HEART 2 HEART - "Leaving Our Comfort Zone"

In writing, "leaving our comfort zone," usually means "leaving our established genre," and branching out into others, yet untried. While this is the mark of a talented author (one who can write in multiple genres) this is not the comfort zone I'm talking about. I'm talking about leaving one comfortable writing spot for another.

Events are uprooting me from my comfortable, familiar, loft office in the Colorado Rockies ... where I find solace and many an idea pondering each passing snowflake ... and transplanting me, albeit part-time, to a windowless office/closet a block off busy Pacific Coast Highway, with the ocean minutes from my door. Needless to say, I don't have an office window where I can gaze out each day to watch the tide roll in and out and ponder the flight of the pelican or gathering of gulls ... where I perhaps might find the solace and fanciful ideas left behind in my mountain home.

There is another comfort zone I'm leaving, too. I'm leaving behind the local libraries and bookstores in the mountains and on the front range in Colorado, where they usually say "yes" to author appearances, and "yes" to ordering my books. I'm leaving the "hood" where most of the folks in my writing groups are members. Granted, because I live a relatively isolated life in the mountains, I'm not a frequent attendee at meetings, but I do enjoy the e-mail, snail-mail, and up-close-and-in-person-when-I-can collegial, companionable acquaintances with other authors based in Colorado. I've had the good fortune of seeing some of these talented authors at conference and hope to continue this in the future. Good luck for me that conferences are scheduled all over the country and soooo ... I'll especially try to attend those held in Colorado and in California.

I look forward to "hooking" up with some of the writing groups in California and perhaps will actually attend a meeting once in a while. Duh! I also look forward to getting a rhythm going, much like the ocean tide, of writing in both Colorado and California ... wherever GRANNY DAY CARE takes me!

And so ... I raise my 3rd cup of coffee so far today ... to you in a toast to Expanding Our Comfort Zones!

:)
Jo(Anne) Gregg Sundell

MATCHMAKER, MATCHMAKER
A...MY NAME'S AMELIA
THE PARLOR HOUSE DAUGHTER
MEGGIE'S REMAINS

HEART 2 HEART - "If you DON'T have the self-confidence gene, what really helps in writing is ..."

...to keep writing and keep selling! It's that simple and that complicated.

There are writers out there who are prettier, thinner, smarter, richer, more poised, more well-spoken, better at time management, listed in top 10 book sales throughout the land, agent-represented, signed on for speaking events at every conference, more savvy at working the Net, and far more expert in social and writing networking than moi`.

OK, that's a given. No danger in that whatsoever. I, for one, celebrate everyone's success. It's darn hard to write and darn hard to sell. Why do I insert "danger" into my narrative here? For good reason.

There's a fine line between celebrating the success of other writers and comparing ourselves to them -- setting ourselves up in some kind of phantom competition. Yes, to me that's dangerous AND whittles away at our self-esteem and self-confidence. We, none of us, have time for this nonsense.

It's critical to stay focused on our own writing and our own networking and our own place in today's writing world, doing our utmost to improve at every turn of the "crafting" page. We have only to learn from other writers, and if we're lucky enough to know writers who are also editors ... kismet! No better writing-self-confidence-builder!

Self-confidence for this writer, comes from writing and selling. I know I'm not the prettiest, the smartest, the most well-spoken nor the most talented, but darn it ... I'm selling to a fantastic publishing house and my books are selling to a fantastic library market ... and sometimes beyond. Because I know "it's darn hard to write and darn hard to sell," and because my books are selling ... I'm happy in my writing shoes and ever grateful to own a pair. A good fit builds self-confidence. It's that simple and that complicated.

A more confident `09 to us all!

Jo(anne) Gregg Sundell

www.joannesundell.com
www.myspace.com/joannesundell

MATCHMAKER, MATCHMAKER
A...MY NAME'S AMELIA
THE PARLOR HOUSE DAUGHTER
MEGGIE'S REMAINS

HEART 2 HEART - "The Self-confidence Gene"

`Suppose there's a gene test for self-confidence? In writing, especially?

