Growing Where You are Planted

I've written about this topic before: Growing where you are planted; becoming the best you can with what you're doing despite your circumstances.

And the truth of it is, while I write about it and talk about it like it's easy to do, I hate it.

Hard work is just that ... hard work. And I still don't like it.

And who wants to write anyway, only to feel like they're going nowhere?

No one. No one likes to see zero progress. No one wants their work to be in vain.

But is our work truly in vain? If it's to the best of our abilities, whatever we are doing from writing to cleaning the house, it isn't in vain because someone ultimately benefits whether it's a clean house hours from now, or an actual well-written book WRITTEN years and years from now.

It has to benefit someone. Yourself, namely. And if you don't grow where you were planted -- if you don't sit down and write or work hard or sweat out the tough things when you don't want to -- what have you to say for yourself?

You got nowhere because you did nothing.

Work hard. Toil much. Benefit much. Pretty simple. And yet though we know the potential harvest, the workers are few.

Take these plants. These are herbs. They were once discarded seeds of parsley thrown into my compost pile. But hey, did they just sit there and die? Did they whine and moan that nothing was happening to them and woe is them?

No. They became proactive and took root in the dirt and grime -- in the ROCK that was their home -- and became flowering, healthy, beautiful herbs on the side of my house where nothing gets watered and where, quite frankly, the garbage collects.

That's incredible. If only we human beings could aspire to such greatness.

Some of us have. But, some of us won't because we refuse to work for ourselves, instead relying on others.

I refuse to be that person when I'm perfectly capable of working hard.  I tell my sons over and over again that anything worth doing is going to take time and a lot of work. I must take my own advice if I'm to succeed.

How does that proverb go? "A sluggard does not plow in season so at harvest time he looks but finds nothing," (Proverbs 20:4).

See, I can't not work just because I'm too tired, or selfish, or lazy, or want instant results. I must be like the parsley plant and grow where I'm planted -- yes, even if it's hard -- and thrive so that when the time does arrive when I can show myself succeeding amidst my circumstances (like my parsley in the rocks) I will have something to harvest!

We reap what we sow. And I choose to sow hard work to actually gain a harvest, any harvest, when the time comes.

Be the parsley!

If I Hear That One More Time ...

Ever find yourself asking that question? I do. All the time. And I'll tell you usually what it has to do with: language and vocabulary.

I know slang is (unfortunately) a huge part of our vernacular because of social media, and music, and trying to be cool and all. But here are three things I can't stand to hear. And if I hear them once more, it will be way too soon.

Epic: As in, "that was a WAY epic bike ride I had." Okay. Epic needs to be reserved for one thing: books. As in, the category of book that has a zillion pages, and takes about three years to read. Epic this. Epic that. If everything is so Epic, why haven't we transcended to heaven yet? I'm sick of it. Stop using it. Try incredible or stupendous, or outstanding. Even the old standbys of amazing, or great will suffice. Epic is overused and overwhelming the air waves, radio and television waves. It's also so very 2012. Don't date yourself.

Love on somebody: Holy Mackerel. Since when did love, a verb mind you -- an action, a doing, a doing something toward someone -- ever not become a verb? I'm not sure of my grammar here, but when did love need a "helper" to show that you are loving someone only if you love "on" them? I'm going to scream if I hear this again. We love people, we love coffee, we love cream in our coffee. We don't love ON our coffee. PLEASE, people. Stop using this faddish verb/adverb conjugation, connection whatever it is. It reeks of "under-educated."

Impact: Okay, my mom alerted me to this one, how it is overused and often misused. And I agree ... not just because Moms are always right, but because this is true. Impact is used almost exclusively to replace the word affect, or to have an effect. Why? Because it gives it a punchier-sounding monologue. It is used commonly in the news, when describing everything under the sun, and now, it's overused. I don't want things to impact me. That could be detrimental. But if they affect me, maybe it's more manageable because it's more of a trickle adjustment. Just because it sounds edgier, doesn't mean it should be used.

