Greetings all; I am new to Writing Forums, and am anxious to become acquainted with other writer types like myself. Frankly, I am looking for tips on how to survive this crazy writing journey. I am a former sixty-hours-per-week desk driver from Corporate America, from which I was booted last year, after the economy tanked. Finding myself with less "stuff" and more time, I recommitted to getting published, and am thrilled to say my first novel was published this year, in July. My next book is about to "go to market" which means I've asked Santa for a new supply of vodka. I am happy to share any info I can about the publishing journey, have done some editing and proofreading, and am more than willing to listen to excessive venting, complaining, and whining, with regard to the industry. It's a bear, isn't it? Happy Holidays everyone, and glad to be on board. Cathy Holden Robinson author of The House of Roses by Holden Robinson
Not a problem, my Holden counterpart. Nice coincidence, two Holdens in one month. It's good to meet you.
Hello Cathy, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Please read How to Use the Review Room before you post there. Posting your own writing for people to comment on should not be among the very first things you do here. It is worth taking the time to see what other people have done to improve their writing, and see if some of it applies to your writing as well. That is part of why we require members to review other members' work before posting their own for review. On the other hand, there are no restrictions, other than content and copyright rules, on showcasing your work in your member blog. Also, be aware that posting a piece of writing on any public site, including this one, will greatly diminish your chances of selling it for publication. Removing the writing later does not alter that fact - once posted, it is irreversibly considered published. So do not post anything more than a small excerpt of any piece you are planning to submit for publication. If you haven't explored the site yet, you should probably do so soon. Newcomers often gravitate to the Lounge, the Word Games, or the Review Room, but there is much more to be discovered if you poke in the corners. Remember to check out our FAQ as well, and be sure to read through the forum rules, too, to avoid any misunderstandings or hurt feelings. Respect for one another is our principal mandate. As for the Review Room, new joiners often wonder why we do things a bit differently on this site than on other writing sites. We emphasize constructive critique as a vital writing skill. Training your eye by reviewing other people's work helps you improve your own writing even before you present it for others to see. Therefore, we ask members to review other people's writing before posting work of their own. The Review Room forums on this site, therefore, are true workshops, not just a bulletin board for displaying your work (and on that note, please only post each item for review in one Review Room forum). Also, please use the same thread for all revisions and additional excerpts from the same piece of writing. See this post, Why Write Reviews Before Posting My Work? for more information. And while you're looking around, don't forget to check out the RPG forum for improvisational fiction. Also try our Weekly Short Story Contest and Weekly Poetry Contest. They actually run more than one week apiece, but any member may enter, and all members are urged to vote for their favorites. Enjoy your stay here, and have fun!
welcome, cathy! all info on publishing experiences is extremely helpful to those who haven't made it to that level yet, so you're definitely a welcome addition to the site... i see from their listing on p&e that black rose writing is a vanity press and the listing for your book on amazon shows a kindle version... do they also put their [your?] books out in print?... were you happy with their service?... hope you didn't mind my asking... thing is, i mentor new writers and am always on the lookout for good publishing venues to recommend [or bad ones to warn them about, as the case may be]... hope you enjoy being here as much as i have... good luck with your book sales! love and hugs, maia