If so, one could make the argument that BEFORE one pursues a writing career, one might do well to get that gene test for self-confidence. If you have the gene, GREAT ... write on! If you don't have the gene, NOT-SO-GREAT ... but write on if you dare.

With four books to my credit, from Five Star-Gale, I'm not there yet in terms of self-confidence but I'm building up immunity against FEAR in the FACE of MARKETING as I go. With each book I'm realizing that I have to be doing something right to get published in this tough industry; especially in today's "tough" financial market. Despite the fact that I'm fortunate, indeed, to be published with such an accredited publishing house, and despite the fact that I've received national reviews for all of my books in release ... I still hem, haw, and shake in the knees during book talks, signings, and speaking appearances.

I'm remembering Stephen King's sage advice now, in his book, ON WRITING, where he advises us to turn all of our negatives and our rejections ... into positives. Because I was born without the Self-confidence Gene in "all things marketing" I, more than most, need to heed Mr. King's advice. Which I do. Uh, which I try to do.

Most importantly, I tell myself that every day tons of other writers are out there marketing and they can't all be GREAT AT IT! I do feel there's a support group out there, with many in the membership just like me, and needing to turn our fears into motivation and use all of that adrenalin for GOOD ... OUR OWN GOOD! I relax then, knowing I'm not alone.

Sooooo ... I take a deep breath, chin up chest out and all of that sort of thing, and remember that I've indeed achieved a lot, with four books published, and I owe it to myself, my publisher, and my stories to turn my chief negative --- my lack of self-confidence --- into positive motivation and go out there in Marketing Land and grab a bit of that elusive brass ring of self-confidence for myself! There should be plenty to go around on the merry go round of book promotion, right?

Let's all grab that Brass Ring of Confidence together,

Jo(anne) Gregg Sundell

MATCHMAKER, MATCHMAKER
A...MY NAME'S AMELIA
THE PARLOR HOUSE DAUGHTER
MEGGIE'S REMAINS

HEART 2 HEART - "Book Cents"

With the New Year underway and in the midst of marketing my third release from Five Star-Gale, trying to juggle time needed for completing manuscripts and time needed for well ... the rest of the "to-dos" in life ... I made a resolution to have better BOOK CENTS this year!

Yep, I "also" made a resolution to be a better blogger, too. Time will tell.

What do I mean by BOOK CENTS?

I mean that every minute of my day that goes toward writing should be a minute well spent.
I mean that every word keyed toward my WIP should be a word well put.
I mean that time and effort involved in Virtual Blog Touring should not be time wasted.
I mean that every marketing avenue pursued, should have a positive exit plan with projected sales numbers in mind.
I mean that I will try to get "booked" in stores for signing events that will showcase my latest release to best advantage.
I mean that I will work on getting out there ... whether on the Net or in Person ... and do my best to engage and interest more readers in my historical romances.
I mean that I will do my best to "dance and chew gum at the same time." I will do my best to write, while at the same time market, while at the same time, book appearances at stores and libraries.
MOST OF ALL, I mean that I will continue to value my relationships with acquisitions agents, editors, fellow writers, and readers, ever listening to their sage advice and following their guide.

Makes good "BOOK CENTS," don't ya think?

Jo(anne)Gregg Sundell
www.joannesundell.com
www.myspace.com/joannesundell

MATCHMAKER, MATCHMAKER
A...MY NAME'S AMELIA
THE PARLOR HOUSE DAUGHTER
MEGGIE'S REMAINS

HEART 2 HEART ~ "If I can reach only one reader ..."

Hi All,

I've been an "absent friend" for which I apologize. My computer came down with a virus and is only now recovering. I'm posting this blog with the utmost of respect for the opportunity to do so.

