Getting the Word Out

With the writing of the first book done, it’s time to turn some of our attention to promotion.  I’m relying on Katherine to spearhead this part, because she has the experience in giving workshops and presentations — and she holds the confidence that she can share our message to a banquet hall full of people, with no problem.   The only reason why she hasn’t done this yet is because she’s waiting on the book to be in our hands.

I know… I know!  Technically, we still don’t have a book in our hands, but we will soon… <fingers crossed>

In the meantime, we’ve begun strategizing as to what avenues would work best for our goals. 

 

I told you about a therapist group proposing a workshop for a maximum of 20 people.  That got us thinking:  Doing relationship workshops for this small group may not be the best way of getting our message out — especially, if we want to reach as many people as possible… as quickly as possible. 

It may be better if we focused on a different path — one that already has a larger, built-in audience.  For example, one fifteen-minute interview  for a TV or radio talk show has the potential of reaching hundreds and hundreds of people in one broadcast — depending on the interviewer’s audience base.   

Think about it:  Doing a TV or radio interview would reach a much larger audience than 20 people at a time.  Also, they post and archive their programs on their websites.  This allows those who weren’t able to hear the live program to replay the program at a later time.  This Internet access and replay ability can give even more people the opportunity to learn about what we’re doing.

While we’re on the subject of the World Wide Web, there are also a number of bloggers who like to interview authors and share these interviews with their readers.  

Such collaboration is good for both the interviewer and interviewee.  The interviewer is able to provide guests for his or her program, while the interviewee gets her or his message out to a wide variety of people. 

So, once we get the book in our hands — which will be soon <fingers crossed> — that’s the next step we’re going to take.

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It’s Not Just Business

     

Do you remember when I reached out to a handful of local therapists last year — asking if they would have the time to give me some feedback on our “teen” book? 

Recently, I touched base with one of them and gave her an update on everything that was going on with us.  She was very excited about our progress and wanted to set up a meeting with us and her boss — to brainstorm on how their practice could help promote our books and give us feedback and test our stuff. 

I passed all of this news to Katherine.  It turned out that Katherine knew of this therapist through a mutual friend and was excited over the idea of collaborating with the group.

So, we set a time to meet with the therapist and her boss — thinking a brainstorming session of 4 would be beneficial.

Boy!  Were we surprised when we were ushered into their conference room and came face-to-face with about 10-12 people, sitting around a table, eating their lunch. 

Once they made room for us around the table and introduced themselves to us, they started interviewing us — with questions dealing from number of years we’ve been doing this, how much our type of work was worth, what our fee structure was for sessions and workshops, what education and certifications we had, what documentation and billing systems we had for workshops and presentations… and the questions went on and on…

Imagine how we felt when we’re expecting a 4-person interactive brainstorming session, and instead, we walk into a 12-person tag-team group interview!!

By the end of the interview, the group proposed that they promote a relationship workshop based on the book, for a maximum of 20 people (to be held in their conference room) — charging a fixed price per person and splitting the revenue.  They also wanted bios and pictures to post on their website, along with a date for the workshop.  They wanted to write up a contract for the workshop, with their fee breakdown for the use of their space and their promotional efforts.  After all, they are in the business to make money — as they reminded us. 

They were also very interested in working with Katherine regarding her solo business — which is separate from our joint writing ventures. 

As you can imagine, we left their office feeling a little dizzy and juggling mixed feelings.

The meeting was enlightening, to say the least.  It did make us think about things we hadn’t thought about before.  The business-like approach this therapist group took with us solidified our own desire to focus on the personal side of connecting with others — especially in the way we approach our work and how we partner with others.

For us, it’s not just business…

It’s all about… well, what it’s always been about… relationships.

I don’t understand why, but most people separate their business persona from their personal one.  They’ll conduct themselves differently at work than at home.  You hear it all the time:  “It’s not personal; it’s business,” — as if there’s a separation between the two… as if there are different rules to follow… as if we’re not relating with each other in both settings.

No… we shouldn’t separate the two.  All of us are in the business of relating — or at least we should be.  That’s the only way to do business. 

So, I’m not quite sure how the relationship with this therapist group will develop and grow.  Since presentations and workshops are Katherine’s domain, I’ll let her take the lead on this.  If she wants to pursue this avenue for our joint venture, I’m with her.  If she doesn’t want to do it, I’m with her.  If she just wants to deal with this group for her solo business, I’m with her.  If she wants do the relationship workshop to open an access to other network opportunities, I’m with her.  Whatever she wants to do, I’m with her.  