That goes for all three of these. These all have to do with sounding cool. Why in the world does this matter? Especially when all it does it make you sound like everyone else?

Okay. That's my ranting. Now, for something useful. Do you like Guideposts Magazine? Ever thought of writing for them? Well you can. They take short, real-life stories and anecdotes about holidays, angels, devotions,  miracles, prayers. Check out this link. They make it very easy to submit material. So give it a shot. Have a real-life miracle happen to you? Have you experienced angelic visitations? What about encouraging stories about surviving and thriving through trials? Has God helped you through a tough spot? Guideposts is the place for you.

This is a great way to get published, even if only online and not in their magazine. Just remember NOT to tell a story about the impact an epic event had on you to love on somebody.

Cheers.

Prompts

You know how I wrote about "Expanding your territory" last week, by branching out and writing in areas that you aren't familiar with?

What if you could do that and not have to write a book, or even an essay for that matter? What about a plain and simple writing prompt that forces you to write -- and only write-- twenty five words?

Writer's Digest has these incredibly cool exercises that do this. Writing prompts are one of them, and this one -- the super short one-- is not only fun, but hard. Twenty five words? That's like only being able to take a sip of coffee out of a twelve-cup pot. Hard to do, and not as easy as you'd think.

Here's the contest: Take a look at this picture, and write the opening sentence to a story. Easy, right? Actually, no it isn't. Everyone has a million ideas, and yet, when it comes to writing, seems like those million ideas boil down to just a handful ... a handful of openers that everyone has heard of.

Don't be like that. Don't be normal.

Do what I talked about in my "Openers" post and open things with a bang -- dead in the middle of action.

Not "it was a dark and stormy night and everyone has heard this opening" opener, but something wickedly different like, "Bobby loved to watch houses burn down, especially when he started those fires from his lantern" type of opener.

Again, this is a great exercise. It's a way to find new avenues to prevent writer's block, to write about things you'd never write about, and even to get published. Kind of the goal of writer.

Click here to enter this contest.

Exercise hurts because it forces you to go against the normal. But exercise, when done daily, gets easier with time and it makes you stronger. You do want to be a strong writer, yes?

Go to http://www.writersdigest.com/ for tons of other cool writing exercises, contests, articles, interviews and reviews. This site should be bookmarked for as long as you're a writer. Essential site.


Besides, any site with the word "writers" in it HAS to be decent ...

Openers

Sorry I've been MIA for a little bit. I needed a little break after blogging for thirty straight days!

Anway, I'm back and I'm curious to know something. You know how the first few sentences in a book are critical for hooking the reader, well I would love to know your imput on this little paragraph:

The hammer in her hand felt smooth and comfortable, and as cool as a glass of water.  Cleopatra Riley grabbed the key from her pocket and walked to the cabinet in her darkened closet. She unlocked it, and after opening both wooden doors wide, took out all of her porcelain horses, setting them on top of the dresser. In a few seconds, what had taken almost ten years to collect, was gone – smashed to hundreds of pieces

Does it draw you in? Is it too wordy? Do you want to read more? I know beginnings are SO important. Important as in, getting an agent to request a partial, or having them say "thanks, but no thanks."

What are some of your favorite openers? Some book openers are hilarious, some are serious, some are just confusing -- but appropriately so. But, almost all of the ones I've read are good because they are to-the-point, in the middle of conflict, and drawing me in from the first few sentences. The way books should be.

For example, here's my opener from The Puzzle Master.

The sun peered through the window and Marshall’s eyes opened with a start. What time was it? He sat up in bed and checked his clock. 7:05. Perfect, still early enough. He scrambled out of the sheets, already hot and sticky, and headed for his closet, tiptoeing past his older brother.

My goal was to have Marshall in the middle of a conflict. He had to get to his favorite store before it opened, but that was because he was looking for his special "treasure" and because he only had thirty minutes in there. He also wanted to get out before his family woke up, thereby further delaying his mission.

