I talked to a web journalist about how to "make the scene" on the web. He gave me lots of great advice which I have already begun to implement. His idea? Find bloggers and web pages that review books and ask to have my books reviewed. These bloggers have 100's or 1000's of followers.
So, I am shipping off two books today to a reviewing site that I found doing an Internet search and have two more services on radar. Exciting!
OK. What's next?
Oh! I also am enjoying hearing the local Christian radio station announcing my upcoming book signing on Feb 11th. They do this as a "community service" at no charge.
AND I've come up with a plan to hire people to represent JDP in their area.
Are we rolling?
Friday, February 3, 2012
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Time to Open the Doors?
This "weekly" blog is a week late and I can see why. I am wearing too many tradesman aprons. The writing retreat was successful in producing another good chunk of the sequel to Julia, Coming Home, however, the time away and largely alone gave my addled brain time to muse over the purpose/goals of Just Dust Publishers and my writing career.
Others. The word kept coming back to me as I worked,sometimes related to the writing I was doing, some not. However, the idea then rang like a siren in my mind last night when updating a friend on the state of the company. (The poor dear probably received a much more in depth answer to the questions she had asked--but let that be a warning to anyone about asking questions about someone with a passion!)
As I explained to her that I am finding being the chief, cook, and bottle washer undo-able, the phrase neon-flashed across the screen of my mind--OTHERS! OTHERS! and today I admit, it is probably time to bring in people for various positions with the company.
On a related note, I have come to realize that JDP is actually part of the "Indy" movement in publishing--meaning independent, as there are "Indy" films, for example. This idea has given me new energy to think about the future of the company.
So, this is going to be a short post. I have lots of ideas as to what this means and what it will look like, but for now, if you know anyone you think would like to be apart of JDP in some way, ask them to drop me a line. Shelley@JustDustPublishers.com. It might me too early to enfold "others" in this effort in publishing--or not. We'll see.
In the meantime, I will continue with the book signings and promotion of my own books, with an eye to a possible very different future.
Others. The word kept coming back to me as I worked,sometimes related to the writing I was doing, some not. However, the idea then rang like a siren in my mind last night when updating a friend on the state of the company. (The poor dear probably received a much more in depth answer to the questions she had asked--but let that be a warning to anyone about asking questions about someone with a passion!)
As I explained to her that I am finding being the chief, cook, and bottle washer undo-able, the phrase neon-flashed across the screen of my mind--OTHERS! OTHERS! and today I admit, it is probably time to bring in people for various positions with the company.
On a related note, I have come to realize that JDP is actually part of the "Indy" movement in publishing--meaning independent, as there are "Indy" films, for example. This idea has given me new energy to think about the future of the company.
So, this is going to be a short post. I have lots of ideas as to what this means and what it will look like, but for now, if you know anyone you think would like to be apart of JDP in some way, ask them to drop me a line. Shelley@JustDustPublishers.com. It might me too early to enfold "others" in this effort in publishing--or not. We'll see.
In the meantime, I will continue with the book signings and promotion of my own books, with an eye to a possible very different future.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Back to the Typewriter
Well, not literally, but "literary-ly" I am returning to writing full-time this week.
My publishing company, Just Dust Publishers, is at a near standstill, of sorts. And I am anxious about it. Why? I keep asking myself.
It is not like I will lose my home or have no food if the publishing company closed it's doors right now. Nope. I'm set. But more than that, I honestly believe that God led me to this place-He will lead me out of this valley, or it will die here, as He wishes, so why am I anxious?
I think it's one of those situations where, I am praying for the wrong thing.
Case is point:
I couldn't find my Christmas ornaments this year for our tree. So frustrating! We had reorganized some storage mid-year and some how, the ornaments are not to be found. When I first realized the tree sitting bare in my living room was necessarily naked, a bitterness rose in me. Everyday for over a week I was bitter as I walked by the tree. I didn't like feeling that way, especially in the season, so one night I asked my friends in my small prayer group to pray for me--that my bitterness would go away.
The next morning I woke and as I prayed I realized I WAS STILL BITTER! How could this be? So, I took an honest minute with God at the foot of His throne and said, "OK, forget healing my bitterness--Just give me ornaments!" I kept watching that morning for the boxes to suddenly appear, or the memory of where they had been put to come. I expected to find them.
Instead, in the afternoon, I had a knock at the door. A good friend from the prayer group stood there with an arm-full of boxes. "I'm here to decorate your tree," she said. I wanted to resist at first because I knew MY ornaments were now coming. But then I realized, this was the answer to my prayer. Something I never would have received before that prayer because I had been wallowing in the bitterness of my loss. After the prayer--I wanted ornaments more than the dramatic mourning routine I had come to savor. This was God's gift and answer.
