By Mary Marvella (Guest Blogger)
Good morning, Lisabet. I love your
name!
2013 hit with a bang. Actually, 2012
ended that way. So much to do and so little time to do everything. A
couple of years ago I jumped into the self-publishing pool. I had a
dozen manuscripts “gathering dust under my bed”. Well, not really
under my bed, but occupying space on my computer. Some of them have
moved from three or four computers. I had piles of hard copies I
finally tossed. They weren’t helping my dust allergies. I kept the
paper rejections, because I need the reminders that I have tried to
sell my novels and how long I have been at the writing game.
In 1991 self-publishing meant paying
someone to print copies of your books and then selling them from your
trunk. I know folks who did that and are now rich and famous. They
invested money, which I didn’t have, and worked like crazy to sell
copies to folks other than family and best friends and people they
barely knew. The authors taught workshops and gave speeches and sold
their books at every venue possible. I wasn’t willing to try that
since I KNEW I could sell my books to the New York Publishers. It
didn’t happen. Small presses printed small print runs and then
digital books came out and smart people sold disks and CD’s of
books. I wasn’t ready to try the new tricks. When someone
suggested I self-publish my books I laughed!
I’m a Mac person and am not
technically inclined. (I am computer challenged! Typewriters hated me
and gremlins lived in my computers and printers) The idea of
e-publishing held no appeal to me. (It scared me shitless!)
Then two years ago I’d had enough
rejections. I read so many emails on so many loops about how anyone
could do it, that I was willing to try to publish my first e-book. I
cried, and whined, and cussed, southern style, and called smarter
friends who talked me off the roof and out of tall trees. I’d have
jumped otherwise. Learning to reformat my manuscripts from the years
of the dinosaur and blue disks strained my brain beyond belief. And
then I did it again and again, glutton for punishment that I am.
Why would a stranger care what I did
and why or how? For the same reason I cared when people changed their
dreams instead of dumping them. I wanted my dreams to come true, even
if I had to adjust them.
Now the old lady is on two group blogs
and has a website of sorts.
Facebook and Linked-in don’t scare
me. (Now that’s a lie!) I do try to play on their turfs, though.
And the BIG one, I finally sold a book
to an e-publisher. I haven’t signed the contract with Sizzler
Editions yet, but I have choices now.
What are your dreams and are you
willing to change them? Are you willing to learn new tricks?
If you would like to win a free
download of
Forever Love https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/57300
or Christmas Best Bet, Humble Pie
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/114302
all you have to do is comment and then tell me which one you
want. (Include your email!)
The above books are also available at Barnes and
Noble and Amazon.com
Available at Amazon.com only:
Haunting Refrain http://amzn.to/UzzatH
Margo’s Choice
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008M0U8CU
Bio
Mary
taught language arts for 15 years, perfect for her BA in English.
Her M.Ed in Counseling served her well during her years as a school
counselor and as a teacher later.
Now
she tutors, teaches writers, and edits. Her inner English teacher
loves the editing part. Her daughter is her cover artist now. She
doesn’t read Mary’s books. Something about TMI.