If your opener doesn't suggest a problem, or conflict, or isn't in the middle of said conflict, you've got the wrong opening. You want to bring the person into the room, so to speak; welcome them in with tea and cookies and get them to put their feet up on the ottoman because they're enthralled with the room (book.)

Rework it, make it snappy, like the opening of a movie -- because that's about the patience people have for reading anymore -- and then you've got something an agent will beg to see.

V is for Vacillating

The definition, according to Webster, of vacillating: to sway to and fro: to waver, totter, stagger.

Such a strange word. Yet, I do this all the time.

I vacillate between writing a middle grade book, or literary fiction.

I vacillate between excercising, or sitting down to watch something on the TV.

I vacillate between a warm sour-cream laden burrito for lunch, or yogurt and fruit.

I vacillate between a lot of different things, and usually, it's because my wants are trying to overpower my true needs.

Though, I don't know how I account for the writing thing ... I vacillate on writing a lot of different styles, mostly because I like so many-- from young adult to fantasy -- and to see if I can write in a particular style that I'm not used to. Well, that's the reason I'm coming up with, anyway.

What about you? What do you "stagger" and "totter" over? Facebook or actual writing? Folding laundry or eating chocolate?

And really, have you ever used this word in your vocabulary? Or in any of your writing? If not, you should.

It's a great word to vacillate over using in your next story.

I is for Ink

When was the last time you wrote a letter?

I know. A letter.

When did you last take some actual paper, lined or frilly or otherwise, pick up a pen -- one of those tubular things that emits a liquid called ink -- and wrote out your thoughts to a friend?

With the use of e-mail, we are forgetting something quite remarkable: we are forgetting how to write with our hands ... and not just our brains. Like the keyboard, we can write out our thoughts in ink- giving life to our thoughts, words, deeds, images and feelings. Ink and paper are the beginnings of any writer.

But, ink is truly feeling your words. Ink lets you directly write out not just what you're saying, but how you feel about it through the way we write. Our words, though we can't write them out as fast as we can on a computer, are intentional when printed in ink; our words really mean something.

How about a journal entry? When was the last time you wrote out your thoughts in a notebook rather than a blog post? What about a little note to a friend at work or to a spouse at home, instead of a text? What about a postcard sent from a place you just went? We seem to want to update our facebook pages with our latest "wish you were here" picture, which ends up looking like a "look what I'm doing and you're not" picture instead. Not the same as a postcard. At all.

There is something about ink on paper that means more than any text, e-mail or blog.

There is also something great about writing out your story on paper too. Yes, you'll have to transcribe it to the PC, but so what. To write the way all the great writers of our past wrote is something you can't explain to a writer who only types. It's freeing; it's real ... it's the way all writing began.

Write a letter or a note to a friend or family member today. It will mean a lot to them, and hopefully, renew your creative world without the need for any electricity.

Oh, and just a heads up: you'll need one of those little square things called a "stamp" to put in the corner in order to mail it.

G is for Gatsby

There are a lot of books, essays and plays that talk about or discuss The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

There's a reason for that: it's a great book.

I think I studied this book in one of my lit classes, but that part is a bit fuzzy now. I've been out of college for well over a decade, so I don't know if it was an undergraduate or graduate class. Or both. Either way, the book stayed with me. I loved it. I read it almost every year. And I'm going to tell you why I love it so much.


1. There is a little bit of Jay Gatsby in all of us. Enough said. We can relate. We may not have his kind of money, but we all feel the need to be loved and appreciated.
2. There is a little bit Nick Carraway in all of us. We can really relate to Nick. He is us. The average joe. In awe of Jay, and his wealth.
3. There is a little bit of Daisy Buchanan in all of us. Again, we can relate. She is mixed up; loves her husband and is frustrated by him. Is drawn in by money and glamor, but is truly none of that. A fake.
4. America can relate to this little book BIG time right now. We are coming off our sugar high of money, and materialism and have crashed into bankruptcy and the re-evaluation of true priorities. Just like we did in the 1920s.
5. I love the way Fitzgerald writes. Simple, funny--perfect.

