The week in review:
- I got a Starred Review from Library Journal, which is a BIG DEAL! Definitely will help with sales.
- And speaking of sales, the next day after I got that review, I got an interview appearing in Salon. I was thrilled to get the interview but definitely steeled myself for what I always know will happen with mainstream press. That happened. It's kind of sad that the first time I got interviewed by them was in 2005 and the comments have not changed much at all. Hundreds of invalidating comments appeared, mostly from people who were apparently outraged that an asexual person would ever date a non-asexual person and DEPRIVE THEM so CRUELLY. (One described it as "passive-aggressive at best." Yeah, and I guess the centuries of asexual people feeling forced to submit to sexual demands aren't worth mentioning here; we all know WE, the SEX-DENIERS, are the heartless ones, and people who want to have relationships with us obviously completely lack the usual adult capacities to negotiate compromises!) I even got one angry woman who dug up my personal e-mail and wrote me a short scolding about how I "need help" and must immediately get myself to therapy.
- The Salon piece translated to multiple media requests. I have now been invited on five podcasts and a TV show. Uh. I even got followed on Twitter by Janet Varney, who wants to know if I wanna come on her podcast. o_O (Okay, so that's actually probably the smallest-profile show that asked me on, but I like her work, so it's more significant to me. :) )
- I spent part of the past weekend writing another piece for Bustle because they didn't like the first one, and they rejected my next one too while still encouraging me to keep sending them stuff. Eh, I think I must just not fit their style. Now what to do with these pieces. . . .
- I spent Saturday doing two things: Writing e-mail to Jay and editing three chapters of my alternate's book. Entire. Day. Except for a little reading.
- Relatedly, I read my agent's book; she's also an author. She's a good writer. That's a relief. Haha.
- I edited a friend's story this week because he wants to send it to a magazine and it was too long. I know, right? You want something shorter and you ask ME? Well, I have experience with that. Yes, I got it under the word count cap for him. :)
- REALLY busy work week. My company got shortlisted on something and we're trying to prepare for our interview, so lots of work for me--mostly on something I'm not very good at (reading maps and finding intersections) so it took me a long time.
- I ate at Moe's with Jeaux this week. We went to his house to watch the finale of America's Got Talent and listened to Night Vale.
Social media counts:
YouTube subscribers: 3,828 for swankivy (38 new this week), 380 for JulieSondra (5 new). Twitter followers: 547 for swankivy (6 new), 727 for JulieSondra (17 new). Facebook: 269 friends (lost one--apparently the person who re-friend-requested me last week decided to drop me again) and 138 followers (2 new) for swankivy, 431 likes for JulieSondra (33 new--I mentioned that I was close to 400 last week and a bunch of people liked the page), 48 likes for Negative One (no change), 83 likes for So You Write (3 new). Tumblr followers: 1,534 (19 new).
New reviews of my book:
Interviews, articles, mentions:
Books Read:
Read and reviewed (click to read the review):
Divinity by Michelle L. Johnson. Four stars.
Currently reading:
The Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson.
Songs Sung:
Who Owns My Heart by Miley Cyrus. Videos Made:
None. I'm busy, you know.
Pictures Taken:
I didn't really take any interesting photos, except this kinda goofy picture of me wearing Hello Kitty earmuffs at work.
And here are the haircut comparison photos.
Front: February 2014Front: September 2014
Back: February 2014Back: September 2014
Stuff Drawn:
Negative One comic:
#0488: ivy #157: nobody's mad Written this week:
Writing site:
Writing blog:
On
Tumblr: