Blog and website

I don't like having my blog and website separate. I've heard of some intriguing possibilities for combining them; unfortunately, I'm not eager to take the time to research and then implement the changes. It's fairly assumable that whatever I do will end up taking a LOT more time than I expect. Somehow computer things always do!

Writer of the week

A new author -- new to me, anyway! In fact, I don't know how I've missed out on her for so long.

In the last couple of weeks, I've read two books by Tracy (T. L.) Higley: Pompeii: City on Fire, and Guardian of the Flame. I found both of them to be engrossing and to bring the cultures in which they are set vividly to life.

I enjoyed the Pompeii book more, but that may merely reflect the fact that I prefer the era of the Roman Empire to that of the Egyptians.

I enjoyed poking around her website, too. Perhaps it seemed a bit busy, but then again, it is crammed full of interesting information and links.

E-publishing

I'm leaning more and more toward the idea that E-publishing is enough the 'wave of the future' as to make it a better choice than print publishing for an unknown author.

From what I hear, the publishing business today seems to have all but locked out new, unpublished authors. Of course, that's a degree of hyperbole, but there is some truth in it. The path to publishing went from:

1) Send your manuscript to a publishing company and someone will look at it and respond; to

2) Send your manuscript to a publishing company and it will be thrown in the trash after an overworked, overwhelmed intern has read the first few paragraphs; to

3) Publishing companies won't accept unsolicited manuscripts, so send it to an agent who will look at it and respond to you; to

4) Send it to an agent who will throw it in the trash after reading the first few paragraphs if it's not exactly the genre, voice, and mood they're looking for that morning; to

5) Reputable, successful agents might look at your manuscript if you are lucky enough to know someone who can recommend you to them.

Again, perhaps a dash of hyperbole, but only a dash!