I've posted this blog on my Book space area - an ning networking group - I'm not sure how I signed up with ning - but I believe it started with Maverick Marketers (another of Karen's sites - but I'm glad I did - book place is for authors, editors, readers, publishers - anyone who likes books - so if you would like to sign up - make sure you add me to your friends' list - the weblink is above in the title but here it is again - http://morganmandelbooks.ning.com/profile/elysabeth42 --- I also belong to a crime space on ning and a publishers site (besides Karen) and maybe one other group - so check out the ning networking things and see where you belong - http://www.ning.com/ - there are many out there and everyone should belong somewhere - lol
I don't know about most of you but when you get your first publishing contract, it is very exciting - can't sit still, must shout it from the rooftops and do the happy dance. How about when you get the second one? or the third? or the 100th? Are you still excited when you get acceptance and receive the contract, even if the contract is basically the same as the first?
I know I am. I received my first contract in January from the Fast and Frigid contest for Echelon Press. That was very exciting. Well, I've entered two more monthly contests since then (forgot to or was too busy to enter the April contest) and didn't win either of them but my March entry (one of my friends did win that so she was published in March), a young adult fantasy story received a contract. Butterfly Halves is officially published now and all I can do is the happy dance, and the announcements and everything. Of course when I got the request to contract the story, I was doing all those things too. So the last two months have been promoting Butterfly Halves and The Tulip Kiss, but in different manners.
So I leave the question to all you published authors - is the second time around just as exciting and good as the first one or not? - E :)
5 comments:
I'm still cock-a-hoop (don't know if you have that phrase in the States?) from my first one. But then, as you know, it was only last week :-)
Well, we don't have that phrase but I can imagine it means what we say as very excited, over the top, on cloud 9 maybe - and you should be very excited for the first one. I think no matter how many times one gets published that the excitement is still there. I mean I didn't win the contest that Butterfly Halves was submitted for but I was excited for Janelle who did and at the same time because I was contracted, I was excited for me. Two different types of excitement because Janelle and another friend of mine wrote the weekend before the submission date and we edited each others' stories along the way and had a blast doing it because we all write so differently. Janelle was going to write the butterfly necklace story with her kids but decided to use Story Spinner (http://www.bonnieneubauer.com/storyspinner.shtml) to come up with something different and she came up with the tornado, dragon theme and she went with that. I had not really thought of what I was going to write so I asked her if I could use the necklace story and she told me sure - I'd do it more justice than she could because it's what I write - it wss right up my alley so to speak. So I took her idea and ran with it - she had given me the basics. Trust me that this was no easy feat to write two stories in one because I had to write each girl's story separately yet together - it was one of the most difficult things I have written so far, but it was fun and very exciting when the publisher said she liked the story even though it didn't win but she would like to contract it - lol - so I'm still doing the happy dance with the second contract.
I hope you have many more contracts and that you feel the excitement each and every time.
Any other authors out there who have had their second or third or 100th piece published want to share their news or excitement? -
see you all in the postings - E :)
After a few acceptances, the excitement diminishes. After my first short story was published, I think I spent more money buying copies of the magazine to show everybody than I actually earned. These days, I look at my contributor copy to see if my name's spelled right, thumb through the story to see how heavily it was or wasn't edited, and then shove the publication in my filing cabinet.
Oh, there are still sales that excite me. The sale of my first novel. The sale of my first short story collection. A sale for more money than I've previously received. The first sale to a magazine I've been submitting to for years.
But overall, not quite so thrilling as the first half dozen or so.
Thanks for the insight into many publications, Michael. Until I hit that stage, I think I will be excited for each story published (I hope anyway - but I'm sure the newness will wear off at some point and I will be feeling, oh another story published, yay me - lol).
I think the newness is part of the excitement. I am very new to the publishing industry and am just happy to get myself out there for now. Of course, with someone who has published 1000s of short stories, I'd have to guess that definitely the newness does wear off.
Again, thanks for stopping by and commenting on my blog - E :)
I have to enter contests!! You are getting so lucky by entering contests, it is so cool! Congratulations on your success, I am sure you will continue to write stories and win contests. :D
I should get Writer's Market 2007...I heard it has contest lists, as well as agents and publishers...very handy. :D
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