E-Book readers :cafe: and Print readers :love: . They’re very different creatures. In my limited experience, staunch print readers aren’t always inclinded to buy e-books and sometimes even seem resistant to them, while staunch e-book readers usually read a lot of print too. It was my expectation of reaching a whole different audience that led me to consider e-publishing, as well as my desire to write books in the paranormal and futuristic sub-genres.

The promotion for e-books is not like the promotion for print books, and readers who read almost primarily e-books are very different to interact with than the print readers. Also I’ve been told by other e-book/print writers that the crossover is very low.

For me, crossover won’t come into play much. My straight historicals are nothing like my paranormals or my futuristics, so I’ll have two audiences with two different promotional needs. My site will eventually have to reflect two faces.

I meant to blog a lot but I’m tired, so this ramble will have to do. :yawn:

The July issue of the RWR is out and about. If you haven’t received it yet, it’ll be there soon. Included in this issue is the long awaited survey on what the definition of romance is.

Here’s your options to help them define romance:

A. The romantic relationship is between one man and one woman.

B. The romantic relationship is between two people.

Although other elements and subplots may also be components of the story line, by the book’s conclusion the romantic relationship has been resolved in an emotionally satisfying manner. (Satisfying to whom?)

You have choice A and B with no write in. And it states “Below are two versions of that definition, and we’d like your opinion on which you prefer. This is a survey only, so we ask that you include only your vote here. As always, your comments can be e-mailed to any member of the Board. We welcome them.”

There is no place to write in on the survey itself that you disagree with both options. If you don’t vote at all then it seems as if the survey results will be reported as ‘the majority feel’.

I have to say these definitions are, to me, so impossibly limiting. These rule out Paranormals with vamps/weres/ghosts/aliens, it rules out Chick Lit and MWRE. Why say ‘man’ and ‘woman’? Why not ‘male’ and ‘female’? Why only two parties? What about the wonderful romances of Emma Holly with m/m/f love stories?

The day before yesterday started out like any other. I got up, made coffee, and then drank coffee while wading through my inbox :cafe: . Two hours and two cups later the kids got up. I left my inbox (nope, wasn’t finished yet) to feed them. Back to inbox. My friend came over and we went to the gym. Came home. Checked new mail in inbox. I looked at my three WIP, one of them deadlined, and tried to decide which one was calling me the most.

Then the phone rings and it’s my wonderful editor Kate Duffy. She starts the call with, “Do you have any idea how talented you are?” She’d just finished reading Bad Boys Ahoy! all in one sitting. Mind you, she’s read all three stories separately. That day she read them as an anthology. And she loved it. Raved about it. And I cried. Not on the phone but afterwards. Because I’m a sap and because I was so worried she’d be disappointed. She bought the last two stories sight unseen with no synopsis or proposal, nothing to tell her what they would be about. I’m sure you all remember how this terrified me and what a basketcase I was all through January. It was such a huge relief to hear that everything was okay. More than okay. It reenergized me so that I’m tackling my deadlined ms with renewed fervor. I hope I can get on the ball, I’m halfway through my deadline and halfway through the ms. That’s not good in my opinion, but she’s not worried. I’m glad one of us has some confidence in me.

In other news, our chicken laid five small brown eggs. She still attempts to run into the kitchen when she can. My daughter is terrified of the chicken. Not sure what to do about that. The chicken is cute, as long as it stays on the other side of the glass. If she tries to run in, my daughter screams bloody murder.

I had a ton of stuff to say and now that I’m blogging I can’t remember any of it. :doh:

Oh I remember. About edits. Read on only if you’re interested in hearing about the next stage in my journey to being a book-in-your-hand Brava author.

Do you set goals for yourself? Do you write them down and track your progress? Some people do, some people don’t. I do. But only because someone once told me that if I really want my dreams to come true I need to make them happen.

You might think it odd but I don’t list getting published as a goal. Why? Because I can’t control that outcome–only the publishers can control who gets published.

My goals are focused on things I can control, like how many pages per day I write, what contests I enter, how many queries I send out, who I send them to, etc.. I pick goals that are “audacious”…not so easy that accomplishing each one is a guarantee, not so hard that it’s like climbing Mt. Everest. I make them as verifiable as I can. i.e. Enter three contests judged by target publishers by the end of August.

Trouble is, my biggest goal is not easy to wrestle into a nice neat package. My BIG goal is to be an excellent storyteller. My theory is that if I’m an excellent storyteller, someone will want to publish my stuff. But how will I know when I’ve achieved such a lofty goal? I suspect I will keep this one as a permanent goal, shifting my definition of what it is over time. For now I defined it as: 3 people I respect tell me they stayed up all night to finish reading my story and they were on the edge of their seat wondering if the hero would accomplish his goal (or similar wording).

