This is definitely NOT a gratuitous dog photo. And no, this dog is not searching for an agent. This is my beloved Perry (loom in background), injecting a bit of canine drama into the otherwise exceedingly boring life of his mistress.
Smack in the middle of all the exuberance at having finally gotten my book up on my site, Perry fell gravely ill. Picture, if you will, a Labrador who won't eat for three days---it boggles the mind.
We thought we'd lost him, and it put paid to the book celebrations for a while. The good news is he was treatable and he's back with bones in his mouth, looking precisely like the goofball he is, and wagging his tail at every opportunity.
And I'm back celebrating my book. Yippee!
For one thing, I've begun the long process of learning about the publishing industry. I sent off my first e-query to an agent yesterday (ONLY to be done when an agent specifically accepts queries by e-mail, in case you're thinking of doing the same). First query ever, trembling tummy, hit the send button, only to realize as I watch it slip away (what's your worst query nightmare?) that I'd spelled the agent's name wrong. A quick prayer (but no real hope) that it hadn't really gone out, then a short apologetic e-mail to the agent. Well, I thought, I'll never hear from her again, but no...an unheard-of immediate return e-mail informing me that the original query had never arrived and all she'd received was this inane apology (though she was too polite to call it inane)...leaving me to wonder...and to send the query again...What a mess.
Strange goings-on, but I expect they'll get stranger. I know nothing about the publishing world and am navigating this one entirely in the dark.
On another front, I've been given a valuable referral to an e-book publisher by a very high-profile motivational guy. What a treat! Of course, I'm following up on it, although I have no idea what direction the book wants to go. My own personal dream is of a shrewd yet motherly agent who'll take me in firmly hand with the long-term Me in mind, pointing out ever-so-gently where I've gotten the wrong end of the stick and nudging me into publishable shape.
This process is forcing me to come to terms with the writing side of me, which is not altogether a bad thing. I've always believed you cannot be an artist only in your heart. You can have the heart of an artist, certainly, but only making art makes you an artist. I'm a painter if I paint, and I'm a writer if I write. Since I've never discovered whether I'm a writing painter or a painting writer, I'll have to accept that right now, and for as long as it takes to finish this project, I'm simply a writer. And that's not a bad thing to be.
In the meantime, if you haven't seen it already, you can read a second excerpt from my book on The Creativity Portal. Here's the link: Work lightly: Be joyous!
The search continues...queries to go out by post and better products to produce. Writings to be written and paintings to be painted. The sun is shining in Corsica...and Perry's wagging his tail.
I'm so pleased to see Perry's recovered! And he is a beauty.
Posted by: Sam | April 14, 2006 at 04:15 PM