in which our narrator describes her befuddled attempts at self-promotion

[heresluck]

Yesterday I got an e-mail from someone (an intern, probably) at the little press that's publishing some of my poems next year. She explained that the press is putting together a catalogue of their titles, including forthcoming ones, and she'd like my suggestions for "two or three sentences" about the chapbook, as well as a short bio

Comments

[drdawn]

Just wanted to say congrats on getting your poetry published. How can I order a copy? I want to read it. Hanging out on line with you guys is making me want to read more, which has to be an improvement.

[heresluck]

Thank you! I'm absurdly excited about it, hence the telling everyone who'll sit still long enough to be told.

The book won't be available for quite a while yet; the press only publishes six books a year (taking "small press" to new and exciting levels of littleness), and mine's not up until early next fall. But the Parallel Press site is where you'd go to order it. There's a bunch of good stuff there; I especially like the books by Andrea Potos (who's a former co-worker of mine and a lovely person), Gwen Ebert, Robin Chapman, and Barbara Edelman.

[renenet]

*ahem* Sweetheart...don't you know anyone who used to maybe *be* a trained ferret at a tiny regional niche-market press? Someone familiar with catalog copy and small poetry press promotions and publishing-ese? C'mon, everyone has a close, personal friend with that kind of experience! One who has also read the chapbook manuscript in question. Oh, no, wait--they don't. But *you* do! Hello?! You should possibly consider calling me when you're freaking out about stuff like this. Just sayin

[renenet]

All right...some of your smarter, better-read LJ friends could probably improve upon this, so here's the challenge to them: if you wouldn't buy the chapbook in a heartbeat based on h.l's or my catalog copy, then please take her up on her request that you take a stab yourself

[heresluck]

I love you. You called my voice "unflinching."

And here I thought it was just bitchy.

And hey -- you are too a writer. A writer is someone who writes. Hello, LJ much? Copywriting blurbs for my bookling? Writer writer writer!

[renenet]

Of course you're bitchy, but you're not *just* bitchy. When you refine and hone that voice through a few million drafts of a poem, it turns out "unflinching." I really wanted to work in the words "spare" and "piercing"--especially "piercing"--but I couldn't do everything with that draft. Oooh! How about "elucidating with piercing clarity"--I like the sound of it, but it's a tad redundant.

And, okay, my LJ and copywriting blurbs for your bookling? You're reaching. Although I did spend and hour and a half of my supposed "consulting" time this afternoon in Lisa's office rewriting her candidacy statement (paragraph) for a professional organization's chairpersonship. We were *so* unproductive today.