Sunshine Boulevard Available Today!

Today is the day to celebrate!

 

Sound the trumpets! Sunshine Boulevard marches onto the world-wide stage of e-books today! Muse It Up Publishing releases this mystery/horror with humor e-book March 1, 2011, along with a great line-up of books full of interesting stories sure to intrigue and tantalize all readers.

 

I want to thank so many people who have helped me along this journey to reach the title of “published author.” From my grandmother, Ma, to my sister-in-law, Sandy, who encouraged me to write as far back as when I was in high school. After selling our retail floral and greenhouse business, I screwed up my courage to ask our regional newspaper editor, Rich, if he would be interested in some ideas I had for articles for the paper.  When I turned in my first one, he actually ran it in the paper with my byline. Thanks, Rich, and the staff at the Times-Indicator! 

Through the years editors, my writing group who meets at the library, and writers online such as Audrey Shaffer and the gang at The Writers Chatroom and Lea Schizas’ free Muse Online Writers Conference have provided valuable information and encouragement. The welcoming, warm authors and editors at Muse It Up Publishing have shepherded me through the process of editing and answered so many questions from this newbie novelist with patience and humor. I am blessed to have my daughters and husband walking this new path with me. Thank you Sara, Lee Ann, and Ted.

It is my pleasure and great honor to offer you, my readers, this entertaining, quick read for you to enjoy. Thank you!

Sunshine Boulevard is available at Muse It Up Publishing bookstore, amazon.com, bn.com, and e-book retailers online.

Benefits for Being a Writer

An astonishing realization hit me this week.  I discovered that I began this writing journey secluded at my desk with my laptop. Now I am not alone at all as I prepare to send my debut novella out into the big, cold world. I received benefits from joining the writing community that I never imagined, namely the support and goodwill from so many strangers who are now friends to me.

First at the newspaper where I was given a chance to contribute “people centered” stories. I have maintained a camaraderie with that office. Through my feature articles, I met a great group of editors who supported me. Crazy enough, I still have friends from the years when I was a contributing editor for an ezine which sold out. But those writers still maintain a loop and we try and keep up with each other.

A fantastic group of fun-loving, articulate, intelligent writers make up my writers circle where we meet together at the local library. Many are now published authors, including me, mainly because of this fantastic group of people who I call “friends.”

I am now experiencing a warm new group, the Muse It Up Authors, who are so supportive of each other offering opportunities for promotion on their blogs, advice on the loop, information, and warm chocolate chip cyber cookies for all those who sign up with the Muse. They make me laugh, think, smile, and just be proud to be an author!

Thanks to all of you for making this writer feel blessed.

What Makes a Great Publishing House?

How do you know what publishing house you should submit your work to? You have worked diligently to submit your best story you can write, so you need a publisher who cares about the author and is enthusiastic about the book business. You want someone who is experienced and connected to a publishing network.  You need a cheerleader on your side with editors who will gently shepherd your manuscript into a book with easy-to-read sentences/paragraphs, distinct point of view, correct grammar, and no spelling errors.

That sounds like a lot of points to check out before submitting, doesn’t it?  How do you, the author, find out about a publisher? If you find a book you like to read that is the same genre you write, try to contact the author and ask what her experience was with that publisher.  Talk to authors and  join forums such as the Writers Chatroom to see what the buzz is about a particular publisher. Preditors and Editors is a site with information on publishers.

Go to the publisher’s webpage and see the tone of the site. Cordial, friendly, or snarky and demanding? As a writer you will be able to get the feel of this publisher by checking through the site. Look at the cover art and decide if you would like your book cover to appear in their bookstore.

I believe publisher, editor, author Lea Schizas of Muse It Up Publishing sums up what a publishing house needs for a winning combination:

•  a good writer’s voice/storyteller
• an editor to partner with the writer
• a cover artist who understands each book
• readers who share in our glee and cheer us on

All the best wishes for success in submitting to a publisher. Oh yes, it’s a process with many rejections, re-writes, and lots of hope. Keep at it. Don’t give up.

I have been happy with the publishing process at Muse It Up. My mystery/horror ebook, Sunshine Boulevard, will be released March 1.

You Know You’re a Writer When—

I came across an article on Long Story Short, an ezine established for new and emerging writers to get their “products” out to readers. In this clever article, You Know You Are a Writer When— Janet Emo lists fifteen items that make you realize you are a writer. I am afraid number fourteen hit me right on.

Hope this delightful read will make you appreciate your writing abilities and writer mindset to inspire you to Write On! for the new year 2011.

Happy, Prosperous, Joyous, Peaceful New Year 22011!!

Why Use a Pen Name?

The fifty cent word for pen name is pseudonym. According to dictionary.com a pseudonym is defined as a” fictitious name used by an author to conceal his or her identity; pen name.” So why would anyone NOT want to use her real name as the author? 

I used a pen name for the upcoming  mystery novel to be released in March 2011. I didn’t think much about using a pen name until I actually signed a contract. As an ebook, I will need to have a presence online to promote it, but my website and writings have all been under my name, Janet Glaser. To promote this book under my pen name, I will have to start from scratch building a readership through this fictitious name. If, for publicity purposes, I do connect my name to the pen name, then what is the point of even having one?

My main reason is to separate this fictional world of writing from my articles and non-fiction works. (I don’t know that an editor would like me to write articles for a children’s magazine and then discover that same writer’s name is associated with a mystery/horror story!!) I also believe that I can assure my privacy with a pen name. I don’t believe there will be a slasher at my door who takes exception with this mystery, but the fictional name allows an extra layer of security.

Now I need to figure out how to promote my pen name. Anyone have some great suggestions?? Thanks for your help!