Self-Publishing Success Story

I finally finished the galley corrections and bid a fond farewell to all those little formatting dots and backwards paragraph signs.  I picked up a back issue of The New York Times from the pile that has accumulated on my coffee table and found the most encouraging article.  It seems that self-publishing star, Amanda Hocking, has signed a substantial deal with the traditional St. Martins Press.  How wonderful to read a self-publishing success story.  I volunteer to be next.

Do I need further proof?

The galley proofs have arrived and I am to go through them and find mistakes, if any.  Faced with this tiresome task, my mind wanders.  Why are they called proofs?  I suppose I could google “galley proofs” and get the answer immediately, but I prefer to imagine my own explanation.  I think of all the times I encountered the word proof.

“The proof is in the pudding.”  Evidence that someone is a good cook? 
“Show me some proof.”  Exhibit A, no doubt. 
“Geometric proof?”  Reminders of high school days, long past.  
“14.5% proof”  One drink would probably do it.  
"Proof"  A fine theatrical experience.

But, I am facing a galley proof – the printed copy that I must check for errors before it goes to the printer.   Do I need further proof of my procrastination?  Back to work!

Luddite's Lament

When I was in high school, every Monday my English teacher would hand out "vocabulary sheets" with a list of words and their definitions.  We had until Friday to learn them.  I wonder how that method would work now when vocabulary meanings seem to change daily.  Apple is now a computer, not a fruit.  Blackberry is a phone.  When I'm online, I'm not standing in a queue.  My cell contains contacts, not DNA.  Signing on used to mean joining a group, not sitting alone at your desk gazing at a monitor.  And a monitor was someone who watched what you were doing.  Imagine Big Brother on an 18" flat screen, measured on the diagonal of course.  We've even usurped bird speak.  We tweet and twitter now.

Like Charlie Chaplin, I stand in front of the conveyor belt of modern vocabulary, watching as words too rapidly pass me by.  I cannot turn the wheels of progress fast enough.  But, that's JMO.  Sorry G2G. 

I

Fontain of Use

No, that is not a misspelled word in the title.  I am searching through numerous fonts, trying to decide on one  for my book.  Who would have ever thought there could be so many different ways to shape a letter.  Do I want a modern typeface or something more classic?  Since the story takes place in the 1890s, I've decided to go with a more traditional font.  I'm studying the little squigly that hangs off the letter "g."  I'm concerned that an "rn" combination doesn't look like the letter "m."  How close is the "t" to the next letter in the word?  This process does make you look, really look at what you are reading. 

I finally recommend Calisto MT to the design team.  

Welcome to "She Writes" Bloggers

A Big Apple welcome to shewriters.  I hope you find something of value on my blog.  The one "tip" I would offer is to have a blogging and posting time scheduled into your week.  I forgot how often it takes for something to become a habit, but it can't be that many because when Thursday rolls around, I know what I have to do.

It is an exciting time for this new writer, becoming part of a community of female writers, and I look forward to your comments.

The Western, A Unique American Genre

I was thinking about genres since I have to identify one for The Laughing Ladies.  First, I thought it would be called a romance.  But, after browsing novels called romances and looking at their covers, I decided that was not where it belonged.  Then I tried historical fiction, but most books took place in the days of knighthood or involved kings and queens.  Wrong again!  That leaves calling it a western.  Once more, that didn't seem quite right.  The book has its focus on women, not men.  But it really is a Western, just one with a different slant.  It is about the taming of the West from a feminine perspective. 

I have decided:  The Laughing Ladies is a western historical romance.  If you know any others, I'd love to hear about them.     

The Elevator Pitch

I’d never heard of an elevator pitch until I was told I needed one.  The name comes from the idea that your pitch should be delivered in the short period of time it takes for an elevator ride, usually 20-60 second. That notion translates into 25 words to sell your book.  That’s a lot of wallop to pack into a few words.  Think about it.  Just 25 words to entice the browser into the world of your book.  Here are my  25 words.  You’re going to count them, aren’t you?
Three women travel west, escaping their oppressive Victorian society.  But, independence has a price and they must decide whether they are willing to pay it.