Friday, January 27, 2017

January 2017: Five Year Goal in Review

Last Friday of the Month

I can’t believe it’s the last Friday of January, but it is and here we are, at another Five Year Goal Review day. For those of who don’t know what I’m talking about, The Five Year Goal is a monthly blog hop put on by Misha Gerrick (thanks Misha for putting this on!) where you make a long term goal (five years) and work towards it, posting your progress on the last Friday of each month. I started this venture a little over a year ago, so I’m a little vested.

My goal is to have a world class publishing company.

A little history:

My husband and I started Black and White Publishing Co. several years ago, but at that time we did not actively seek out other authors. Honestly, I didn’t think we had anything to offer a person that they couldn’t (with a little time and research) do for themselves. Face it. Today you can hire an editor, a cover designer, someone to format your book, and someone else to market it. In five minute you can upload your book onto Amazon, Nook, Kobo, iTunes and in ten you can be earning royalties, without someone like me taking a cut of anything. I care about authors. I want them to succeed. Why would I stick my hand into something they don’t need me to? And then *Ubooks came along. This is something authors can’t do for themselves. This is something only Black and White can offer. Last Spring we offered our first contract to an author besides me. Now we are up to seven, some with multiple books in contract. This is such an exciting time for us. It’s still in the beginning, still at the top of the hill, still pushing the boulder with two hands, barely inching forward. But it is moving.

I can’t wait to see it fly.
 
 

 

 
 
 
*Ubooks are a patent pending book format where books are set on video feed with or without audio. Check them out at setbooksfree.org

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

IWSG: January 2017

First Wednesday of the Month

Hello everyone. Today’s the first Wednesday of the month, which makes it IWSG time. Thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh and co-hosts for putting this on. For those of you new to this concept, IWSG stands for Insecure Writer’s Support Group, and it’s just what it sounds like, a support group for writers. And all writers are insecure; I don’t care what they tell you. We all cringe a little when we read a bad review, all stare at a blank screen from time to time, wondering if “it” has left us.

Neither of those are my issue this month, although I have plenty experience with both. This month I’m struggling with something completely new: with the thought of being done as a writer. Not done, done in the sense of the word, as in I will never write again, more like an honest evaluation thing. For the last two years I’ve only written shorter pieces. I’ve done a few anthologies and a lot of flash, a couple children’s pieces, but that’s about it. I haven’t worked on a full length novel in over two years, and while I do have some ideas floating around (that middle grade fantasy still haunts me), I don’t have any plans to start plugging away at them in the near future. I’ve got other things on my plate. Important things. Things I am purposely choosing. Is this what it feels like to be done?  Has anyone else out there been at this place before?