Must. Force. Self. To edit.

I know, usually I'm all, "Editing rocks! I can't wait! Writing is editing, folks!" But for some strange reason, I just can't seem to get excited about it this time around. It's a real stumper.

I've been told that book #1 doesn't need much. And I believe it. Mostly because I don't want to edit it. But I probably should still read through it, right? No? Just put it out there as-is? I like the way you think!

Then there's book #2: my favorite book of the series, if you must know. So it's probably all good too, right? Yeah? Wow, it's amazing how people will tell you exactly what you want to hear when you don't actually ask anyone any questions and/or make up their answers for them. I think I'm on to something here!

I was totally going to spend Memorial Day weekend writing a new story. Oh yes I was. Not a novel, mind you. More of a long-ish short story. It was going to be like my own little 3 Day Novel Contest weekend except I would have wimped out and not tortured myself like that. But no. Editing will be much better for my soul. Er, right? Right? Or did you mean "write," like I should write that story after all? Really? I should? OH MY GOSH I LOVE YOU.

June. I'm saying June.

I really have to get off my ass and do the work to put out my books. I will make myself accountable by putting it here on my blog. In June, I will have available for purchase at least the first two books of my detective series. The second half of May should be pretty open for me, so I have no excuse not to get this done. NO EXCUSE. June, people. June.

I'd actually like to get them all out at or around the same time. As much fun as it is to think that I could dole them out slowly in order to create anticipation for the next release, I think that is over-reaching for a first time, self-publishing author. I'll be lucky to get whatever sales I get, and hoping that someone will keep checking back to see if I've got out the next in the series is hoping for too much, I think. So I want to get them all out there, and then if anyone likes one, they can go on to the next (and maybe the next and then the next).

June.

Books #1 and #2.

June.

Opinions actually solicited

When I was writing book #1 of my series, I didn't have a title in mind. This isn't the first time that's happened, but it's somewhat rare. For me, stories often start with a vague idea of the major characters and what their conflict will be and, yes, a title name. But not this book. I named the document "Oz," which is the nickname of my main character, and I decided to wait for inspiration to strike.

It never did.

When I began the submission process, a title for the book was necessary, and I eventually settled for On the Chase, which I thought was okay, but if I'm being honest, I've never been that attached to it. The names for the other three books in the series arrived to me in the usual fashion--before I'd written a word of them.

Speaking of "a word," that's what those three titles are: one single word. Book #2 is titled Echoes; book #3 is titled Landslide; and book #4 is titled Caught. It just happened that way, and when it happened that way, the title for book #1, On the Chase, began to bother me. I felt that it should be a one word title too.

I also have a second reason for wanting to change the title: Bella Books has still not taken down their pre-release listings of my book, and I don't want to argue with them about it. By picking a new name, I can just ignore their listing.

Now! This is where you come in! One thing I do like about the titling so far is that the first book has "chase" in the title and the last book is called "caught." So I'd like to keep that alive. Some obvious possible titles include

Chase

Chasing

Chaser

In the same vein:

Pursuit

What say you? Do any of these seem noticeably better than any of the others? Or do you have another idea? Help a sister out!

Free at last

Hey, I didn't write a blog post last week. The reasons for that were twofold. 1) I had nothing to say. 2) I am a lazy slacker who wasn't willing to think of something to say. You're welcome!

But now, at long last, I have something to say. I finally FINALLY got something in writing from Bella Books saying that I'm released from my contract. Turns out that the key to getting a response was to threaten to get a lawyer. Worked like a charm. (Should have done that as soon as Downith suggested it.) Just for kicks, the publisher added in a line about not wanting any further communication from me. Right back at ya, babe! 

So I guess this means I actually have to do the work to self-publish my books. That means editing. Good thing I love editing! Love it! No, wait, dammit, I hate editing with every fiber of my being. And as I contemplate editing book #1, it's occurred to me that it might be even better to edit all four books and release them simultaneously so a reader can buy the whole series. Won't that be fun! No, fuck it all, it will be hellish torture. Whose bright idea was it to write a four book series anyway? Won't make that mistake again, my friends!

That's the news around these parts. Seems like most of my regulars have exciting stuff going on with their own projects. If you care to share, I'm all ears. Or eyes, I suppose would be a more accurate assessment. 

Disentangling

Here's how it went down on Monday, March 19. The publisher called to talk to me about "the tone" of my recent emails. (I am such a bitch, guys! I'm not at all surprised she was annoyed with me. I'm annoying!) And then she said, "If you're not happy with how things are going, we can just tear up the contract." And I said, "Let's do that." And she said, "Okay, we'll tear it up and all the rights will revert back to you." And I said, "Sounds great."

The conversation lasted about five minutes. I hung up the phone with that heady feeling you get when you've been on one path, and then you suddenly, unexpectedly, turn off that path onto another one. And the new path is exciting and beautiful, and you want to be on it, but you're still like, "What the fuck just happened? I was going that way, and this way sure is pretty, but oh shit, where's the goddamn map for this route?" 

It wasn't until a day or two later that the thought occurred to me that I should probably have something in writing that the contract is null and void. Sometimes I watch legal dramas, and they say things like, "Verbal contracts are binding," so I guess I'm out of the contract? Right? But I've talked to a couple of lawyer friends, and they all say that I should definitely get it in writing--even just an email would do the trick.

Well, I thought that perhaps Bella Books was working on that, and they'd send something to me. I know I'm not the first crazy author that they've released from a contract.

Funny story! Last April when their editorial director said they wanted my book and were offering me a contract, I said something like, "Well, what if things don't go well, blah blah blah?" And she said, "Sometimes that happens. We had this woman who wouldn't agree to the edits that we wanted, so we ended up releasing her from the contract, and I think she was going to self-publish her book. But you, you don't sound crazy, so I don't anticipate that happening here." Ha! HA HA HA!

HA HA FUCKING HA!

But when over a week had passed, and I hadn't gotten anything, I sent a (nice this time! promise!) email saying, "Hey, I don't know how all this works, but it seems like I should have something in writing that the contract is null and void." I also asked them to take down their pre-release listings of my book since I don't think I can list it if they already have it listed (although I'm seriously considering changing the title, so maybe I can?).

Another week has past since that email, so I sent another today. Sigh. I guess I need to be an asshole about this, maybe? I really don't want to hire a lawyer for various reasons, although the top two are 1) laziness and 2) lack of money.

[insert pithy, possibly amusing conclusion here]