GUARANTEE A FINISH

Even though I've been writing for many, many years, I often still feel nervous or guilty about devoting time to my writing. The ugly voice sitting on my shoulder whispers, "So what good is this wasted time? Published anything recently?"

And every writing how-to book either reminds me how few authors find a home for their work, or screams "with persistance, you can be on the NY Times Bestsellers list." (Yeah, right!) Either way there is something just "hammy" enough inside of me to want others to read my work--no matter where it is posted.

Publishers/agents are equally hard to find, especially within the last 5-10 years. The economy and falling numbers of traditional publishers have a great deal to do with that. So after months of frustrating search, last year I paid to have "Pink Poodle Pie" published. Not the happiest time of my life, believe me.

Recently, an editor/publisher I know from her excellent quarterly magazine, "The Storyteller," began a publishing company. She put out a call for "Southern Weird" books, as I told you here on this blog before. So away my book went and--I'm still in shock, I think--it was accepted. The four-year quest has paid off. I'm so excited that Mockingbird Lane Press (www.mockingbirdlanepress.com)is my publisher!

I will promote this book to the best of my ability. I will sing its praises, carry one around with me everywhere I go, sell at book faires, and twist the arms of everyone of my many friends, and family members. I want, not just for me but for this new publishing company, my book to be a huge success.

Of course, I want you all to read my book. That will encourage me to write another one, or maybe another short story collection--maybe that one about ghost stories of the south--really weird events, there. And if you want to read one of them, I just might give it away free on my website.

Wait a minutes. I don't have a website any longer.

Darn, there's another part of that promotion stuff I have to get busy creating.