I'm back from the Writers Conference in Augusta and it was great!  Augusta wasn't in full bloom due to the cold winter, but enough of the Dogwoods and Bradford Pears were in bloom to make that town even prettier than it normally is.  And also enough to raise havoc with allergies.  I never thought I had allergies, but I'm afraid I sneezed and had watery eyes the entire time I was there.

The Sandhills Writers Conference at the University is always great, but this year I enjoyed it even more because the Keynote speaker was Rick Bragg.

I met Rick the first time about five years ago at a conference at Birmingham Southern College.  For those of you not familiar with him.......He is a a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist.  A native of Piedmont, Alabama, Rick has worked as a reporter for the Anniston Star, Birmingham News, the St. Petersburg Times, the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times.  Bragg was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 1996 in feature writing for his "elegantly written stories about contemporary America." 

Rick has also written two best-selling memoirs, "All Over but the Shoutin" which recounts his days growing up poor in rural Alabama.  I bought that one when he was in Birmingham and was instantly mesmerized by his writing.  His other books include "Ava's Man" about his grandfather, which I bought this time and he autographed for me, "Somebody Told Me" and "I'm a Soldier Too; The Jessica Lynch Story."  His latest work will be released in May and is a memoir about his father.

Rick's writing is profound, humorous and deeply poignant.  But his speaking truly captures the listener.  His words are simple, yet eloquent.  I am so impressed that somebody with his writing fame can be so humble and so down-to-earth.  He's not only a dynamic speaker, Rick Bragg is a wonderful human being.  I admire his writing and respect his deep love for family and all the things that truly matter in this world. 

So maybe you can understand how excited I am that Rick Bragg has agreed to give me a blurb for my book jacket!  I asked him (not really confident that he would say yes) and explained what my novel was about and he said, "I'll definitely give you a blurb.  Send me the entire manuscript.  I want to be able to do it justice."  I didn't jump up and down in front of him, but trust me I'm back up on that Cloud Nine once again.  Rick is now a Professor of Writing at The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.  So I've printed out my manuscript and it's on its way to him. 

While I was in Augusta, I also got together with an old friend I'd met a few years ago.  Karin met me for a drink and we had fun talking about the writing business.  Her first three novels were the Bottom Dollar Series and her fourth novel, Earthly Pleasures, was just recently released by Simon & Schuster.  Karin wrote her first novels under her maiden name, Karin Gillespie, but she married a few years ago and wrote the current novel as Karen Neches.  I bought a few copies of her current release and here we are as Karin autographs the books for me.

And if I wasn't already excited enough with Rick's offer of a blurb, Karin has also graciously agreed to give me a blurb for my book cover.  Needless to say, it was a very beneficial conference for me! 

And now I'm playing "catch-up" since I got back.  So much to do and never enough hours in my day.  Join me here next time when I'll share both writing and other things with you.

MAKES FOR A VERY DULL PERSON . . .

I spent the entire weekend either pounding the keyboard working on my manuscript or involved in business-related stuff for my writing.  But I'm pleased to say the manuscript now has 126 pages completed.

However, I played hooky yesterday and Ray and I attended a very nice luncheon at the Island Room.  It was a benefit for the Children's Summer Program at the Arts Center.  The food was yummy, the socializing enjoyable and it was good to chill out a bit.

Today and tomorrow I'm back to work, but I'll be taking Thursday off.  The Women's Club of Cedar Key is having a luncheon and fashion show.  I think it'll be a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to that.

I wanted to mention for those of you that volunteered to be judges for the Florida Writers Royal Palm Literary Award.......only a few entries have come in so far.  But the contest is open until August 1, so I'm sure it won't be long till you find some of the entries in your mailbox.

And to answer the question of a recent commenter........Yes, my character of Sydney in my novel is age fifty-two and yes, I agree.......We do need more characters in that age group written both for fiction and for film.

And for the second part of the question......."Who would you wish to play her in a movie?"  Actually, while writing the novel, Sydney was a bit blurry in my mind physically.   I could "see" her hairstyle and her facial expressions, but I seemed to "see" inside of her more than I saw her outside, if that makes sense.  I was so easily able to get inside her head, so to speak.  So I knew her very well emotionally, yet her physical appearance seemed to be generic to me. 

But as I came to the end of the story, all of a sudden I saw Sally Field as my Sydney.  Her mannerisms, her expressions, those kind of things seemed to be my character.  So if the novel was to ever make it to film, I'd probably see Sally Field in my mind.  But of course.......it wouldn't matter at all, I don't think, because I tend to doubt that authors are consulted for casting.  But since this question was brought up, with more thought, I've also come up with the following actresses who would be a very good Sydney.......Marlo Thomas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Diane Lane and of course Meryl Streep.

Most of you have never read the original manuscript, but my character of Sybile Bowden (Sydney's biological mother) is larger-than-life and from the moment I created her, I only saw one person in my mind that was Sybile..........Shirley MacLaine.  My Sybile is crusty, bold, outspoken, selfish and a woman who lives life on her own terms.  I never once saw anybody but Shirley MacLaine in my head as I created her and watched her grow throughout the novel. 

