jane, at Dear Author, said it best, some books no matter how good just won’t do well in the e-format market. Some will do better in NY. And some won’t be touched with a ten-foot pole in NY, while that same book may sell like hotcakes in the e-format market.

I think the underling issue is that once you say “it won’t sale” there is an exception. Everyone wants to be the exception. Myself included. What is the reality? What are the odds? What can an author do to mitigate this? And, when should the author relinquish that “idea” they can control anything other than their writing? When should the author just accept publishing is a business and not take their book not being sold or it not selling well personally?

It’s hard to. That’s where support systems and knowing the industry can soften the blow of reality. So for those sitting on the sidelines watching the train wreck, know you are getting VALUABLE information.

Tell me of other train wrecks you’ve witnessed. It doesn’t have to be in the publishing arena.

One day my heroine is walking in the woods when a werewolf jumps from behind a redwood and bites her. She starts having these strange, erotic dreams where she turns all furry and has hot fangy sex with a strange wild animal. This wild animal has white fur compared her to black fur.

By the end of the week, she starts to sniff the men around her, and that’s when she realizes “I’m in heat”. She decides to visit the mad scientist on the edge of town. He tells her he can help.

He sends her into space. Her craft lands on a strange planet where–you’ve guessed it–werewolves live. All shades of fur, but then she sees the one she’s been having erotic dreams about. She knows his scent and knows she must mate. Now.

They do. She ends up expecting and they live happily ever after.

THE END

No, I haven’t fallen off my rocker. I read this blog post about what’s really selling, at least at Samhain. I figured I’d give you an example of what not to do just to sell.

BUT, if you do find yourself with a story you are passionate about it won’t hurt…

I hate to say it. I hate to even think something outside of a great story and good writing has any weight when it comes to selling your book–BUT it does. The rejections that suck the most are the ones that point out “I just took on a story just like this.”

I’m sure this is going to sound like me raining on the publishing parade, but TIMING is everything. And the worse thing is that you won’t know if it’s good or bad timing until the outcome. People in this industry say it’s like rolling the dice. I have to agree on some level. Every opinion on what makes a good book vs. a great book is subjective. Really trying to gauge your odds is insanity. So here is the real trick to being sucessful.

PERSISTENCE

Not to be confused with stubborness or hope, which can play a huge part in being sucessful, but it’s not the defining factor. Persistence is one of the top reasons I keep writing. I figure eventually the Powers That Be will get sick of me and publish my books already. Eventually my writing will hit the right agent/editor at the right time. But this advice is coming from someone who believes corny sayings like “The only way to fail is to never try.”

Yeah, you get what you pay for here.

Anyway, the true moral of this post is to write what you love to write. It’s the only thing in this business you can control and that actually makes sense. This isn’t to say ignore the market. ‘Cause seriously if you luck out you might end up writing what is selling like hotcakes. Keep growing as a person. Trust me, it will show in your writing. Lastly the only way to learn to write is to keep writing.

*Going back to writerly cave*

I’ve been thinking about what really makes an author’s career. Funny it was the theme I learned at RWA–Author Branding. I’m not talking platform or promotion. I’m talking about what I will be known for writing i.e. the type of stories I write.

“Romance with snark” is my tagline. I just liked the sound of it when I picked it, but it really does define my stories. You won’t get a picture perfect heroine from me. She won’t be willowly. She won’t be made of sugar. Okay, she’ll be a smartass or have a friend who will be. The hero will take as good as he gets. Yes, you’ll have emotion, but it won’t be sappy by no means. That’s what I write. That’s what I’m promising my readers. That’s my brand.

What does all this mean?

Think of books like people. You meet a person. You get that first impression and that impression is going to make them love or hate you *or reserve judgment*. The next time you meet them they give you the same impression. Now lets say that third meeting they act completely different. You start to wonder if this person was on meds. You are going to be wary of the next meeting. Worse case scenario–you meet this person a fourth time and it’s nothing like the first three meetings. You are going to veer way left every time you see this person coming. They’re not stable.

Now how can this make or break your career?

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it’s the same with your books. Your career will be built on your previous books. It’s why when author changes genre or even their sub-genre they change their name. One example of this is Samantha Graves *hi, Sam*. Under this name she writes romantic suspense. Under her C.J. Barry name she writes futuristics/SF romance.

When you change what you write you might as well write under a different name. You will be changing your fanbase with each book. Some people will stay with you and others will veer way left when they see your book coming.

Okay for those in the back who are shaking their head, unbelieving, let me give you some names:

Nora Roberts
Carly Phillips
Mary Higgins Clark
Jennifer Crusie
Meg Cabot

Think of all the books they have and then think of why you pick these authors. Or, have you ever found yourself saying, “I’m in a {insert whatever author’s name here} mood.”

That’s brand baby.

Have you thought about yours?

Are you completely against this idea?

Hash it out in the comments.

My second novel

See Megan Run will be out in 34 days or so. Not that I’m counting or anything. And it’s time for promotion. You shouldn’t be surprised when I say this aspect of publishing involves liquor and chocolate. And since I’m so freaking fond of lists this is what I’ve done:

1. So far I’ve lined up two guest blog post and one interview. *no, I haven’t forgotten about it. you know who you are.*

2. I’ve been watching a movie that I will use for my ten-day count down type of contest. It’ll be the trivia to end all trivias.

3. I’ve written down a hit list of all my friends who I’ll shall beg to mention me on their blog.

4. I’ve gotten the angle I want to write my next press release on. Took me days of discarding ideas, but I hit one that I’ve also written one of my guest blog post about–mother/daughter relationships.

5. I’ve realized my bank sucks. Not necessarily promo, but it kind of makes buying things toward promotion with my ATM card a headache.

6. Bought some fabulous wine and chocolate. *Refer to the opening line for how this relates to promo.*

Not a lot, but a whole lot more than what I did last time. I also plan to contact the local radio station to see if they want to do a live interview with me. *pray for me folks, I’ve finally lost ALL my marbles*

Now I know I mentioned there are only so many ways to say, “Buy my book”.

So, you know go buy my book.

Really you should see that coming by now.

And then it dawned on me, that is how authors sell books. Not saying stand alone’s are dead in the water before they make it to the shelves just that books with a series to follow it or a sequel about the loveable secondary character can *and usually does* create a frenzy.

I’m not sure if it’s the sense of community. Or that the author makes the world more appealing when another book is set in the same world.

Or I can just look at Debbie Macomber’s House Series. She’s on 8. The fact that each time one of these books comes out it hits the best seller list…well, it just makes me wonder.

Why in the hell aren’t I writing a series and/or sequel?

That is all.

And what do you think as a reader or writer about series and/or sequels?