No.  For us, it’s not just business; it’s about relationships.

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Unfulfilled Expectations

Well, the first deadline set by the graphic artist has passed, unceremoniously — with no email, call, or sign from him that we’re any closer to getting published.  When we email him to ask how he’s doing, we get no response…

So… yeah…. sadly, that means that there's nothing more to report on that front… other than growing frustration and diminishing patience on my part.

What’s our next step?  Waiting for the next deadline, I guess,… which is in a couple of weeks.

If that one passes without a sign of life from this graphic artist, I’ll suggest to Katherine that we’ll need to figure out another path to take—because doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of stupidity. 

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“BUT” is Such a Scary Word!

I had another one of my dreams.  Even though it was a simple and short scene, it was interesting — interesting enough to set to paper.

Once on paper, it turned out to be a very intriguing scene, with the potential to turn into something I imagined could be used in workshops and meetings — to elicit discussion and group interactions…

With that in mind, that one scene lead to another… and another.

I shared the written scenes with Katherine, and wondered if she and her friends would like to act out the scenes — to generate discussions for their meetings.  Her groups were always looking for topics to discuss…

Katherine agreed that her groups were always looking for topics to discuss, and she knew of several people who would jump at the chance to act out the scenes with her, but…

[BUT… is such a scary word — especially coming from Katherine.]

But... Katherine liked the scenes soooo much that she didn’t want to stop at a couple — just to be used to generate discussion in social gatherings.

 

She wants us to develop a whole play and progress the story.  Once the play is complete, she has acquaintances who have the resources to produce and perform the play.  We could perform it live, video tape it, and/or produce an audio version of it.

She understands all this would require more time, effort, and work on my part — more than I originally intended and, possibly, wanted to put into it — but…

[BUT… is such a scary word — especially coming from Katherine.]

But what I’ve written so far is too good just to be treated as a simple discussion aid, in her opinion.

O…..K….

So, I write — what I thought — is a nice little play, but Katherine wants more.

So, I keep adding scene after scene, and Katherine keeps telling me we need another and another…

I see the same thing that has happened to our book is happening to the play.

We can never finish a project, because Katherine keeps wanting more… and more… and more…

Yes… her suggestions always make the projects better, BUT if we never finish a project… well, we’ll never finish…

Hopefully, during my lifetime, one of these projects will see the light of day, BUT…

In the meantime, I’m on a new writing adventure… adding aspiring playwright to aspiring author…

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Just When I Started to Have Some Sense of Control…

Really!!  Come on!  You’ve got to be kidding me!!!  

For the past couple of weeks I’ve been making myself crazy by researching self-publishing companies and comparing rotten apples to green oranges…

It was just two days ago, when I figured out which self-publishing path I felt most comfortable with.  All of them had their advantages and disadvantages, but the one I picked gave us more control and more royalties, with less expense on our part.  Yes, it meant more work on my end, but I was OK with that.

So, now I’ve been in the experimenting mode — formatting the book on my own, researching how to create ebooks, book covers, etc.  The more I do, the less it will cost to produce the book and more we can spend on promotion and marketing… at least that’s the plan.

I’m feeling better about things because I feel that we are moving again… moving down the path of being published.  I’m no longer in a holding pattern.  I’m no longer waiting… waiting… waiting…

I feel more in control of things!  Yea!!!!

And tonight — as I’m researching and learning all about copyright registration and Library of Congress cataloging — up pops an email from the California independent publisher — the publisher that asked us to revamped the book to fit their marketing niche. 

And we did just that.  We revamped the whole book for them.  I resubmitted it to them months ago, with several follow-up emails to make sure they received the new rewrites.  When I didn’t hear back from them, I simply assumed they weren’t interested in the rewrite, and I simply moved on.

Turns out, the person I was working with at that publishing house recently left that publisher, and a new person has taken her place.  This woman hasn’t had a chance to look at our material yet, but wanted to assure me that they did receive it.

Great!  Now what do we do?

Do we put our self-publishing plans on hold, until this “real” publisher gets back to us? 

Everything that I’ve been researching, experimenting, and teaching myself would be… well, taken care of by the publisher.  The book would become their property and our royalties would be less, but…

A “real” publisher can get us into bookstores and libraries and open doors to promotional events that would be closed to self-publishers.  Our book would be more eligible to be cataloged in the Library of Congress, which makes us easier to find.  [I learned that on-demand and self-published works are out of the scope for the Cataloging in Publication (CIP) program for the Library of Congress.]