Interestingly enough, Book #2 is a sequel to the first one, and I have the character of Monica firmly in my head.......I see Naomi Judd.  Monica is Sydney's daughter and Book #2 is her story and from her point of view. 

So there ya have it........any other questions, feel free to leave them in the comment section.  Eventually I will answer them as time permits.  See you here next time............

Yeah....what's that saying about the best laid plans?  Well, I'm afraid mine fell apart and despite much excitement, I didn't get to Orlando to see Menopause the Musical after all.

I had been fighting a flu since last Sunday and thought Tuesday evening I felt good enough to go the next morning.  I suppose I could have pushed myself, but I normally don't do that.  I usually "listen" when it's time to slow down and stay balanced.  So that's what I did.  Yeah, I was terribly disappointed to miss it but felt it more important to stay put, rest and get better.  Not to mention, I sure didn't want to pass it on to the other women.  And I'm now feeling much better and back to normal.

You probably saw on the news that Florida got hit pretty bad with rain, gusty winds, tornados, etc.  I could NOT believe the rain!  Cedar Key got six inches.  I seriously debated if we'd have to start building some arks.  Although most of the dangerous weather was just north of us, we were okay here on the island.

Despite feeling pooky, I still managed to have a very busy week doing "stuff" in this process of my book being published next spring.

I've been working on getting blurbs from other authors for the book jacket.  Kensington said they'll be getting some for me also, but for me to try as well.  So all those years of attending writers conferences, networking, etc. is beginning to pay off!  I managed to secure commitments this past week from 3 well-known authors and I'm quite thrilled about that.  I have about 5 more that I'll be contacting.

I also have given some serious consideration to hiring an independent publicist.  Yes......Kensington has a PR department and will be setting up some promotion.  However, one must be realistic.  They can only do so much.  I really want to give this book as much of a chance as possible.  I'm motivated and ready to do a lot of the footwork, but.......I need some help.  I've been in touch with a top publicist and was enthused by what they offer, etc.  I'll be signing a contract with them probably around August after we have a book cover.  They'll be instrumental in setting up book tours, media, contacting book sellers, etc. for me.  And all of that leaves me more precious time to keep writing.

I'm also in the process of getting a graphic designer to revamp my author website.  All of the above is very time-comsuming, but don't think I'm complaining.  I'm feeling very blessed to finally have the opportunity to get all these things in motion.

A lot of my week was also spent doing what I love so much.........writing.  I've managed to now complete 113 pages of Book #2 for a first draft.  The story is moving along well and I'm pleased with it.

I've also touched base with some other authors, one of which is also on board with Kensington.  And I'll be talking more about her and others on future blog entries.  But I have to say, all of them have been so kind giving me advice, explaining the publishing process to me a little bit better.  And I'm really proud to be connected with such talented and kind women.

That's it for this time.  I have a busy week ahead with some community events squeezed into my writing chores.  I hope all is well with you and I'll see you here next time when I'll answer a commenter question about "Who would you wish to play Sydney in a movie?"

Yes......my contract from Kensington arrived yesterday......all 17 pages of it.

I may have misunderstood my editor, but I thought she said it would be about four weeks until it arrived.  So needless to say, it was a very welcome surprise. 

And I've been very busy working on my current manuscript, novel #2. 

I wanted to address a few comments that had been left here the other day........the first one was about me sharing my work to the public and the commenter mentioned a contest I had entered where I shared my first chapter.  Yes....very true.  But sharing the chapter for a contest is a little different than putting excerpts on your blog or website.  And don't forget.....when that chapter was entered into the contest, I did not have a signed contract with my publisher.

The other item I wanted to address here was in reference to a comment about agents........First let me say, that I feel very strongly that when it comes to the profession of writing, we're all very individual.  (In such a multitude of ways, that would take a separate blog entry)  But I'm referring to the fact that some authors have agents and some don't.  Like most things in life, I feel "whatever works for you." 

But the commenter stated "Agents are also good because they handle movie rights, foreign rights, audio rights, those kinds of things that they know in and out and are confusing to just the average person.  They have lawyers in house.........."

This is all very true.  However, I wanted to clarify that all of the above is possible with a publisher without an agent.  Those words are all in my contract, about world rights, movies, etc. should this occur.  And publishing houses also have attorney's in house to handle the legality of such things.

Some of you that visit here are new writers, and I didn't want to have you confused based on the comment.  But of course, no matter if you have an agent or you don't.......the bottom line is (as with any legal document) you, as the one signing it, have the obligation to read it well and understand what you're signing.

Well, I'm taking a break tomorrow......you may recall that the Cedar Key Red Hatters are going to Orlando to see Menopause, the Musical.  Tomorrow's the day and I'm really looking forward to it.

Join me here next time and I'll tell you how it went............

No, I'm afraid my feet still haven't touched ground since I received that very important phone call on Tuesday.  I have a feeling I'll probably be hovering on Cloud Nine for the next year. And once my book is released.....I still won't feel that ground beneath my feet.

I want to thank all of you for leaving so many nice good wishes in my comment section, for the emails you've sent and the phone calls.  I deeply appreciate it and it makes my success that much sweeter. 

