I sent out my first query to an agent today. She likes sci-fi and fantasy and has sold to Alyson, so maybe? What have I got to lose?
She says she gets back on a query in one week. Meet me back here next week, same bat-time, same bat-channel, to find out what happened.
In the meantime, anyone want to take a peak at the blurb from my query letter? It's not too late to give input. (Plus it's short: 225 words.)
( Shift Happens blurb: )
So? Waddya think?
- Location:Toronto
INDUSTRY: ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
haikujaguar has an comprehensive round-up post on e-publishing
Me? I think we're heading to e-books, but we're not there yet. The current e-book model isn't working, with the pirating, the multitude of devices and softwares, and the ease of entry into (and out of) the e-book publishing marketplace. But it'll shake-down and a new model will emerge--that's just Economics 101.
But for now, I believe that commercial success (which is my goal. YMMV) is still more likely within the traditional print world. And yes, statistically it's hard to get published there, but not impossible. Every day someone on one of my RWA lists announces they've landed a deal or an agent. I don't see why that can't be me. I gotta try.
A couple of decades ago, a friend's daughter, K., announced she was going to take interior design in college. I debated saying something about how hard it was to get a job in the industry, but didn't. While in school, K. worked for free for the design association, meeting many important design execs and walked into a job right out of school. Today, she's a partner in a successful firm while many of her former classmates are still selling paint or have taken jobs in other fields. I'm glad I held my tongue. Being a successful author is the same as becoming a successful interior designer--tough going. But even if the odds are against you, a slim chance is better than no chance. Just like K. did, you make your own luck.
Now back to the synopsis for SHIFT HAPPENS. I've got it down to 500 words. Now I just have to make them 500 Really Good words.
Anyone know when agent Colleen Lindsay will be open for submissions again? (Hopeful writer is hopeful.)
- Location:teh interwebs
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The empire strikes back
In recent weeks, we've taken huge steps towards blocking spam accounts on LiveJournal. In fact, we've suspended as many as 30,000 accounts in a single day! We've implemented several pre-emptive measures to prevent the creation of spam accounts, and we've honed our detection of suspicious content. Spam bots are a crafty lot, so we'll continue to refine our tactics and keep up the good fight to keep you safe from spam attacks on LiveJournal.RSS feeds again
If you're addicted to![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/syndicated.gif){kind=small}
xkcd_rss, icanhaschzbrgr, or other syndicated feeds, we're pleased to report that we've resolved the update error that was mucking up your RSS feeds. While content was being pulled correctly, it wasn't being posted to the feeds themselves. Late last week, we finally nailed down what we hope was the root problem, so content should post properly. We thank you for your patience. Wii have killer CSI Deadly Intent contests!
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c_s_iIf you're a gamer who loves CSI, have Wii got news for you!
c_s_i is sponsoring killer contests. Simply post a question to a member of the CSI crew. The winner will get a free copy of CSI: Deadly Intent for Nintendo Wii (with a retail value of $39.99) and get their question answered by a member of the CSI writing team! There's also a fantastic monthly contest. To enter, join c_s_i, play the online version of CSI: Deadly Intent, and respond to a two-part query for a chance to win a Wii! Entries will be judged on composition and originality. Sorry, but you must be a U.S. resident and over 18 years old to participate. Check out the rules here. Enveloped in postcards
Last week, we asked you to send in postcards to help us decorate our drab concrete walls. Here's a photo of the results so far! Thank you so much and please keep them coming! You can mail them to Frank the Goat, Esq., c/o LiveJournal, Inc., 539 Bryant Street, Suite 210, San Francisco, CA 94107. Be sure to include your username, since we'll be giving ten random users paid account credits.
Photos of the week
If you haven't visited our new LiveJournal photo community, you're in for an amazing visual trip. LiveJournal users from around the world will take you on a scenic journey to everywhere. Post your own pictures or kick back and enjoy atlj_photophile. You can view some of this week's awesome photos after the jump. Please start tagging with geographic location, since we'd like to track all the places around the world represented in this community. Keep on commenting too!( Read more... )
http://bit.ly/2t0Yh9
ETA: It's not that sort of contest, so I'm not asking for votes or anything.
- Location:Toronto
aiyatheydidntThe Chinese version of ONTD, AIYA is a dynamic international community that welcomes users who share a love of contemporary Chinese pop culture. Dedicated to celebrity gossip and entertainment news, you'll enjoy gorgeous photos and breaking stories featuring the glitterati of mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.
wendylady2Designed to rescue fashion victims everywhere, this Brit-based community reads like a rag-ezine. Published once or twice weekly, you'll view bizarre highlights of the global fashion scene through captivating photos and delightfully snarky editorial. Sit tight for a virtual fashion tour from the runways of New York to Milan to Paris and back home again to London in homage to the adage: you can't buy good taste.
soldiers_heartA passionate community for veterans of all ages (mostly American), plus families, friends, and supporters. View poignant snapshots detailing life in combat and back on civilian soil in the form of original artwork, personal narratives, poetry, and photos. Be forewarned that members don't shy away from describing their disappointments, disabilities, and struggles.
In SHIFT HAPPENS, there's a scene where a character tosses a rock at an electrified fend to make sure it's been turned off.