We also wouldn’t carry the “stigma” of the “vanity press” label that self-publishers have to deal with…

All this only happens if a publisher takes us on —and this new acquisitions editor still hasn’t looked at our new book proposal and revamped book.  She may pass on it as well.

So, what does all this mean?  It means I’m back waiting… waiting… waiting…

Waiting for her to either work with us or send us another “encouraging letter of hope.”

And all this happens just as I start to have some sense of control…

Really!!  Come on!  You’ve got to be kidding me!!! 

Shifting Gears

Since it seems that we’re changing direction with the relationship book, Katherine and I have to really sit down and think things through and make some decisions. 

This means I can’t go any further on this project until Katherine and I can meet.

So, to keep myself busy, I’ve turned my attention back to the children’s book. 

I’m pretty sure that we’ll run into the same hurdles with the publishers of children’s books as we have with the adult-nonfiction publishers — which is that we don’t have a following, a built-in audience, or formal and time-tested sales platform that would guarantee book sales for the publisher.

We could self-publish the children’s book, but we’ll need help with the funding of it.  Because of the discussion aid that goes along with the story, we’re talking about a two-book package, with illustrations for each chapter.  All of that takes more money than we have.

With that in mind, I’m brainstorming as to how I can generate some support for the book.  I’ve started sending out requests for help to various groups… hoping that someone would step in for us. 

I’ve sent letters to homeschool publishers, organizations, and associations. 

I’ve reached out to the National Homeschool Association, various parent/teacher associations, the Florida Department of Education, and the Florida School Board Association.

I’ve targeted Target® as well.  Their community outreach programs focus on reading and educational programs for children.  That gave me the idea to write to the president of Target® to see if he had some leads or contacts that would help us get published. 

I’ve even written to Mrs. Laura Bush to see if she would help us out.

We’ll see if any of this bears fruit.  In the meantime, I’ll keep brainstorming…

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Time to Get Off the Merry-Go-Round

We received a very interesting “encouraging letter of hope” from a very kind and helpful literary agent.

She eloquently expressed her concern about our lack of a “well-developed platform” to support the marketing and promotional aspects of our project. 

She told us that:

“Publishers increasingly expect authors to have well-developed platforms prior to seeking publication so that they have a built-in audience when the book comes out.  If a publisher doesn’t believe that the author can personally sell many thousands of copies on their own (the big NY publishers expect to sell in the 20,000 to 50,000 copies at a minimum based on the author’s sole efforts), they are averse to taking a project on.”

Without an established audience, publishers — and, thus, literary agents — will not take on new authors.

If this was a rejection letter, it would have stopped there; but our encouraging letter of hope continued.

Although this literary agent could not take us on as a client, she advised us to look into other publishing models that have developed over the years. 

She has gone so far as to name a couple of non-traditional publishers and has offered to personally introduce us to her contacts in these companies. 

We really appreciate her offer because a personal reference really helps in this business.

So, we’re getting off of the merry-go-round we’ve been on for the last year and moving on to a different ride. 

Hopefully, this new ride will take us somewhere exciting, and not just round and round in a circle.

That Didn’t Last Very Long…

Just got word from the “intrigued” publisher…

Although our work is interesting and intriguing, their listing is all booked for the next year and can’t place our book on it for now… She wishes us the best of luck…

That’s the catch in all of this…

The larger publishers won’t look at our work because we haven’t been published… and the smaller publishers who will look at us — and are moved by our stuff — don’t have the staff, resources, and publishing power to take on more than they already have.

Seems like an endless cycle for us.  I feel a bit like Don Quixote, fighting my own personal giants.

Like the song, Windmills of Your Mind, from the Thomas Crown Affair:

Like a circle in a spiral
Like a wheel within a wheel
Never ending or beginning,
On an ever spinning wheel
As the images unwind
Like the circles that you find
In the windmills of your mind

Anyway, I’m trying to think of another strategy, while still sending out (pointless) queries and book proposals.

If only I can connect with some established authors in the field that we want to break into, maybe they could help us.  It’s worth a try. 

What’s the worst thing that can happen?  They ignore our request… and heaven knows, I’m used to that by now.

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Responsiveness in Healthy Relationships

Katherine came across this video that shows the role of responsiveness in healthily relationships. While this footage is of a mother and her baby, it's relevant to all relationships.  

Basically, the video reminds us, that no matter how old we are, we become hurt when those closest to us are non-responsive to our attempts in engaging them in a relationship.