Bringing it all home, Just Dust Publishers needs to sell books. I have been anxious about this need. The company is groaning under the burden of meeting vendor's wages, and must find ways to fund new projects--sequels to the books which are out. In a sense, I walk by the naked truth of this every day, like the bare tree. My chest tightens and I rack my brain, "How can I sell more books?"
Actually, I've come up with some pretty good ideas and I can only thank God for exciting developments with bookstores now carrying my books, people from Facebook ordering them online, and two book signings coming up in the next month. But I need so much more help to meet the financial needs of JDP.
Jesus needed help once. Can you imagine? When He was on earth He was healing the sick, helping the poor, raising the dead. But when He saw the great need He realized that even though--and especially because--He was just one man, He needed to pray. What did He ask for? That He could be patient and long suffering? That He could have the right attitude about pain? That He could be spared dealing with adversity? Nope. He knew the need was not about expanding His capacity, but for God to send others.
So, I have done all I can do, at this time. And with Jesus, I'm so grateful for my successes. But the company needs more. Seeing Jesus' example, I am praying that God sends the answer in others, or by other means.
And me? Well, this is the first day of my writing retreat. Except for a quick visit to deliver books to a bookstore and mail an ordered book, I am writing. And will be for four days. I hope to complete three chapters in the sequel to Julia, Coming Home. That will bring me to the one third point in the book.
After all, I can do only one person's job, preferably mine.
Matthew 9:35-38 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
My publishing company, Just Dust Publishers, is at a near standstill, of sorts. And I am anxious about it. Why? I keep asking myself.
It is not like I will lose my home or have no food if the publishing company closed it's doors right now. Nope. I'm set. But more than that, I honestly believe that God led me to this place-He will lead me out of this valley, or it will die here, as He wishes, so why am I anxious?
I think it's one of those situations where, I am praying for the wrong thing.
Case is point:
I couldn't find my Christmas ornaments this year for our tree. So frustrating! We had reorganized some storage mid-year and some how, the ornaments are not to be found. When I first realized the tree sitting bare in my living room was necessarily naked, a bitterness rose in me. Everyday for over a week I was bitter as I walked by the tree. I didn't like feeling that way, especially in the season, so one night I asked my friends in my small prayer group to pray for me--that my bitterness would go away.
The next morning I woke and as I prayed I realized I WAS STILL BITTER! How could this be? So, I took an honest minute with God at the foot of His throne and said, "OK, forget healing my bitterness--Just give me ornaments!" I kept watching that morning for the boxes to suddenly appear, or the memory of where they had been put to come. I expected to find them.
Instead, in the afternoon, I had a knock at the door. A good friend from the prayer group stood there with an arm-full of boxes. "I'm here to decorate your tree," she said. I wanted to resist at first because I knew MY ornaments were now coming. But then I realized, this was the answer to my prayer. Something I never would have received before that prayer because I had been wallowing in the bitterness of my loss. After the prayer--I wanted ornaments more than the dramatic mourning routine I had come to savor. This was God's gift and answer.
Bringing it all home, Just Dust Publishers needs to sell books. I have been anxious about this need. The company is groaning under the burden of meeting vendor's wages, and must find ways to fund new projects--sequels to the books which are out. In a sense, I walk by the naked truth of this every day, like the bare tree. My chest tightens and I rack my brain, "How can I sell more books?"
Actually, I've come up with some pretty good ideas and I can only thank God for exciting developments with bookstores now carrying my books, people from Facebook ordering them online, and two book signings coming up in the next month. But I need so much more help to meet the financial needs of JDP.
Jesus needed help once. Can you imagine? When He was on earth He was healing the sick, helping the poor, raising the dead. But when He saw the great need He realized that even though--and especially because--He was just one man, He needed to pray. What did He ask for? That He could be patient and long suffering? That He could have the right attitude about pain? That He could be spared dealing with adversity? Nope. He knew the need was not about expanding His capacity, but for God to send others.
So, I have done all I can do, at this time. And with Jesus, I'm so grateful for my successes. But the company needs more. Seeing Jesus' example, I am praying that God sends the answer in others, or by other means.
And me? Well, this is the first day of my writing retreat. Except for a quick visit to deliver books to a bookstore and mail an ordered book, I am writing. And will be for four days. I hope to complete three chapters in the sequel to Julia, Coming Home. That will bring me to the one third point in the book.
After all, I can do only one person's job, preferably mine.