How many times have we all gotton on the Internet-waves, opining about marketing this and marketing that, which is best to do, which is worse, how many to guarantee for a signing, how many to send promos to, et al. The answer: MANY TIMES. All of us who write, of course, want to sell as many books as we can to as many people as we can. That seems a reasonable expectation, I think you'll agree.

Often when we're in the middle of a project, we're in it for our hero and heroine, for our story, wondering how things will go, and praying they will go well. Not so often do we think about the readers on the other end of things, wondering if they'll like our story beyond the hope they'll buy it. I'm not saying we write without any thought for our readers and their tastes, but what I am saying is that my focus isn't on the reader as much as on my hero and heroine and what I hope for them. I feel the responsibility of writing a good-enough story to get published and satisfy any potential readership.

With regard to my current WIP, I feel a new responsibility ... "to please at least one potential reader" waiting for my story(s). I live in a small community full of friendly, engaging Colorado mountain folk. My friends and neighbors have been so supportive of my writing and are happy about any success I find with any of my books. Recently I ran into an old friend. We talked about our children and then about my books (my friend asked me about my WIP). I didn't hesitate to talk about my planned series set in Civil War, Virginia, THE QUAKER AND THE CONFEDERATE, Hearts Divided and Hearts Persuaded. Almost to the end of book one now, I'm happy to talk about how the story is going with any and all who might be interested. While I intended to write my hero and heroine into the story, I hadn't intended on a third protagonist---a little slave girl named Surry Lion. I'm not black. I didn't feel qualified to write in a black character but ... there she appeared ... on page one, the first character to speak in the story! Those of you who write historicals know what I'm talking about. You do a lot of research and it stays with you on most every page you write. Of course, in any story set in Virginia during the Civil War, slavery had to be addressed. I hope and pray I do justice to Surry's character, as well as my other protagonists.

My whole point in mentioning all of this is that my friend has a beautiful black granddaughter, that her daughter adoped two years ago. Both she and her daughter have read my books to date, liked them, and are anxious to get a copy of my Civil War series for little Caitie. They want to surround Caitie with books about her rich heritage.

I'm deeply touched and suddenly feel an overwhelming responsibility to make sure that "if only one little girl reads my book," it will all be worth it.

This one's for you, little Caitie.

Love,

Jo(anne) Gregg Sundell

author@joannesundell.com
www.joannesundell.com

MATCHMAKER, MATCHMAKER
A...MY NAME'S AMELIA
THE PARLOR HOUSE DAUGHTER
MEGGIE'S REMAINS

HEART 2 HEART ~ "Let's give `em something to blog about!"

Hi guys,

"Let's give `em something to blog about!" heh heh

Not that I don't think each and every thing that any of us blog isn't `tre importante ... but I do think some blogs are, of course, far more interesting than others. I'm not forgetting, too, that blogs come in all shapes and sizes now: Group Blogs, Individual Blogs, Blogs linked to other Blogs, Blogs representing a specific organization, Blogs about Blogs ... ya da ya da ya da ... and so it goes on the Big Bad Net!

I do think of the old saying when blogging, however, that goes something like," If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to see it, to hear it, did it really fall?" I think of this saying because many blogs go unread, except by their author. Many blogs go unnoticed, likely considered not `tre importante enough for the busy Internet Surfer, hungry for the latest and greatest and most important this and that. Fine and completely understandable and acceptable. Who doesn't want to chime in to the biggest authors, the biggest stars, the best singers, the most noteworthy politicos, et al ... in all the land? We all do, of course. But, and there's always a but in life, isn't there?

But ... there IS another side to blogging, a private side that comes out of each and every unique one of us. There are things we reveal in blogs, half of the time unaware we've even done so, our need to vent our feelings and thoughts outweighing any concern over exactly "what" we might be saying. We might be in the middle of writing a book, coming in and out of a personal trauma, stirred up over something we heard or read on the news, suffering from empty nest syndrome, hating hitting menopause, wishing we were younger and thinner and smarter ... and blogged about it, unaware we'd even done so until we're ready to press "publish."