What I find interesting is how quickly the baby responds back after being ignored by the mother.  There's no "holding a grudge" or "getting even" for the hurt inflicted.  The baby's just happy to have her mom interacting with her again.   

I think this is something we can learn from babies. 

Check out the link:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apzXGEbZht0&feature=player_embedded

 

 

I Messed Up!

I was jolted out of bed this morning, realizing that I royally messed up!

I had prepared those @#$@#$ book proposals the other night and just screwed things up.

Maybe it’s because I hate, Hate, HATE doing this part of the process…

Maybe it’s because I am so tired and burned out with this…

Maybe it’s because I don’t want to receive any more “encouraging letters of hope”…

WHATEVER the reason, in the early morning hours — long before the sun woke up — it struck me that I had addressed the SASE (self-addressed stamped envelopes) backwards.  If used the way I addressed them, the encouraging letters of hope would simply end up back on the publishers’ doorsteps.

I feel like such an idiot!!!

If only I could right my wrong, myself… then no one would know my stupidity, but I can’t.

I had already handed over the packages to Katherine to be mailed.  I’ll have to call her — at some more reasonable hour (but before she starts her errands and mails these packages) — to confess my stupidity and have her right my wrong for me.

I hate, Hate, HATE this part of the process.  Have I told you that before?

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Out with the Old!

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OK, my little tantrum and pity party is over from the other day. 

I brooded my way through the list of publishers again.  I emailed more than a dozen, and prepared mailers for another nine publishers.  

Then I did something really constructive.  I went through my stack of papers from all the writing projects, and filled my recycle bin with papers and copies of the “old versions” of the friendship book, of the teen book, and of the children’s books. 

Since each book has to be redone, to follow the new format we’ve created with the friendship book, there was no reason for me to hold on to what’s no longer usable. 

That de-cluttering project helped me let go of the past and move on to the new path we’re undertaking.  As I threw away all the papers, I freed myself to move forward.

After all, you get nowhere looking back to something that cannot be. 

Just keep looking ahead and moving forward.

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Trying to Fit a Square Peg into a Round Hole?

After writing that last entry, I went to bed, trying to be positive about our future — but I kept coming back to what the acquisitions editor is saying.  People only buy friendship books that focus on repairing damaged friendships or dealing with toxic friends.

If that’s an accurate statement, then I’m screwed.  No publisher will pick us up.

The only way to be picked up by a publisher is to challenge that belief — that there’s no one interested in a book like ours.  How can no one want to develop healthy relationships from the start?  It just doesn’t make sense!

So, I wrote back to the editor and commented that we’re living in a pretty sad world if people would rather screw up their relationships than develop healthy ones from the start.   I admitted that I did understand the publisher's perspective, but I couldn't help but wish we could change his mind, somehow. If only we could talk to him and present our case. All we're looking for is a chance to change people's minds.

I’m not exactly sure what happened, but she opened the door for us again... to see if we can massage the friendship book to fit the publisher’s step-by-step approach to self-help products.

We may be trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, but we’re trying.  It all depends exactly how much we’re willing to chisel out of “our” book to fit “their” formula.

How far will we go to get published?

We’ll just have to wait and see…

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We’re Still Encouraged!

Well, part of me is a bit — no, a lot — bummed out.

We received another encouraging letter of hope today.

But you know what?  In reading it, and working with this acquisitions editor, I really get the feeling that she is as disappointed with her company’s decision as we are.  NO, REALLY!

I'm not pulling your leg on this, and it's not my "Pollyanna" outlook on things.  I could tell that she really loved the book, and she put a lot of energy into pitching it to her publisher for us.  To sway things to our favor, she did market research and everything.

Unfortunately, all her diligence did us in.  As our acquisitions editor says, “It seems that people are mostly buying friendship books that focus on repairing damaged friendships or dealing with toxic friends.”

The problem is that people aren’t buying books like ours — positive books on friendship and relationships.  They aren’t looking at how to create long and lasting relationships from the start; only how to repair friendships after they’ve screwed it up so badly that there’s no hope in salvaging anything from it. People don't realize that, once trust and respect is gone, the relationship is dead.

Why aren’t people interested in developing healthy relationships from the start?  Why do people wait until it’s too late?  Then, after it’s too late, they look around and wonder, “What the hell happened?”

It’s all very sad… sad for us all…

Anyway, with the paying public against us, the acquisition editor couldn’t change her publisher’s mind. She truly wishes us the best in finding a home for our work.