I did celebrate a bit, but by Thursday it was back to work for me.  What you see above is the completed manuscript of Seeking Seeking, sitting proudly on my desk in my writers studio.  I've made the additions that my editor had suggested and "my baby" is now on its way back to New York City.  My editor also asked for a Reading Group set of questions that will be in the back of the book.  I worked on that Friday and got fifteen questions put together.  The last item was getting the manuscript on a CD.  I'm not that tech savvy, but with the help of my daughter I managed to accomplish that request.

I wanted to let you know that not only do I appreciate the comments and emails, I do read every single one of them.  Some of you had questions pertaining to both the process of getting a book published and about the story, so I'm going to answer some of those today.

First off, I wanted to give you a little background on Kensington, my publisher.  They're located on Third Avenue in New York City and you can visit their website at http://www.kensingtonbooks.com

They are the last remaining independent US publisher of hardcover, trade and mass market paperback books.  They've been in business for thirty-four years and release books under the imprints of Kensington (which will be my imprint) Zebra, Pinnacle and Brava.  Kensington releases close to 600 new books per year and they have a backlist of more than 3000 titles.  Competitive marketing strategies are Kensington's hallmark.

With that said....on to the first question.  Somebody commented on the fact that I managed to sell my manuscript myself, without an agent.  Yes, that's true.  It was mentioned in the comment that "several major publishers specifically say (in Writer's Market, etc.) that they don't accept non-agented submissions.  If that applies, how did you get around this stricture?"

Since Kensington did accept un-agented submissions, there was no "stricture."  For any writers out there, always, always read either Writer's Market or the publishers website to see what their guidelines are in relation to submissions.  And the commenter was correct.  Very few large houses accept un-agented submissions anymore.  To do so would be a total waste of time both for the writer and the publisher.  Guidelines are there to be followed. 

I don't have a definitive answer as to why it has become more difficult to submit to a large house without an agent.  But here's my theory on it............I can recall about thirty years ago when almost all the large NY houses accepted un-agented submissions.  Over that time, many publishers have merged and merged again becoming extremely large.  I have also seen a dramatic increase in the amount of people wanting to be authors.  Factor all of this in and you can only imagine the volume of submissions that arrives each day.  I feel many of the publishers wanted to have a "filtering out" factor.  A way to weed out the material for what they were looking for and what was excellent writing.  An agent does this for them.  An agent, more or less, acts as that "middle man."

Concerning my own experience......I had attended the huge Romance Writers of America Conference in Dallas last July.  It was extremely beneficial.  I was able to attend panels with editors from the various publishing companies telling us exactly what they were looking for.  Letting us know if they accepted un-agented submissions and how to go about doing a query to them.  I had attended the panel with Kensington, where Audrey LaFehr (my editor) presided.  I listened, I took notes, and I came home and printed out the first three chapters (which she said is what they accepted) of my manuscript and I sent it out.  But.......I had a bit of an "in" because I had attended the conference, so therefore on my manuscript box I was able to print "RWA Conference Related Material."  Did it get my manuscript to the readers desk faster?  I really don't know, but maybe.

On to the next step.....that was when Audrey's Editorial Assistant, Amanda Rouse, read my work first.  So you could say she's really that "middle person" much like an agent.  If Amanda feels the work is worthy, is something they're looking for and something that will sell.....she then passes it on to Audrey.  Actually, Amanda was my first contact from the company on Dec. 11 via email.  She was as enthused about my story as I was.

So for me, this is how my experience has gone and I hope that answers the question about having an agent or not having one.  One other note on this subject......I did have somebody ask "you're getting a a lawyer, right?"  No, I'm not.  There's no need to.  First of all, I have a degree as a Legal Secretary from college.  I've taken numerous Business Law courses, etc.  But secondly, I feel quite capable of looking over the contract and then signing it.  And based on all that Audrey told me about it, I understand it and I'm pleased with it.

Another question had to do with possibly changing the title of my work.  My editor didn't say that we were, she just suggested another title, which I also liked and felt it might even work better based on the second book.  But, she did go on to say, "once it gets to that department, they may not want to change it at all."  So we'll wait and see on that.  From a marketing standpoint, of course you want a title that forces a reader to pick up the book.  Therefore, you want the title that you think will best accomplish this.  I would like a title that I can somehow incorporate into the title of my second book.....in other words, something that connects to the first book.  So I'll keep you posted on this.

Another question asked if I'd be posting a few excerpts of the story.  No, I won't and here's why.  While I know that writer groups work well for many writers, I've always chosen not to be involved in one.  Getting my work critiqued by professionals at conferences is a different story.  But I've always been extremely protective of my work.  And now that my manuscript has been sold, I'll be protecting it even more.  However, in a future blog entry, I will share with you a blurb on what the story is about.  Similar to what you'd read on the book jacket.  But I'm afraid everyone will have to wait until Spring 2009 to read the story.

And now......I'm back to working on the second book.  If you have any other questions pertaining to my writing or my work, please feel free to leave them in a comment or email me.

See you here next time.............