I am feeling less bummed about not advancing in the BookLife Prize today and looking forward to the next contests, so I'll call that progress.
Sorry to hear you haven't advanced -- maybe it will help to conceptualize this as an opportunity to cast off some more of the Dire Weight of the book? It's fully formed now, out there living its best life. You've done what you can for it, gave it all the love and attention it needed. It will probably wash up with someone who needs it, it will probably touch people deeply. It will make someone laugh on a bad day, will make someone think, will reward your own re-reading. It exists. It's a beautiful thing. It doesn't need to chain you to it forever. It can just be. :)
There's still much to do marketing-wise, and that's not going to change in the near future. But really, failing to advance brought home that self-publishing was absolutely the right move for this book.
The books that advanced are all standard memoir fare (e.g., getting out of a cycle of abuse, traveling the world, insider views of politics, family history and relationship, spiritual (re)awakenings, etc. etc.), and mine SO isn't that. I shouldn't be surprised, given that the BookLife Prize is owned by Publisher's Weekly for the purpose of discovering new mainstream voices. But I did get some complimentary marketing blurbs for my entrance fee, which isn't nothing, especially for seeking representation for future projects.
I'm fine with letting the book be, and I am deeply proud of it. I'm not ready to give up on getting it in front of more eyeballs just yet. People can't read what they can't find.
Musical ambitions have been more responsible for eating my time and energy of late than book flogging. At least my current creative ambition (writing a libretto) fuses the two. And I've officially entered the research phase on that one, so that's giving me creative joy.
I gotta say, my brain is definintely more in input mode than output mode. I'm hoping that will shift once I finish the two things I'm reading now, because I really do need to make some concrete progress on my giftfest piece. I just hate to move forward without a more settled details. Otherwise, the idea will outgrow my outline, thus necessitating inelegant and hasty pruning such as you witnessed with my promptfest story.
As a person who suffers from depression I understand how the news can be a downer. I reported sexual assalts to myself in 2007, and got no justice. Now a 13 time accused rapist runs the country.
I am feeling a tiny sliver of hope watching the internet react to this morning's testimony, but after watching the presidential debates in 2016, I know a woman obviously winning isn't going to sway anybody deeply invested in preserving their own privilege. I strongly suspect this slimeball nominee will be confirmed in spite of everything. However, I do hold out hope of him (and, hopefully Thomas and the groper-in-chief) facing impeachment if the blue wave materializes.
Friends continue to share their personal stories of awfulness in support of those who are telling the truth to the powers that be.
Yep. I thought I'd heard all the horror stories from my close friends, but this week's events brought out another that I'd never heard before. She was fifteen at the time. It's really sad when you think, "Gosh, I'm so lucky only to have been groped by multiple strangers in public places."
I hear you. My own assault by a guy I dated when I was 17 messed me up for a number of years. But compared to others, I still got off easy. I read Roxanne Gay's essay about her gang rape and felt completely gutted.
JFC. I don't really pray apart from being grateful a lot, but I'm sending up one for your friend and her sister that they may find peace and happiness.
With you on the visceral anger. I'm trying to distill it into something productive this week, but it's really, really hard.
Comments 23
Ugh productivity. Boo lol
Reply
Reply
I dunno but it blows.
Reply
Sorry to hear you haven't advanced -- maybe it will help to conceptualize this as an opportunity to cast off some more of the Dire Weight of the book? It's fully formed now, out there living its best life. You've done what you can for it, gave it all the love and attention it needed. It will probably wash up with someone who needs it, it will probably touch people deeply. It will make someone laugh on a bad day, will make someone think, will reward your own re-reading. It exists. It's a beautiful thing. It doesn't need to chain you to it forever. It can just be. :)
Reply
The books that advanced are all standard memoir fare (e.g., getting out of a cycle of abuse, traveling the world, insider views of politics, family history and relationship, spiritual (re)awakenings, etc. etc.), and mine SO isn't that. I shouldn't be surprised, given that the BookLife Prize is owned by Publisher's Weekly for the purpose of discovering new mainstream voices. But I did get some complimentary marketing blurbs for my entrance fee, which isn't nothing, especially for seeking representation for future projects.
I'm fine with letting the book be, and I am deeply proud of it. I'm not ready to give up on getting it in front of more eyeballs just yet. People can't read what they can't find.
Reply
Reply
I gotta say, my brain is definintely more in input mode than output mode. I'm hoping that will shift once I finish the two things I'm reading now, because I really do need to make some concrete progress on my giftfest piece. I just hate to move forward without a more settled details. Otherwise, the idea will outgrow my outline, thus necessitating inelegant and hasty pruning such as you witnessed with my promptfest story.
Reply
As a perso
Reply
As a person who suffers from depression I understand how the news can be a downer. I reported sexual assalts to myself in 2007, and got no justice. Now a 13 time accused rapist runs the country.
Reply
Reply
Yep. I thought I'd heard all the horror stories from my close friends, but this week's events brought out another that I'd never heard before. She was fifteen at the time. It's really sad when you think, "Gosh, I'm so lucky only to have been groped by multiple strangers in public places."
Reply
Reply
Reply
With you on the visceral anger. I'm trying to distill it into something productive this week, but it's really, really hard.
Reply
Leave a comment