Matthew 9:35-38 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Monday, January 9, 2012
Money in the Celestial Bank...only
A year ago I made a New Year's resolution to publish my book, Julia, Coming Home, by hook or by crook! In my mind, that meant sitting on the doorstep of one of the seven or eight Christian publishing houses until one of them threw me the bone of agreeing to publish the book.
I knew this meant a publisher might offer me little in compensation and/or demand that I change things in the book; maybe even "compromise" the message. Yah, yah, yah. I was ready. Ten years was enough to spend on the project and I was well into the sequel, so time to move on.
My husband was astonished to hear the amount of money I would need to attend writer's conferences to pursue editors or agents. Thousands. But he agreed. (No. You can't have him.) New clothes, manuscript prep, airline and hotel reservations, and tons of correspndence later, I found the "pubs" were not interested--in just about anything. Publishing is in a recession, too. Or maybe a decline. Everybody's quaking. But it's not just the turn in our economy that is causing publishers to freeze and bookstores to close doors, it's the new trend toward electronic publishing and Internet ordering that is shaking the industry.
However, I had a New Year's resolve hanging over me. And I felt I must have some sort of possiblility of income, like having published books actually sell, so my husband didn't leave me. I tried "self-publishing" too, but was quickly dissolusioned which brought me to opening my own independent publishing company. Of course. There's more on all this elsewhere.
The result of the formation of JustDustPublishers.com? We have four lovely books in print and selling, but I am flat broke.
I am running out to the company's bank today just to deposit a check for $20. That's to be sure I have money to meet a bill. Later this week, I'm actually going to use a Christmas gift certificate to put gas in my car so I can drive to Sisters for a writer's retreat with a friend--she lives there and puts me up in her guest room for free.
Wow! I haven't lived this tightly since I was first staying home with young kids with one income for the family. Sometimes the feeling of "just making it" makes me feel young again--like I'm living on the edge. But today I feel old and weary. I want to just close the publishing door and go to lunch with a girl friend at a street cafe in Paris.
I feel poor today, but my mind knows better. Oh, I am sure that the main answer to my tight publishing budget is to simply sell more books. And I have to tell you, I am regularly petitioning God to do so, especially now. But, the treasure I want is not warehoused at the bank.
The truth is I am rich to overflowing in satisfaction. God has incredibly blessed me in answering His call to begin this company. The books we have are beautiful-their messages compelling. I have received personal feed-back from readers proving the purpose of the books well met. These successes are above me. Not of me, but golden coins of promise.
And Mark still hasn't left me. I'm a lucky girl.
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21 ESV
I knew this meant a publisher might offer me little in compensation and/or demand that I change things in the book; maybe even "compromise" the message. Yah, yah, yah. I was ready. Ten years was enough to spend on the project and I was well into the sequel, so time to move on.
My husband was astonished to hear the amount of money I would need to attend writer's conferences to pursue editors or agents. Thousands. But he agreed. (No. You can't have him.) New clothes, manuscript prep, airline and hotel reservations, and tons of correspndence later, I found the "pubs" were not interested--in just about anything. Publishing is in a recession, too. Or maybe a decline. Everybody's quaking. But it's not just the turn in our economy that is causing publishers to freeze and bookstores to close doors, it's the new trend toward electronic publishing and Internet ordering that is shaking the industry.
However, I had a New Year's resolve hanging over me. And I felt I must have some sort of possiblility of income, like having published books actually sell, so my husband didn't leave me. I tried "self-publishing" too, but was quickly dissolusioned which brought me to opening my own independent publishing company. Of course. There's more on all this elsewhere.
The result of the formation of JustDustPublishers.com? We have four lovely books in print and selling, but I am flat broke.
I am running out to the company's bank today just to deposit a check for $20. That's to be sure I have money to meet a bill. Later this week, I'm actually going to use a Christmas gift certificate to put gas in my car so I can drive to Sisters for a writer's retreat with a friend--she lives there and puts me up in her guest room for free.
Wow! I haven't lived this tightly since I was first staying home with young kids with one income for the family. Sometimes the feeling of "just making it" makes me feel young again--like I'm living on the edge. But today I feel old and weary. I want to just close the publishing door and go to lunch with a girl friend at a street cafe in Paris.
I feel poor today, but my mind knows better. Oh, I am sure that the main answer to my tight publishing budget is to simply sell more books. And I have to tell you, I am regularly petitioning God to do so, especially now. But, the treasure I want is not warehoused at the bank.
The truth is I am rich to overflowing in satisfaction. God has incredibly blessed me in answering His call to begin this company. The books we have are beautiful-their messages compelling. I have received personal feed-back from readers proving the purpose of the books well met. These successes are above me. Not of me, but golden coins of promise.
And Mark still hasn't left me. I'm a lucky girl.
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21 ESV
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