We do understand.  When we started on this journey, we knew it was going to be an uphill battle.  What we are selling is not easy to sell.  Trust, caring, kindness, empathy, communication, appreciation, affirmation, ethics, generosity, attention, respect — all the things that support positive relationships — aren’t money makers in this world of ours. 

But, we refuse to give up.  I trust that one day, things will change; and I hope our books will become part of this change, if not the catalyst to change.  [And yes, I admit... that's the Pollyanna in me.]  

Anyway, on a brighter note:  I left the door open with this publisher, hoping that we can send the acquisitions editor our other books for her review. 

She said that she would be happy to look over whatever we send to her.  Hopefully, our next book will meet her company’s marketing criteria.

I’m grabbing on to that promise with both hands.

One more thing I do know — with all my heart — is that the acquisitions editor did enjoy reading our book.

Well, one more person has read our material.  Only 7,100,557,000 to go to reach the rest of the world.

We've got a lot of work ahead of us!

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I Just Can’t Wait!

Katherine and I had one of our strategic meetings the other day, and I told her everything I just told you in the last blog entry. 

And she’s more than aware of my inability to wait and do nothing; so, we brainstormed some ways we could use our materials — without having to wait for a publisher to pick us up.  We concentrated on options that wouldn’t conflict with our goal of being picked up by a publisher, but would allow us to use our materials and support our personal goals.

Katherine brought up the workshop idea again, but this time for teens.  She thought, possibly, weekly discussion groups for teenagers would work — something informal, to go over the Ready or Not material.

Something similar could be promoted for the children’s book.  During the summer, we can set up a book club for children who would like to read and discuss our children’s book.  By then, we would have the discussion aid booklet completed to supplement the original story.

Since Katherine has connection with the homeschool community, it would be easy for her to generate some interest and promote these sessions to our target audience.

So, later this month, we may be adding these workshops to our ever-growing project list.

I’m really looking forward to this new phase.  It’s exciting to have a blank sheet in front of me and fill it with words that create a story, a feeling, a thought, and a different world.

It’s even more exciting to have someone breathe life into these words, and tell the story, experience the feelings, and conceptualize the thoughts…

Now add to all of that… the feeling of listening and discussing the different levels of meanings, feelings, and perspectives others will bring to these pages I’ve written.

They will bring their own stories, their own feelings, and their own worlds to share with us. 

I’m so excited!  I can’t wait!

I just can’t wait!     

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This Waiting is Driving Everyone Crazy!

Yeah.  Patience is not one of my virtues.  I need to be constantly moving forward on things.  Standing still and waiting for something to happen is not in my nature.

And this shortcoming of mine is driving everyone else around me crazy. 

Why?  Because I keep emailing, contacting, talking, searching, writing, and researching.  I keep jumping from one project to another, like a juggler.  I’m constantly doing something to keep this project moving and that project progressing and this other project going…

In my efforts to keep everything moving, I’ve expanded my circle of influence to include a number of other people, who find themselves in desperate need of a reprieve from my persistence.

Not to totally alienate myself from these new contacts, I’m trying to be patient.

I am managing to refrain myself from actually emailing anyone today, even though I’m continually checking my email account every hour for news from the publisher who is showing some interest in our Friendship book, for news from the therapists who have agreed to give us feedback on our teen book, or for news from parents who have offered to have their kids read and give us feedback on our children’s book.

It seems harder, today, to be content with sitting and waiting, because last week was so full of activity.  

I couldn't believe it!  Suddenly, everything started moving in different directions... as if each project had a life of its own.  This is great news and exactly what we are hoping for; but when it happens all at once... well, it makes it more difficult to juggle everything.

 What happened last week?

• The publisher, who asked for sample chapters, has written back and asked for the rest of the Friendship book.
• The therapist who was impressed with an audio clip — enough to say she’ll buy several copies of the book if it was anything like the clip — emailed back, wanting to meet with us once she reads the book.  She’s also asking questions about how we’re promoting ourselves and the book, and is indicating her desire to keep in contact with us through this process. 
• Friends of friends who are teachers and have published their own children’s books have come forward with suggestions and ideas as to how to get our children’s book viewed by educational publishers, which would open the doors to schools and homeschoolers.   This has prompted me to create a discussion aid for teachers and parents.  This will help with the interactive discussion that the book thrives on.
• The audio clip, “Self Defense Against Fear” is getting regular hits on the YouTube site. 
• People keep returning to this blog to follow our progress —and thank you very much, for doing that! 

