Jessica
I feel like I have a bit of catching up to do, in this space. My work responsibilities have increased, as the enormous machine of the college cranks up for another school year. So, I’ve been a little absent here. I’ve been blogging in my head, and thinking about creative projects, but I haven’t been recording all of this here.
First, the pictures. They have nothing to do with the subject of this post, other than they were part of a creative project from last weekend. I tried desperately to put together a photo essay for Longshot magazine’s 24 hour submission cycle. But I couldn’t get it done in time. My idea was “The Return of Real Food”. In Minneapolis, we’re embracing community gardening with a new fervor, so I took some pictures at my local community garden. And then I couldn’t get them in on time. Oh, well.
Second, the interview. I’m several days late, but darn it I tweeted about it. (My twitter is always more timely than this blog.) John Hayes, who runs Robert Frost’s Banjo, is hosting a new writer’s interview series on Thursdays. His wife, Eberle, was the first interview subject and I was the second. You can also see samples of Eberle’s writing here and my writing here, at his Writer’s Talk blog. Keep watching his blog for new writers each week, including my husband on September 16.
Third, my nefarious plans. Well, they’re not really all that nefarious. Or fully formed plans yet. As I mention in my interview, I have been considering self-publishing for quite some time. I’ve been dancing around it and I think I might actually do it. I’ve been spending a little time researching, chatting online with folks, and thinking and I may just go for it. The nice thing is that the cost is very minimal, even if I want to purchase my own ISBN, which I do. I have a manuscript that I really believe in, although I need to spend some time refining and editing, as well as hashing out a marketing plan. As I’ve been doing on Twitter and in email conversations, I’d like to ask you readers out there for advice:
- If you have self-published, what was the process like?
- What printer/POD publisher did you use?
- How did you market your work?
- What would you change about the experience?
- Did you set up a website for the book or use your own current blog/website?
Any feedback that you can give me, either here in the comments or via email at fox dot jessica at gmail com, is truly appreciated.
So, that’s what’s going on in my world. I still have a ton of August Poetry Postcards to catch up on, as well as two New Student Orientations to run this week. Oh, and school starts the following week. W00t! You can’t say my life is boring. That’s for sure.