If you haven't read this little gem, you must. The description of the book says it's an "exquisitely crafted tale of America in the 1920s." But, a mere one hundred years or so later, it sounds like today. Check it out here.

Read it in the perspective of the roaring twenties and read it from the eyes of someone from today. It's parallel-- it's a sad and realistic story. And I think we can learn lessons from it. Remember, we learn from our past. That's the only way to move forward.

Some people think this book is overrated. I don't. A new version of it in movie form will be out this year with Leonardo DiCaprio. I think that might not be the best idea. Hence, making it overated. But, oh well. I'll probably watch it anyway. And you should too, Oldsport!

-H

F is for Female Authors

I'm not going to get feminist on you. That's for somebody else to do. But did you realize that three of the best selling books --series -- of the last twenty years or so are written by women? The films didn't do that bad either. In fact, they were some of the highest grossing movies ever.

1. Harry Potter, written by JK Rowling.
Okay, no explanation needed here. Everyone knows who she is. She is a very talented writer. No wonder her books did beyond great. I love the stories, I love the friendships and familial ties that are promoted. Rowling is a true story teller, to me.

2.Twilight Series, written by Stephanie Meyer
Again, you'd have to be a castaway on an island not to know who she is. Her books sold in the millions, and though the subject matter isn't a new one, teens to forty-something moms loved them. I think (and this is just me) some of her books were way too long. As in, she could've told the same story and cut 25,000 words out of each book. Whatever. Still good stories. I'm team Jacob, by the way.

3.Hunger Games Trilogy, written by Suzanne Collins
I'll be honest. I haven't read any of her books. I know. I'm probably the only one out there. I'm not fond of dystopian fiction. Why? Because I feel like we're living in a dystopian book right now, or will be in one, very soon. And when I say I haven't read any of her books, that's partly a lie: I have read one chapter of the first book. Her writing is fantastic. She draws you in immediately and you care for the protagonist from page one. I understand why it's bestselling.

I've heard once, by another writer, that she thought female writers were discriminated against. Are you kidding me? That couldn't be further from the truth. A well-written story is a well-written story, regardless of their sex. Apparently, female writers have a hand on the pulse of children and young adults -- they get how kids feel and how they think! But then, these women are mothers, or could be. This empathy and sympathy --their understanding -- is practically innate.

There are plenty of male authors who are fantastic too. I'm just pointing out the recent blockbuster best-sellers, and how three of the top are female.

Anyway, go read them -- all of these books are great.

D is for Distractions

If you're a writer, you know what distractions are. It's the facebook check, or the e-mail check, the laundry, or the sink of dishes. It's every single chore that's left to do in your house, but the actual act of writing. These distractions are sometimes intentionally put out by ourselves, and at other times, it's the normal routine tapping us on the shoulder trying to get our attention.

Distractions come to other folks too. But, their distractions seem different, maybe not as cruel. A writer sits by themself, everyday, alone to battle the demons of inferiority, writer's block or procrastination with no one else but themself to bat them away.

This isn't to say writers have it worse than other professions. We don't. The problem is we have to talk to our diversions all the time to be productive. We have to ignore the phone, the texts, and the books we want to read. Because, if writers don't do a simple two things -- sit down and type -- we don't accomplish anything. Some diversions are a part of life, but we battle them constantly.

Some days, the diversions stay at bay. Maybe because we had an extra cup of coffee, or we got the chores done first. But, sometimes I don't think this is so. There are times when I've had a zillion other things to do, but got gobs of words written. Other days, I've done everything there is to do first -- before writing -- and can't find a way to start the next chapter.

Distractions are what we make them. While it's the proverbial  "monkey on our back," it's one we can tame into submission by talking to it, telling it to go away, and by putting both hands on the keyboard (or pen on paper) and begin typing anything; just something to get the writing spirit going. This spirit appears when we have faith it will come and keep persisting! It's quite remarkable.

