Choose Your Own Prize

What I'm reading: The Watchman by Robert Crais

What I'm writing: Promo booklet, Chapter 27

Contest first. For March, since I couldn't decide what I wanted to give away, I thought I'd let you choose. Winner can have any one of my publications, which includes the otherwise unavailable standalone copy of "Second Chance Rose" which is part of the upcoming Wild Rose Press anthology, Rose Petals, volume 3. All you have to do is tell me which story you want, and a quick reason why. Details on my website.

Other things I've been doing include trying to make a promotional pamphlet with the first chapter of Finding Sarah plus blurbs for my next two books.

Learning to deal with Word was, I thought, enough to get me through. Little did I know I'd need to navigate the swirling waters of Publisher as well. Thanks to fellow author Catherine Kean, for giving me her own booklet to explore and use as a template.

The world of e-publishing is a strange one. I'm getting used to riding in the back of the bus--like the guy at the Y who was all excited that I'd written a book, but when I told him he couldn't buy it in the bookstore yet, it was like I was no longer an author. Sometimes it's frustrating, because if I'd gone the self-publishing route, I'd have print books to sell, even though it might be total garbage. I chose to start with e-publishing as a first step, but that didn't mean I could simply send my manuscript to the publisher and they'd publish it. It had to be accepted. I signed a contract. I was assigned an editor who helped make sure it was as good as it could be (or at least better than it was--I'll NEVER stop finding things I wish I could fix.) But, to a great many people, it's not a 'real' book. At least I've been reassured that the traditional print editors consider edited e-books as publishing credit.

Tonight is our second police class. I'll be back with what I learn tomorrow or Thursday.