Tag: publications

Which End Is Up?

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life, Writing

My goal has been to get more patterns published.  I submitted three patterns and one got accepted!  Yeah!  Last night I worked on a pattern and the pattern is complete I need to finish the crocheting so I can take a picture and submit the pattern.

I have so many ideas for patterns right now but I’ve got a plate and a half full.  I’m going to have to keep myself in check and be cautious about what I start.  I’d rather look forward and make attempts.  I am working on a blanket for one of the issues – I am really liking how it is turning out.

We are building a new pantry in our kitchen.  Ken tore out the old pantry today.  Hopefully by next weekend we will have new ones.  Under normal circumstances, we are usually pretty frugal.  However, we are spending a little more money on the shelves because we want specific things in this pantry.  If we’re going to the expense of redoing the pantry, I don’t want small shelves in there or ones I’m going to have to replace every few years.  I want good sturdy shelves which will hold up and expand my space drastically.

I’m in the middle of projects, not just crocheting but writing, editing, and others.  I’ve got a chapter to review in the next Wayfarer novel.  My beta readers have told me what I already knew – this one section of the book was rough and needs work.  I’m giving it work.  I don’t want to rush publication and have readers be unhappy.  I have a manuscript I’m making progress on.  I was not getting the scenes clear in my head so I wasn’t writing but then it occurred to me what needed to happen.  Now I have to make the time to write the scenes while they are in my head.  I’ve got one more manuscript waiting in the editing box.  It also needs work so it will be slow going on the edits I’m sure.

I’m hoping I’ll be able to finish the two freelance projects fairly quickly.  It will bring in money to cover some bills and pay for the pantry.  Then I’ll move on to the books.  I’m feeling overwhelmed right now but I know this will pass as I get things done.

Royal Undercover is still on tour.  I am quite excited about it.  I hope this improves sales and awareness of my books.  Only time will tell.

Submit or Else

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life, Writing

This week I’ve submitted ten different articles / stories for publication.  Two have been rejected, one has been tentatively accepted, and the other seven I probably will never hear about again.  I wrote a rough draft for a new article I want to submit but I’ll have to see if I have time to get it in before the deadline.

I have at least two more publications I want to submit to before I start looking at other projects.  However, I got an email from a publication which I would like to submit to for crocheting but I believe I would have to make the piece and send it in for this magazine so that may take a bit longer.

It feels good to get my work out there but I’m also prepping myself for the rejections that go with the submission process.  I’ve done a submission for some greeting cards and a regional poetry contest.  I’ve also submitted work to two other publications.

There’s always the hope that any of these submissions will not only get published but that I might also get paid for it.  Income from publishing is rare and hard to come by but it is a rush of pleasure when I do get paid for my work.

I’d like to figure out the best way to track leads.  I get a bunch of them but I either forget about them until after the deadline or I don’t get the piece done in time for the deadline.  It would be nice if I could figure out a way to track a lead, when stuff is due, what I submit, if it gets published and so on.  I’ve got a works list where I type in all the submissions I do but it doesn’t really fit the bill.  I need to find the right tool which will help me be more efficient with getting my stuff out there for publication. I might have to create a One Note notebook to help me with this.  I’ll have to think about it.

In the past I’ve had a paper copy of the articles with a post it on it to track when I submitted it.  This hasn’t ever worked well.  I’ll have to consider my options.

Midnight has hit.  I should probably head to bed as I have to go back to my day job tomorrow.  The writing bug has got me thinking about what I need to be a more efficient author though.  I guess I could sleep on it and see what my subconscious comes up with.

New – Last – Semester of Classes

by eileentroemel, posted in Life, Writing

In just under two weeks, I start my last two classes.  When this semester is done, I will have earned my second degree.  I’m both excited for this and a little sad.  I won’t be crazy busy all the time once I’m done with this degree. 

I looked at master’s programs and none of them sold me.  I think the next thing for me will be to spend a lot of time writing.  Whether I get the grant I put in for or not, I have two books ready for publishing.  I am in the process of editing two other books.  I have a third one I’m working on writing – whether it will finish the story or not I don’t know. 

My writing has been on the back burner since I started school again.  I never feel like I have time to just sit at the computer and write.  Once I get started, the words just flow so I am looking forward to spending more time writing. 

One of my goals after I graduate is to spend more time submitting my work for publication and contests.  It is always good to put my work out there to see who likes what and what needs more work.

This semester I have a grammar class.  I know many of you are groaning over that but I’m actually looking forward to it.  I have already started reading the book.  My second class is a publications class.  It is with my favorite instructor so I’m sure I’ll get something out of it. 

Before classes start, I am going to enjoy a short visit from Stephanie, crochet time, and as much down time as I can cram into the next few days.  Stephanie will be home for a long weekend.  We are going to get two very short visits from her this fall.  It will be fun to have her here by herself and get a bit of one on one time.

One more semester and then on to other things.  It will be good to move forward and focus back on my writing but I’m going to get the most out of the last semester.   

New Publications – sort of…

by eileentroemel, posted in Writing

I just discovered that three of my items have been published in books or on the kindle.  The one is a compilation of CC&D magazine into a book.  It is called Cultural Touchstone and is available on Amazon.  I have two poems in there.  In After the Apocalypse I have one poem (a duplicate of one in Cultural Touchstone).  There is a poetry edition and a datebook edition.  I have to order the datebook edition yet. 

Also one of my short stories was published in Deadman’s Tome and that is now available on Kindle.  I was surprised when I did a search on Amazon and discovered my name came up with it. 

I’ve not been doing a lot of submissions because I’ve been so busy with school and work.  It is great to see my stuff out there in new formats.  The downside is I don’t get paid for any of them.  However, people are seeing my work.