D may be for Distractions ... but don't let it!

***Psst... hey ... need a good distraction? One that lasts about 130 pages? Check out my middle grade/ YA book The Puzzle Master for only $.99!***

E-books Galore

If you don't know about Ereader News Today or Pixel of Ink, then you're missing out on free books. Sure, some are newbie self-published authors (like myself) but there are plenty of very established authors that offer up their book free everyday. Check out these two sites, like them on FB, or sign up to recieve their newsletter, and you'll never be in want for books ... for free.
I've already FAR too many books on my ipad ... but they're free!

Just a happy reminder, that I'm offering my new book The Puzzle Master for free again this saturday, the 24th of March. Know anyone who would like to read this? Have a middle-grade/YA reader? Friend or family member? Be sure to send them the book. You can do that! Just go to  the page, and send it as a gift.

And hey, if you don't want to wait, then buy it today. It's only $.99!

The Puzzle Master

Also, remember: you don't need a Kindle to read any of these books. You can download it to your ipad, iphone, e-reader of all kinds and even to your computer. Get your Kindle app here.

Enjoy!

Five Reasons to Write a Short Story

I had this cool essay that I thought about writing. So, what did I do? I didn’t write it. Instead, I sat on the idea for about three days. I would go back to the idea, while I was cooking, while I was doing laundry, while I was exercising and watching Murder She Wrote reruns, and by the time I sat down to write it –something I really didn’t want to do, because I wasn’t even sure how to write it—the whole thing came tumbling out in about fifteen minutes.

Mind you, it was definitely not pretty. It was mashed-up, ugly and not readable. However, after I edited it about two times, things improved. And after a few more edits, it might even be printable. Why am I telling you this?

1. Because I realized I wrote for 15 minutes and came up with seven hundred words. That’s so cool and very hard to do. If I did that every day for an hour I could have a “book” written in a month or less. In the real world, words rarely come that fast and furious. 90,000 words is usually a three-month thing at the earliest.

2. Because I realized that stewing over something for a few days can release a flood when the time is right to open the dam! Awesome.

3. Because I realized short stories can be a great reason to write. Period. Not books, not long short stories, or because I switched genres, or myriad of other things. No. Short stories teach one a lot of great things. (see below)

Some writers are horrified with small amounts of writing. I understand. It means perfect writing with as few words as possible. However, I look at it differently.

Here are five reasons to write a short story:

1. Short stories teach you to be succinct. I know. Just getting your backside in a chair and writing a few sentences before Facebook pulls you away is a Jedi skill alone! But truly, honing, crafting, and making perfect that short, little essay will teach one wonders in streamlining, extricating profuse verbosity, and really, just saying what you need to say.

2. Shorts stories are a great way to have an entire product within a reasonable amount of time. As I said, three months for a book, or maybe three hours for a story. Talk about (almost) instant gratification!

3. Short stories teach you the essentials of a story – in one page (or two). The beginning, the middle and the end, all within a matter of hundreds of words. That’s like seeing the big picture within the little picture. All three of those parts make a whole, and when you can see it in the work, because it’s a matter of two pages, it’s like scales falling from your eyes … it’s, dare I say it, like being an agent that can see if there’s a story in your work or not.

4. Short stories are diverse. They can be an essay, a memoir, a story (as the name implies), or even a children’s book, devotional or love letter. Short stories are the starter homes to the mansions, if you will. I can stay in the starter home or be just as happy in the mansion. While the starter house has a few less rooms or square footage to live in, it also means fewer rooms to clean, if you get the analogy. Not a bad thing!

5. Short stories can be the start of something big. As previously mention, short stories might just be the starter house, which is supposed to be a grand mansion instead.