You know, writing is a solitary endeavor, is it not? And short of going to every conference we can register for, every author "gig" we can sign up for, taking advantage of socially networking with every new "friend" on MySpace, we often find ourselves alone at our computers, in our pj's, the family cat draped over our keyboard, our coffee cup needing constant replenishing, being totally disoriented as to time, place, and person until something interrupts our solitary reverie. At just such moments ... when a noise from the outside world breaks through our psyche ... sometimes at just such moments, when we find ourselves so alone, it's like a breath of much-needed air, to be able to go to our little, individual blog sites, and "talk to all the folks our there in Big Bad Internet Land."

We know there are folks there, however few, even if they don't always comment. We know there are folks there waiting to read, to hear what we're thinking, to connect with us ... waiting for us to cut down our tree and hear it fall, wanting to be there with us as we work. "Let's give `em something to blog about" never rings more true than at this moment ... this connection.

Whether we blog individually or are connected with a hundred other blogs in a hundred different groups, we're connected and that's all that matters. We're not alone in our writing world, but join together with others ... starting with one comment, then two, then more ... linking with the outside world ...

... and oh ... What a Wonderful World!

L,

Jo(anne) Gregg Sundell
www.joannesundell.com
author@joannesundell.com

MATCHMAKER, MATCHMAKER
A...MY NAME'S AMELIA
THE PARLOR HOUSE DAUGHTER
MEGGIE'S REMAINS

HEART 2 HEART ~ "Mind Your Writing Manners"

Hi all,

I'ts been my melancholy observation that some of us, most of us writers, do not always "mind our writing manners." Many of us do, yet some do not.

As a writer, any and all communication is important. Now most of our communication seems to be over the Internet, snail-mail reserved only for obligatory messaging. Some of us old fogies have had to be dragged, kicking and screaming, to the Net! Ouch! Anyway, once there, most of us have managed to learn the basics and try to respectfully network, ever struggling to transer our "writing manners" from pen and paper to the Net.

I suppose all writers have a touch of narcissim, as this seems to develop over time and comes with the territory. I suppose too, that all writers are pretty much always busy, with little extra time (an oxymoron in our case). I've discovered that there is a wonderful rhythm when communicating with some writers and editors, all busy all of the time. You ask them a question. They answer. They ask you a question. You answer. You need help. They help. They need help. You help. Back and forth ... nice and easy ... like a smooth country western tune.

The bottom line is that everyone takes valuable time out of their writing day to socially network, et al, which often includes answering e-mails, sometimes in great detail, and is often about securing author quotes or how to get a kink worked out in their book or what's the best way to market this and that, etc. I'm amazed when some do not bother to get back, once you've helped them in some way. To me it's sad and very telling.

I'm venting here but it's for a purpose, a good one I can only hope. We, all of us, need to "always" mind our writing manners and never forget, hell or high water, to get back to folks. It's just plain rude if we do not. It's disrespectful. Just like we try not to forget to dot our i's and cross out t's in our manuscripts, we must never forget that there's another person on the other end, waiting for a response.

Thank goodness for the writers and editors and loyal readers (readers always, always get back to us) that make sure and return e-calls and cell calls and everything else. Funny, but it's always the big name writers and important editors that get back to us, that always give us some of their time, no matter how busy. They don't know the meaning of the word "no." It isn't in their vocabulary.

It is these brave few that I hope to emulate. It is to these brave few that I raise my glass of chilled chardonnay on this lovely July evening ... these brave few who ever "mind their writing manners" and ever make us smile and feel light of heart!"

Salute!

Jo(anne) Gregg Sundell
www.joannesundell.com
author@joannesundell.com

MATCHMAKER, MATCHMAKER
A...MY NAME'S AMELIA
THE PARLOR HOUSE DAUGHTER
MEGGIE'S REMAINS