"Nuh-uh" says super-beta angela_fiddler. "Doesn't work that way." (How the heck does she know this stuff?)
So back to the research mines. I recalled having heard some apocryphal tale of people peeing on electrified fences and thought that would fit great with the tone of the story. (What? What?) So off I go to google and... Ewwww! There should be a warning before you click on a link that takes you to a close up picture of a charred and blackened penis! Yes, flist. That is what happens if you pee on an electrified fence. Remember that next time you're mad at your boyfriend and wandering around a military enclosure or some such. "Hey, honey. Let's see what happens if..."
I ended up finding info about touching a plastic-handled knife blade to two different bits of the metal fencing to get an arc, writing the whole scene, liking it, and then cutting it completely. I mean, why have them climb the fence you can blow the whole thing flat with a grenade. What was I thinking?
But still, there's a lesson to be learned here about googling penises. Or something.
In writing news: Synopsis 1, Stormy 0.
- Location:Toronto
*crosses fingers and toes*
I've been sick all weekend, which puts a bit of a damper on any celebrations, but maybe something good will happen to offset me losing the majority of the weekend curled up on the couch. At least I got a bit of reading done, when I wasn't dozing off at random times...
- Mood:
sick
My niece has come out! (And not the niece I thought, huh.) She's written a wonderful, and funny (well, she is my niece) post about being bisexual.
I especially like this part.
How Not to Piss Off a Bisexual Person
- We don’t automatically want to sleep with you. Or your girlfriend.
- No, you can’t take pictures.
- The women you see in dance clubs who make out with their girlfriends to attract men’s attention? Probably not us.
- If I leave you for another woman, that woman will be me. Or your mom.
It also has a number of useful links at the bottom.
Go, read. Comment. Friend.
http://whatnot2date.wordpress.com/2009/1
I'm so proud.
- Location:Toronto
- Location:Toronto
I'm planning on entering the first 250 words of my completed novel to Authoress's Friday Fricassee.
Any thoughts, comments, suggestions before I hit send?
Storm Grant
SHIFT HAPPENS
Urban Fantasy
“How, exactly, is a parasitic dick-fish a selling point, Doc?” Adrian’s voice rose, as did his eyebrows, not that Doc Soc could see him over a thousand miles of telephone lines.
“C’mon, Adrian. It’s the Amazon jungle. There’s amazing flora and fauna. Like the carnero. It swims up your urine stream, into your penis. Local tribes use it to determine guilt—you live, you’re innocent; you die...”
Adrian shuddered, his shoulder-length curls tickling his neck. “Well, I…”
“That a yes? Great! I’ll just—”
“Whoa, Doc! Time out.” Adrian paced his living room. “Sorry, Doc. Fascinating as your dick-fish sounds, not to mention the monkey-brain salad, I can’t just take off and go tooling around the rainforest.” He yanked a loose thread from his dress slacks. A tiny hole appeared in the seam.
“But the cave paintings, the lost temples, the shamanic miracles? You can’t say no to shamanic miracles! I need you, Adrian. You did your post-grad work on the Temple of Transfiguration. And you’re so good with languages. And photography. We’re going to find it. You’re going to find it!”
Professor Socrates Kawasaki could be very persuasive, hitting all Adrian’s anthropological hot buttons. (Except maybe the dick-fish. Adrian felt pretty sure he preferred his dick fish-free.) Finny parasites aside, Adrian heard the siren call of all things rainforest, shamanic, and miraculous.
“I’ve got a job. A career,” he amended. “I just got promoted to HR Manager.”
“But you’re an anthropologist. What happened to your dreams? Going on one little expedition isn’t going to hurt you!”
- - - - - -
Thanks, and Happy Halloween!
- Location:Toronto
http://www.emlynley.com/blog/
Thank you everyone, and a special shout out to
rekoil for giving me a great suggestion AND also the opportunity to feel like I've just called in to a local radio station.Have a great day, night or afternoon wherever you may be.
---
Hi everyone, sorry for the late notice but I'm going to have to do some testing on 1 of our 4 internet circuits TONIGHT; Friday night or Saturday morning depending on which time zone you're in.
Most of us shouldn't notice any impact, though there may be some slowness or lag when I switch traffic on to our other ISP circuits and then another hit when I stop the tests. If a page won't load or times out, try hitting refresh 1 or 2 times and it should load then. If it doesn't work at all... trust me, I'll be typing really really really fast to try to undo whatever I just did. Hopefully you'll have some Halloween candy (if you're in the USA and celebrate that kind of thing) nearby to take away the bitterness of a small site outage. :(
Here's the handy-dandy Website That I Always Use to get a feel for when the maintenance will start in your area. Our site traffic historically dips on Friday afternoons until Saturday morning which is why we tend to pick this time for maintenance work.
( tech details )
status.livejournal.org will, of course be updated before and after the maintenance window. Or else
marta will get mad at me. :Dbt
My novel, GYM DANDY, won the Comedy Category in Round 2 of Elisa's Rainbow Awards. I'm not quite sure what happens next, but it's all very exciting.
Several of my online writerly pals won homorable mentions. Go, gang. Aren't we a talented group?
Thank you to those who for vote for me. Thank you, to those of you who've volunteered as judges. Thank you, Elisa for pulling this whole thing together.
- Location:Toronto
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