If you’ve got a great story, like about a dog walker who is really a kung-fu master, but aren’t positive you can write 90,000 words about it, try the short story. If you really need more than 700 words to tell the story, then perhaps you have a book. If not, well, you’ve got a nice story about a man and his dog(s). And who doesn’t like stories about man’s best friend?

Your Writing Spot

Here's a view --from the outside--
of my ash and birch trees.

Every day, I go to my writing desk -- one that includes a PC, paper and pens, and a spot for my unending cup of coffee -- and write. Well, each day except Sunday. I do need a day of rest.

But this is my writing spot; it's where I go for inspiration, creativity and dreaming. If it changed, I would also have to seriously change my writing process and routine.

A writer-friend of mine recently blogged about how her beloved writing spot has drastically changed: how three of her neighbor's trees were cut down in a matter of hours over the course of three days! Not just little trees mind you, but decades-old trees that not only provided shade and glorious beauty, but inspiration for her work. She depended on these trees, even if subconsciously.

The trees are gone now and it's as if three family members have died.

She basically has to re-establish her writing routine. Though they are mere trees, they also belonged in her daily schedule; they were ingrained into her make-up; a part of her creative life.

This got me thinking about how much I love the two tree rights outside my window; two trees that I tend to stare to and through as I'm thinking up plot or characters or dialogue. What would I do without them? I would have a hard time "rebooting" my system, if you will, if they disappeared.

What's your favorite writing spot? If it changed, would it be difficult for you to find a new place? Could you? Do you even need a writing spot? I know my friend will find a new "happy writing place" but it definitely won't be the same as before.

Appreciate your writing spot and write to your hearts content while you're there. Let me know what and where your writing spot is. I would love to know ... as I'm sure my friend would, too.

Successful Writing

E-publishing on Amazon is like fishing in an ocean: it's huge, overwhelming, and at any moment a huge wave could take you out. Could.

Truthfully, for most things in life we allow or make them happen. Luck helps, and bad things happen, but working -- and making sure we catch our fish (readers) -- requires a lot of ... work, continually. i.e. all the time.

I wish I could say that just by putting a book out in Amazonland means I'm through. Hands off, let the bucks come in. But, I know this isn't the case. Things that we value --and want-- require work to achieve them.

And this work requires patience.

I read this great post over at a super blog called Writer Unboxed. The post goes into detail about the five top things indie (independent) authors need to work on, work with and utilize to get those book sales. It was discouraging and encouraging at the same time. Mostly, the article was eye opening.

What does it say? In a sentence: In order to be successful as an indie writer, you have to think like an indie writer and reader. This isn't exactly what they said, but it's what I got from it. While it sounds redundant, it's also true for all writing, traditional or indie.

In order to be a good parent, I have to think and act like a caring parent should: care for them, not me. In order to keep growing my blog, I need to actually read other people's blogs: make it about them. Not me.

In order to be a successful indie author, it comes down to caring about the people who want to read your book. It sounds cheesy when I write it like that, but again, it's true. Give people free books (I am; The Puzzle Master will be free February 27, 28th and 29th on Amazon) communicate with them, answer fan mail, give them another well-written book.

Not for the money, not for the success and definitely not for the fame.

Real authors write because they love it. Yes, the rewards are nice. But, that aside, we write so our words touch someone else's life. A super cheesy line again. But super true too.

Bottome line: People wanted to be loved. Love them back. This is giving readers what they want.

In the end, I don't see how this can possibly backfire. You win friends, fans and a genuine respect for the writer/reader relationship.

I guess I'm in the right business after all...

Never Say Never

Okay, here we go.

So, you know that extremely worn cliche that says "never say never?" Well I'm going to use that cliche right now. Don't EVER say never because odds are in your favor that you will do the very thing you said you'd never do.

For example, over the past eight years, I've told my husband that I will never self-publish. Absolutely never. (Look at my last post to see reasons to why I didn't want to). It just wasn't for me.

Okay, now here's where I explain how I'm going back on that promise. I am self-published (e-published) now, and the book is up on Amazon Kindle today!