Toward the end of last week, I was feeling somewhat overwhelmed by all the attention.  So, I had to take a step back, to try to get my thoughts organized and my hands around the separate projects that were going in various directions…

I’m a visual person, so I had to set everything down in front of me, so I could see the whole picture.  To do that, I got a huge piece of paper (around 16” x 21”) and created three columns (i.e., one for each project).   In the separate columns, I wrote where we were on each project, as well as my concerns and pending issues. 

With this new person, possibly, coming into the mix — the excited therapist — I also wanted to protect my self-interest in all of this.  To do that, I needed to be able to actually identify, clarify, and communicate what my goals are. 

Why am I doing all of this?  I’m sure more things will come to me, but this is a start:

• To have the freedom to stretch my creativity and have the ability to write on subjects that most interest me
• To be able to get our messages out in a positive and supportive manner that can help others
• To make a difference — to be an intricate and important part of this “movement” and enjoy this journey that we’re on
• Not to be harmed (financially, emotionally, physically, reputation-wise, etc.) by this endeavor
• To be able to make enough money from this to support me during my retirement years… until death does me in

Now… all that’s left to do is wait… and wait… and wait…

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Persistence Pays

During this last week, I emailed a bunch of local therapists listed on the Therapy Directory of the Psychology Today website.

I hit the jackpot yesterday.  I sent out about 10 queries asking if someone would mind giving me feedback on our teen book.  Surprisingly, 4 of the 10 responded back before the day’s end, saying that they would be happy to help us out and review our materials.

Knowing how busy therapists are, I also gave them the link to the audio clips, suggesting that — if they were short on time — they could get a quick, mini-taste of what's in the book.

One therapist used this quick method and emailed back saying that she was pretty impressed with the clip she viewed; and if the book is similar to the clip, she sees herself buying copies of the book for her office, for her clients to read.

AWESOME!!!! And this little testimonial is from watching just one clip!

Gosh darn!  I wished I had the guts to ask her which clip she watched.  If I could, I’d send that clip along with every query letter I send from now on!

Something More Than an Encouraging Letter of Hope

Golly Gee!!!

We got an email from a publisher in California who just got around to reading our book proposal and is hoping that our manuscript is still available for review. 

She is interested in seeing two to three chapters of our work.

 I’ve learned not to get “overly” excited.  We’ve gotten this close before.  A single person (in this case the Acquisitions Assistant) may like it and then passes it on to the “committee” where it’s stoned to death...

So, yeah... I’ve learned not to get “overly” excited… only really, Really, REALLY HOPEFUL!

Keep your fingers crossed for us.

Oh... and, of course, I've dropped Ellen DeGeneres an update on all of this.  She remains speechless...

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Trying to Keep the Fires Burning…

I’m stuck doing the yucky, boring stuff, again—the stuff I hate doing.

I’ve become hoarse from working on the audio clips — doing and redoing them — and now, I’m sick of hearing my own voice talking at me.

I’m happy to say that there’s an impressive number of clips up — in my humble opinion — from both books, “Silhouette of a Friendship… From the Inside Out” and “Ready or Not — Life’s Coming at Ya”.

The two “Self Defense Against Fear” audio clips are getting the most attention, thus far.  I’m hoping people will stumble over the four “Bullying” clips, as well.

I still have more to do, but I’m burned out on recording, at the moment.  Like I said, I’m sick of hearing my own voice talking at me.

Katherine and I went over the third book in our series of children’s books. 

I’m not happy with it — not at all.  It flows well, moves the story along, and has lots of lessons in it (just like the other two books do), but there’s just not enough adventure in it to keep the reader wanting  to read more…

The most intense piece of the book — the piece I had hoped would bring the book to life — has been moved to the second book.  It fits well in the second, but renders the third book…. well, blah.

I’m putting that third book aside for a while… while I wait for my villains of conflict to come knocking on my imagination’s door.  Besides, there’s no pressure to finish the third book, until the first book is picked up by a publisher. 

In the meantime, I’m going back and searching for more publishers for Silhouette of a Friendship…  I’m sending out queries to the smaller “eclectic” publishers — the ones who aren’t mainstreamed.   Maybe we’ll have better luck with them.

After I've work down that list, I can jump over and start going down the list of children's book publishers.  I haven't made a dent on that list yet.

I’m  also continuing to reach out to local therapists to see if anyone has the time to give us feedback on the teen book.  Thus far, those responding back love the concept, but don’t have the time to review the material. 

I’ll just keep looking and asking…

So, yeah…  I’ve drained the creative parts of my brain and am now stuck doing the yucky, boring stuff, again — the stuff I hate doing.

Bummer!

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