Hard Day's Schmoooozing

Whether it is moral or ethical or not, I have spent the last two or three days since returning to Authonomy and publishing the first few chapter of Indigo Antfarm, Violet and Blue by acting the part of the media tart. I have been invading the forum threads with my own unique brand of humour (tee hee), I've been reviewing other people's work (some great, some good, some indifferent and some downright dire), I've been schmoozing the on-line community and it's been very, very VERY hard work that has made my head hurt.

Vera and I have discussed this in the past as we've written our way through our respective books. How much publishing has changed, that you have to be prepared to put yourself out there, get your face seen, get your personality known. You have to be witty and pretty and wise. (So goodness knows how Salmon Rushtee managed to get himself published aha!) Half the slog isn't the actual writing of your book, it's the selling yourself in the hope you'll be in the right place at the right time when a publisher or an agent is looking for someone just like you.

And I've been appalled at the lengths that some of the writers on Authonomy will go to in order to make the hallowed turf of the Editor's Desk at the end of each month. For that is the so- called 'reward' if you push your book hard enough - you get a review of your writing by an editor at HarperCollins. And that's all. No publishing deal, no offer of representation. Just a critique of the first 10,000 words of your writing. Only ONE book had been taken on to be published since Authonomy opened its portal, what, two years ago? One book out of thousands submitted. You see, that's what we're up against.

Anyway, I like writing too much to let this bother me and if I get published, that's great, and if I don't then that's okay too (and I promise to stamp my little feet very, very quietly if this proves to be the eventual case!)

Andy thinks I should have some publicity photos done, because he has always been 100% certain that being a published writer is my destiny. Every now and then he'll creep up on me with his camera and snap me with a cat on my lap/ peeling carrots/ wearing a stupid hat/ lying asleep on the sofa with my mouth hanging open. He also thinks that I should have a proper website, and to that end I have been doodling on paper coming up with some ideas so my web-designer aka Andy can set about the task because I wouldn't have a clue where to start. It would be a place I could publish more of my work, and I thought maybe I'd start an on-line writing/ reading group, publish veg growing ideas, recipes, Rant of the Week etc. Also, Andy is very keen that we should self-publish Nearly King Jimbo - and the more I think about it, the more I think he is right.

I've had other stuff on my mind this week, too, and whilst I can't say anything at the moment, nor do I want to keep you all hanging in suspenders, it may well be worth keeping up with Much Malarkey Manor because I may have some VERY IMPORTANT and EXCITING news to impart in the next week or so.

Anyway, back to schmoozing Authonomy. My public awaits!