You know I’m working on my book if I’m not blogging

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Or at least that’s what I’d like you to believe…

I actually am working diligently on the second edition of What You Need to Know to Be a Pro; the Business Start Up Guide for Publishers, so my blogging and other writing activities have been put on hold. Creating the second edition has been a fascinating process because so much has changed since I first started publishing. Five years ago, ebooks were just emerging. The Kindle was barely functional and the Nook wasn’t conceived yet. Only hard-core techno geeks read ebooks, or pirates who stole manuscripts off of hacking sites.

Today, more books are sold via the Kindle than paper books on Amazon.com. The iPad has created a revolution in interactive books, and the Nook is gaining in popularity. My press, Medusa’s Muse, released its first ebook, the memoir Traveling Blind: Life Lessons from Unlikely Teachers, by Laura Fogg. This was the first book I published, so it seemed fitting that it was the inaugural book in our ebook start-up.

Because e-books have changed the publishing world, the 2nd edition of What You Need to Know needed a chapter on ebooks, which the first edition did not. Plus, technology has changed, so I’ve expanded the section on websites and the internet. Five years of experience has broadened my understanding of publishing, so I have a lot more information to share with start-up publishers.

I’ve been researching and revising and writing new chapters and creating exercises and lists for the “business book”, so that means I haven’t had much time to write new posts here or keep up with my favorite bloggers. It’s worth it; the 2nd edition of What You Need to Know is going to be excellent. I’m very proud of this little handbook of mine. Can you tell?

Link

I have stacks of books all over my house. The reason they’re stacked up on the floor is because my book shelves are so packed several shelves have broken. And still, I can’t part with any of my treasured novels. Will I read them again? Probably not. But books are a work of art and just having them around makes my home feel peaceful.

This article from Houzz.com helped me re-imagine ways to show off my precious books, and yes, maybe even get rid of a few.

Muses hate taxes

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“I’m bored,” my Muse whines. “When will you be finished?”

“Taxes take time. I have to get this right,” I say.

“But you’re not doing your taxes yet. You’re just totaling receipts.”

“These receipts tell me how much money Medusa’s Muse has earned.”

“And lost.” She slumps into a chair.

I scowl at her. “Thanks for fixating on the losses.”

“This year hasn’t exactly been booming for your press.”

“That will change.”

“You say that every year.”

Ignoring her, I focus on the pile of receipts again. Does the receipt for photocopies go in the supplies pile or the promotion pile?

My muse kicks my chair. “This press of yours is sucking more than money. It’s sucking your creative energy.”

I sigh. “Why do you do this every year?”

“Do what?”

“Bitch and moan about the press every time I have to do bookkeeping?”

“Because there is nothing creative about bookkeeping.”

“True, there isn’t. But to be creative I need to also be pragmatic. Bookkeeping keeps the lights on.”

“But it takes too long. Why not hire someone?”

“Because that would take money, which you so kindly pointed out I don’t have.”

She crosses her arms and sulks. “I hate this part of publishing.”

“Everyone does.”

“During the Renaissance, you would have had a patron to take care of all those incidentals. He would have paid your taxes and provided you food and shelter, clothing and entertainment. All of your needs would have been taken care of, simply so you could create brilliant works of art.”

“Talk to Rick. Maybe he can get a fourth job and rescue me from all this toil.” I clip a stack of receipts together and then label them postage.

“Don’t you want to take a break and work on your play?”

“Yes, I do, but I have to get this done first.”

“But…”

Swiveling in my chair to face her, I snap, “If you don’t stop interrupting me I’ll never get this done, which means I’ll never get to work on my play.”

She regally stands, looks at me, and in a calm voice says, “Don’t forget you have a deadline on your play. You told UPT you’d finish the rewrites this week.”

“I know.”

“I’ll leave you to it then.” With a toss of her snake tresses, she softly walks from the room.

Muses!

Where was I? Crap, I know I have more receipts for travel. Where’s the one from the dinner in October

Why bother blogging at all?

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Was my last post really before Halloween? Bad Blogger! No cookie for me.

I could blame it on life, which I will, but we both know that’s only part of the issue. It has to do more with staying in the habit of writing. A blog is a living essay that needs to be nurtured or it will die. It needs fresh ideas, shared opinions, conversation, images, and readers. Without all of these things, you may as well just stay on Facebook (which I have been doing too much of, but don’t tell anyone).

A blog also needs to be more than just a platform to sell something. I have a publishing company (Medusa’s Muse Press) and I teach workshops on self-publishing, so I know how hard it can be to not push your wares (like my books, on Medusa’s Muse). It’s okay to share the fact you have something to sell, but I am instantly turned off by writers who keep a blog just to advertise their business.

Why bother blogging at all? There are a million writers with a million blogs and we’re all trying to grab a little bit of attention from a million strangers on the inter-web. It can feel like we’re all shouting into a vacuum. What’s the point?

I blog because I want to help others and I also want to learn from others. I want to discover something new, see something beautiful, and laugh; I hope I can do the same for others. Blogging is also the perfect writing exercise, when I remember to do it. If I get on a schedule and stay committed to my blog, writing posts trains my mind to slow down and focus. It also helps me write faster (something I am sorely out of practice because this post is short but has taken me over an hour to write). And it helps me practice grammar and punctuation (also out of practice with. sigh).

Why do you blog? Are you sharing your life? Making new friends? Changing minds? Teaching? Trying to help people laugh? Raising awareness? Hoping to sell a few more books? I’d really love to know what drives us to spend so much of our precious time writing on the internet in hopes someone out there will notice?

Maybe that’s why I blog: I just want someone to pay attention.