Moving Madness

I am currently moving into my new home. I am surrounded by boxes and a desk is being put together in my new office!! I do hope to get back to my regularly-scheduled Thursday posts soon. Please don't give up on me and keep checking in.

Simultaneous Submission vs Reprint

Simultaneous submission or reprint?

When submitting to a regional publication, which is the best way to go? A reprint automatically cuts your chances of selling a first-rights piece. But does a simultaneous submission get to confusing, or is it it the way to go?

Perhaps with a simultaneous submission, one could begin contacting only warm leads to keep the list more manageable. After say, one month, if first-rights haven't been purchased, offer it to the remainder of the list as a reprint.

I am simply thinking aloud. Thoughts, comments and experiences?

Essays and Regional Publications

I love writing essays.

I enjoy writing for regional parenting publications.

I had never considered combining the two until a Mother's Day essay I had written was rejected by a national publication. Eager to get the essay placed before Mother's Day, I decided to try placing it with a regional publication. I truly had no idea what sort of market I would find, but I knew that Haircuts and Conniption Fits would have no chance at publication if I let it waste away on my hard drive.

I have been pleasantly surprised by the results and have, just this week, submitted a second essay to RPPs. I am excited that Sports Car Girl, Minivan Life has already found a home. 

If you are an essayist with a tendency to write about your adventures in parenting, I suggest you give RPPs a shot.

Happy writing...

Does Relaxation Equal Greater Comittment?

If you have been keeping up with me, you know that my family has moved. Yes, the build up was long and painful, but the hard part is over now. Still without a home, we feel confident that our material items were packed securely and we know that they have arrived in our new town. This is all a part of being a military family.

We made a trek across our beautiful country last week, enjoying many stops along the way. It was not the smoothest of travels as we had a full schedule and, on one day, a blown out tire--both of which led to several extremely late nights on the road. Our final destination was Florida for a much-needed week of relaxation and time NOT in the car.

I finally decided to stop trying to continue on with my writing while preparing for the move. It has been about a month now since I realized it would be healthier for me to take a long break. A hard decision since I felt my momentum was really beginning to build.

Luckily, I miss writing. I can't wait to get back to it and I have ideas floating around in my head just waiting to pop out onto the page. In fact, I think perhaps I needed a break. I have found new inspiration and new desire during my nomadic weeks. I didn't know if I would miss writing or not. I was afraid I might enjoy the vacation a little too much--like I did when I had an office job and I never wanted to return! But here I am, sitting in a rented vacation home in Florida getting anxious for my desk and a whole entire office in my new home dedicated to writing.

Summer is here. If you are feeling frustrated or or your idea tank is low, I encourage you to give yourself a break. Take some time for your family, for yourself. Take a vacation from work and see if you can return with a renewed sense of purpose and readiness!

Link to Interview With Author Stephanie Riseley

 I want to share an interesting interview with Stephanie Riseley, author of Love from Both Sides: A True Story of Soul Survival and Sacred Sexuality. Here is the link:

http://writerinspired.wordpress.com/

On Vacation

I am moving and enjoying a relaxing vacation at the beach. I will resume my Thursday posts as quickly as possible. Happy summer to you all.