I've about a million feelings going through me right now: I'm completely scared that my work is no good, completely expectant, hoping for cool things to evolve from it, and I'm completely enamored that I can publish a book myself and see it on Amazon just like all the big-wig authors out there.

My book is called The Puzzle Master. It's a middle-grade/young adult novel about a boy who friends a girl whose sickness ends up salvaging his failing home relationships. Kind of deep issues for such a young person (and for young readers) but it was a story I felt needed to be told. And now it is. It's a great read for adults too. And you can go get it here!

Click that link, or the ten thousand (or five, really) links I've attached to this post. It's going for $.99. You just can't go wrong. If you like it, please do me a favor and give it a review. If you don't like it? Well, this is where I tell you not to review it. But that's no good either. Be honest and tell me if it stinks and why. I'd rather know.

Thanks for walking through my "never say never" moment (my husband though proud of my accomplishment, still has an indelible smirk plastered across his face because my "never" comment came to fruition). I can't believe my book is out there for the whole world to read.

What a fantastic time to be a reader and a writer. (One more plug... click here to get the book now!)

E-reading: Are you doing it yet?

Kindle E-publishing

A few years ago, when Kindle came out, I was hurt.

It sounds absurd, but as a writer, we view books as the actual evidence to verify our profession. How in the world was a writer supposed to be an author if their books were virtual? Did it count? Did it invalidate all the authors out there? What about the wanna-be authors who think they too can be authors all because their work is out there as a "book"?

Now that we've all gotten a chance to deliberate over it, buy our Kindles or Nooks or Ipads or other e-readers, it seems that none of that matters. My thinking that e-publishing debased authors and their platforms was incorrect. Why? Because good writers, whether physically published or virtually published, still need the readers -- the public -- to consider their work good in order for it to fare well.

I also used to think that e-pubbing was a cop-out; that this wasn't "real" publishing because an editor or agent or publisher didn't pick it up. I'm wrong on that too. How many books have you read, that once finished -- if you even got that far--you wondered how it happened? How fate lined up their work -- their awful work-- and had it published?

And how many e-books have you read that are absolutely mind-blowing, inspirational -- stories that go beyond average-- and wonder how they weren't picked up by an agent or editor in the first place?

Truth is, e-publishing is perfect for everyone. It's great for those who want to write, and can't seem to catch that big break into the actual book-publishing world. This is a new outlet; a way for them to see their words in (virtual) print. Which to me, is better than nothing -- and also better than lining your walls with rejection letters.

E-publishing is good for those who think they can write, but insist on throwing it into the e-pub arena even though their work is absolute trash. If your work isn't good, it won't sell. Word-of-mouth sales are an enormous issue with e-books too. If the reviews are disastrous, the book won't sell. If the reviews are decent, chances are good one person will tell another, who will tell another, who will tell another and so on.

E-publishing is also great because it's worldwide from the comfort of your own home: for those doing the reading or the selling. To think someone from the opposite side of the world can read your book and like it, is amazing! And that it happens instantly, and inexpensively, is just another two cherries on the top of this e-publishing sundae! Who wouldn't want to pay a $1.99 for a chance that the book is good rather than $24.99 and then regret not having spent the $24.99 on a pair of shoes?

If you refuse to e-read, it's okay. There's a lot of people out there who still love to feel the pages in their fingers or inhale the smell of the glue and cardstock, or take in the vivid colors of the jacket flap. Me included. Books will never go away. And if you're one of the lucky that has been published "for real", then kuddos (or extra chocolate on your sundae) to you.

But, I also don't think e-publishing or e-reading with go away for a very long time either. As long as we have writers, we will have readers. And if the reading can be instantaneous, in an instantaneous-driven world, we will have e-publishing. I think it's here to stay. I think it can be a great, great thing. And I think, it might just be what so many writers have wanted without needing to spend thousands on self-publishing (and boxes of unsold books in the years to follow.)

It may not be for everyone, but it might just be for me.

What about you?