Becoming the Muse

So, in the last week I've been coming
up with a Really Ambitious Plan for Word Vagabond.  In case you weren't
paying attention, Word Vagabond is my blog on Wordpress.  I do reviews
of independent and small press publications, because I believe they are
the Way of the Future.  It's also my lifeline, insuring that my
intellect and self-worth don't atrophy while I'm stuck being a
housewife.  (I have more sympathy with my beloved Sylvia every day).

But
it's about to become SO much more than that.  I'm planning to continue
with the reviews every other week, just as they are now.  But on the
"off" weeks I'll be posting essays, commentary, and interviews about the
world of independent and small press publishing.  I'm freaking out a
little because this represents a HUGE time commitment on my part- I will
have to follow a lot of people and do a lot of research to keep this
part of the site alive.  I'm also adding editing services.  I've no idea
how much response I'll get to that, but I want to put it out there
because I REALLY enjoy editing, and lord knows I could use the money.

Why
am I doing all this now?  I'm SO glad you asked that question!  Looming
on the horizon I have two possible significant increases in
readership.  Wil Wheaton and Neil Gaiman have both been so good as to
put out small press publications JUST so I can review them.  Isn't that
considerate of them?  And, as you know, I advertise new reviews on
Twitter- using the @authorstwitter whenever possible- and, as you may
also know, Wil and Neil are VERY BIG on Twitter.  If they decide to RT
me (and I see no reason why they shouldn't, since it's promoting their
own work), I will have a LOT of people coming to look at my site.  I
want them to see a well-rounded blog that has the potential to be an
important voice in the community.

See?  I told you it was a Really Ambitious Plan.  But I think it will work.  What do you think?

I know you're all very busy, but please, come, post, invite your friends, make suggestions, ADVERTISE YOUR BOOKS!!!!  I'm so excited!!!  A main page/blog will be added as soon as I write some content for it.  :)

ETA the freaking link, cuz I am an eedjit: http://becomingthemuse.hoop.la/for…

Now that my allergies have subsided from "Imminent Death" to "Merely Miserable", it's time to make a long-overdue update.  First up: NOVEL!!!!  I have been making lots of progress!  I'm still in the planning stages, but honestly every time I've been in the car for the past 2 months I've been mulling things over (I do most of my plotting and brainstorming while driving).  Yesterday I wrote 5 pages of notes and I think I've finally found the right perspective and way of approaching the storyline.  Still a few details to iron out, but in general this approach will require far less research.  That's not why I choose it of course, just a nice side effect.

In website news, I have found a host and some tech support in the form of Cael, Shadowgrove Clergy and Website God.  Actual work on coding and such will hopefully begin after Fertile Ground Gathering which is OMGs NEXT WEEK!!!!

I had planned this to be a longer entry but I got distracted and now it's time to leave for Harrisburg.  Oh well.  TTYL!

As I mentioned in my post about developing a BTM website, one of the main things I would like to provide is reviews of self-published books. I'd like to start accepting submissions of either books to review (I'm looking at you, Sarah and Maddie!) or your own reviews of books you've already read. No criteria except they must be self-published by the author and either already out or expected to be out within the next 3 months. Thanks for your help!

Hi y'all! Because, you know, I have nothing better to do with my time (like writing, research, childcare...) I've decided to build a proper website for Becoming the Muse. I haven't actually built a site since 1999, so I've no idea how long it'll take, but I've bought some web design software and I'm clever, so I'm hoping not long! (Feel free to snigger now.)

Anyway, I wanted to share my ideas for the site and ask for your input- what would you like to see in your very own indie writer's website? Here are the things I'm planning to include:

-Book reviews of self-published books.
-Articles on different methods of self-publishing, and other things of interest to independent authors.
-Bios of founding BTM members (that's YOU) and links to individual authors' websites and blogs.
-Listings of writing and self-publishing related events.
-A forum for writers. I would especially appreciate suggestions for sub-forums!

So, what do you guys think? Any suggestions, thoughts, advice? And of course, any content you'd like to contribute is more than welcome! Oh, and any suggestions on picking a hosting site?

As I mentioned, this community doesn't endorse a particular type of publishing.  But this is the type I'm looking into for my book, so I thought I'd share the link:  http://forums.kindledirectpublishing.com/kdpforums/index.jspa

Things I like about Kindle publishing:

-It's free.
-It automatically gives you a platform to sell your book with.
-It's a format I use myself for a lot of my reading.

Things I don't like about Kindle publishing:

-No editing or content support.
-I'm not the most technically proficient person around, so I'm a little concerned about doing the formatting.
-Not having a hardbound copy, but this is a relatively minor concern for me honestly.  Most of the reading I do these days is electronic anyhow.

I just thought I would start things out by asking a few basic questions.  We might all know this stuff about each other already, but it could be interesting if/when other people join!  You don't have to answer any or all of them, they're just suggestions!

What made you consider self-publishing?

I'm interested in self-publishing because I want my book to be accessible to people after it's written, but I'm not overly concerned about selling it.  It's getting it written and out there that's really the end result in my mind.  If people find it and love it, that's great, but the really important bit is to write something I'm proud of, do justice to the story and the characters that I love, and then sort of let it be whatever it will be.

What's your writing routine?

Sadly, I don't have one yet.  I'm giving myself a 3-year deadline to take this current project from start to end, with a first draft due at the end of the year.  My plan is to set daily word-count goals, a la NaNoWriMo.  It's a bit tough to find dedicated time to write at the moment, dealing with the kids while Scott is away.

What stage are you in with your current project?

I am at the very beginning, writing the first draft and simultaneously doing research.  This project requires a LOT of research- Irish mythology and culture, early Christianity and Hebrew history and mythology, and if I can manage it, a bit of Gaelic and Hebrew language studies.  Though I may end up cheating on that and just translating little bits here and there.

Welcome to Becoming the Muse!  This is a support community for writers are interested in self-publishing, or who have done it already.  We hope to create a place to share information and inspiration, and support each other's efforts.  Please feel free to post information about different types of publishing, your experiences with self-publishing, marketing tips, current projects, etc!

Posts will be moderated to prevent spammers and companies pushing their publishing products.  This community is for writers, by writers.

If you're new here, please introduce yourself, tell us what you're working on, and anything else you'd care to share!