For me, this is a BIG goal. I might be a decent wordsmith, but plotting is damned hard work. Keeping people on the edge of their seat is not easy–I don’t write thrillers. Still, I have a target, and I’ve got a whole series of stepping stone goals leading me in that direction. Wish me luck.

How about you, what’s your BIG goal?

I starting having muscle pain in my neck and shoulders about three weeks ago, when things were pretty heavy on the Passionate Ink loop. I assumed I’d pulled something while at the gym. After a few weeks of it and endless Motrin I went to the doctor on Friday. Apparently my problem is stress. :drool: Stress might also have caused my touch of the stomach flu. *buries head in hands*

I’ve become a bit of a flake as my commitments become overwhelming and harder to keep track of. I need to find a calendar program or something to keep abreast of things. I plan to answer e-mails and then forget. :doh: And that’s the least of my goofs.

I don’t mean to sound whiny. I’ve just got lots on my plate and I’ve only myself to blame. I want to do so many things and I want to do them all right now. So I juggle too much. Or maybe it’s not too much. Maybe I just don’t organize well enough. I know there’s wasted time in there somewhere. I’m certain there are others who have more to do and not only do it on time, but do it better.

I’m really looking forward to Reno. I’m arriving on Monday and plan to spend the first couple of days just relaxing. :beer: I’m going to lay out by the pool and drink margaritas. :beer: I’m going to chill with Sasha and abandon my inbox.

I can’t wait…

Vampire Authors Chat Tonight!!

http://www.writerspace.com/chat

8pm EST / 7pm CST

I’ll be there with: Susan Squires, Nina Bangs, Shiloh Walker, Lynn Warren, Delilah Devlin, Rhiannon Neeley, Shannon Leigh, Charlotte Boyett-Compo, Tyler Blackwood, Cynthia Eden, Jackie Rose, Tamara Gray, and more…

Hope to see you there! :dance:

In just five weeks Romance Writers of America’s National Conference will be underway:dance: in Reno, Nevada.

I’m getting pretty excited. There is so much to look forward to. This is my pink ribbon year. My first sale year. Sigh…

I went to Denver 2002, and New York 2003, but was unable to attend last years conference in Dallas. This year is almost local for me, with just over an hour to drive, then five fan-frickin’-tasitic days to put faces with internet names, to catch up with friends, to share laughs and news while sharing a drink or two or three or five in the bar. :beer: There’s nothing better than sitting down in a relaxed atmosphere with authors you admire, chatting concepts with agents you’re eyeing, or pitching ideas and manuscripts to editors you’ve been stalking….er, :doh: querying.

And, there is so much to learn. I’ve been gazing at the listed workshops in a fashion only akin to a child worshiping the Wish Book Christmas Catalog.:pray: A few I’ve circled as possible got-to-get-there classes: Author/Agent Career Building with Pam Hopkins, Barbara Collins Rosenberg, Joanne Rock, and Catherine Mann, The Career Doctor with Irene Goodman, RWA ‘Idol’ with Miriam Kriss, Irene Goodman, and Lucia Macro, Discovering Your Author Brand with Theresa Meyers, Revisions 102++ with Jennifer Crusie, It’s Like Totally About YA, Dude! with Niki Burnham, Alesia Holliday, and Lynda Sandoval, and finally the NAL spotlight. :bounce: I can’t wait!:bounce: I can’t wait!:bounce: I can’t wait!

This is a first–The first year for PASSIONATE INK, which by the end of July we’re hoping will be a provisional chapter of RWA because some like it hot! Despite all the :banned: it looks like we’ll be approved because what we write is CLEARLY romance and not porn no matter how you choose to define what romance is. This year I’ll meet the amazing women who have teamed with me on the board of Passionate Ink and braved a virtual thunderstorm of emails, flashes of anger and resentment, a rallying of forces and voices and together we’ve made it through the rain and found the rainbow with huge, fat pot of gold. Members of PI, I can’t wait to meet you and cheer our successes! :clap: I see only great things for PI’s future:!:

And this year, on RWA’s 25th Anniversary my best friend and awesome CP is a Golden Heart finalist for the second time. I won’t mention that since we’re within driving distance that her husband is coming up on GH night and stealing my seat away from me, forcing me to party :party: in the back.:cry: I can’t wait to see her picture on the board, her name in lights–to applaud all of the authors who poured their hearts into finaling books.:love:

After seven super-cool months of getting to know Sylvia and becoming friends, we’ll finally meet in person. Sweetie, thank you for everything:!:

So, are YOU going to Reno this year, to attend RWA’s Silver Anniversary? :lol:Have you spent hours reading and searching the workshops for the ones that excite you? Have you made plans to go to parties, meet up with old friends, share dinner with your CPs? :rofl: Did you make appointments to pitch to agents and editors? Are any of you as freakin’ excited as I am?:dance: