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Merry band of comrades seeks nice, hard-working, diligent, motivated, fun-loving people to join their mission: to democratize publishing and make WordPress.com the best it can be. Work with us.

Last year at Automattic (WordPress.com’s parent company) we hired 48 people:

• 19 developers/systems folk — those who write code and make sure servers are running.
• 14 Happiness Engineers — those who support our users in the forums and answer requests for help.
• 6 themers and designers who create beautiful themes and sites.
• 8 in business and operations — those who work internally with Automatticians and with our VIPs.
• 2 in editorial curating Freshly Pressed, and inspiring bloggers to keep on blogging.

We expect to hire 60 new Automatticians in 2013. We’re a distributed company: Automatticians work from home, their local coffee shop, co-working spaces — the location in the world where they’re most comfortable and productive. Our hiring pool is planet Earth.

We need developers, designers, themers, support folks, and more. Are you a mobile developer? Apply. Are you smart about WordPress, incisive, and compassionate? You might be an awesome Happiness Engineer.

What qualities do we seek? We look for people who are willing to work hard, share their ideas, learn from their colleagues, take initiative to get things done without being told, and those who aren’t afraid to ask questions.

To help you get to know your future colleagues a little better and learn about the awesome people who fuel Automattic, we’re starting a new series here at WordPress.com News called “Five Minutes with an Automattician.” First up, on Monday, January 21st, Mr. Tim Moore.

Think you’ve got the right stuff? Work with us.

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 5 Stars Johnny loves to splash and crash in the ocean waves—naked.  Then one day Mom says he’s too old to run around without clothes on.  But Johnny thinks being naked is just fine. What will it take for Johnny to start wearing clothes? Three-year-old Johnny, who is really closer to age four, loves to [...]

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Children all over the world have stories to tell.

Help LitWorld continue the vital work of empowering boys and girls to
become lifelong readers and writers.

Together Let’s Change the World, Story by Story.
Join with us to reach many more thousands of children.

$10 Supplies a LitClub with Writer’s Notebooks
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A donation to LitWorld can be made in honor of
a friend, a teacher, a colleague, a family member.
Click here to download a certificate to include
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And, don’t forget to Save the Date for:
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The writing process is a pretty miraculous thing, when you think about it. It never ceases to amaze me how word by word, sentence by sentence, page by page a story unfolds itself in front of me. And most of the time I find myself rereading my words at the end of the day and thinking, "wow--where did that come from? I didn't know I had that in me."

But it's also a very ... fragile process.

If my confidence gets shaken, or my resolve gets shattered, or I let too much noise into my head, it can set me back for days, weeks--maybe even months.

So I've learned that I have to sort of ... nurture my inner-writer--protect that part of myself in various ways, in order to keep myself going. And I've developed a few personal rules I try to live by in order to do that:

I write for me.

Yes, in order to be published I have to think about what agents / editors / publishers / readers / reviewers / teachers / librarians might want from my story. But I CAN'T think about any of that when I'm writing--especially in the drafting stage. At that point I'm just writing to entertain myself, to see the story in my head play out on the page. As long as I'm having fun and liking what I'm seeing, I'm good. I'll worry about all those other people in the revision stage.

I have full permission to suck.

Writing is rewriting. It really, really is. Sure, we all wish we could get it right the very first time. But that just doesn't happen--at least not for the draft as a whole. There's always some stuff that's salvageable--and the more I write the more salvageable stuff I seem to get. But on the whole, I'm going to spew out a whole lot of stuff that SUCKS in the beginning. And that's okay. That's just Step One in the process. Word vomit on the page. I will clean it up later.

My writing life is a drama-free zone.

Honestly, I have no time or tolerance for drama in any part of my life--but DEFINITELY not in my writing life. I surround myself only with supportive, talented, encouraging writer friends who build me up when I need it, push me to make every word I type the best it can be, and cheer me along at every victory--big or small. Nothing can be more discouraging or damaging to a writers confidence than being surrounded by competition or comparison or negativity. So if I see any sign of that (which fortunately doesn't happen very often in the children's writing world) I separate myself as quickly as possible.

My journey is my own.

It's HARD not to compare myself to others--but that is such a toxic, destructive thing that I take extra care to prevent it from happening. I refuse to let myself dwell on how much a book sold for or how fast it sold or how much publicity it's getting. Sure--I'm aware of it. It's impossible not to be, and honestly, I always want to be able to celebrate for my friends, so I want to know what's happening for them. But then I force myself to put that out of my mind. It's not easy to do, but here's how I do it: I love what *I'm* writing. Do I wish someone else loved it enough to snatch it up for seven figures within mere hours of me typing, "The end"? Sure. Who doesn't? But if they don't, I'm okay with that, because *I* love it. It's *my* book--the book *I* wanted to write. At the end of the day, that's what matters.

I write the way that works for me.

Some people write in public. Some people write in groups. Some people write on a schedule, with daily goals and deadlines. Some people write at a desk. Some people need total silence. Me, I write at home, alone, in my bed with my laptop, for large blocks of time but withou

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Hope For Haiti by Jesse Joshua Watson

Review by Chris Singer

About the author:

Jesse Joshua Watson is an award winning, NY Times Bestselling illustrator and author whose work includes Hope for Haiti, Chess Rumble, and the Hank Zipzer series.

Whether hammocking in Brazil, exploring in Hong Kong, dodging taxis in Russia, studying art in Europe, dancing in Jamaica, or raising kids in Port Townsend, Washington, Jesse connects with people. He loves both the differences and the similarities that are so colorfully displayed across our diverse world. Jesse’s passion and appreciation of people is voiced through his brush and on his canvas.

About the book:

The earth shook, and his whole neighborhood was gone. Now he and his mother are living in the soccer stadium, in a shelter made of tin and bedsheets, waiting in line for food and water. But even with so much sorrow all around, a soccer ball inspires a small but powerful link between a heartbroken country’s past and its hopes for the future. Jesse Joshua Watson has created an inspiring testament to the strength of the Haitian people and the promise of children.

My take on the book:

For me, I have no doubts as to why soccer is called ‘the beautiful game’. Not only is it a game which is simply beautiful to watch but, because it is the most popular game in the world and such an integral part of so many peoples lives, it often can be used as a metaphor for life.

I’ve experienced this in action. While visiting for several weeks in a rural village in Uganda, I would get approached and greeted on a pretty regular basis because I would often wear soccer jerseys. I would get asked “Which football team do you support?” or “Are you a supporter of Arsenal (or Manchester United or some other English Premier League team)?’ If I had a soccer ball with me, I drew even more attention and more people who almost immediately became friends. Just because of a game. It’s powerful when you really think about it.

In Jesse Joshua Watson’s book, soccer becomes an even bigger metaphor. In the wake of such a horrible disaster, soccer brings some normalcy back for the children. Soccer is a game they most likely played everyday. Even amongst their immense sadness, the power of play and of playing soccer can bring back memories of good times. The young boy in the story even dreams of playing for his beloved Haiti and of scoring a winning goal.

This is a book which can and should be used in schools to teach children not only about Haiti, but also about hope in the midsts of great and seemingly insurmountable adversity. Young readers will certainly be inspired by the boy in the story and a creative teacher will be able to find a host of interesting activities that can be tied in with this book. Teachers can also pair it with another fantastic book about the earthquake in Haiti: Eight Days (A Story of Haiti).

Hope for Haiti is a beautifully written and illust

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This morning I stopped by Edi's blog which lead me to White Readers Meet Black Authors where author Carleen Brice gives information about an auction to support author L.A. Banks.

Noted author L.A. Banks is in the hospital very sick. Her medical bills are quite high so beginning tomorrow Tuesday, June 21st authors and people in the book biz are auctioning items and services to raise money to help cover her expenses. If you're a writer, this is a great opportunity to have a published author or an industry professional help you with your work! There's also lots of cool stuff for readers--books, books and more books! Banks wrote a variety of genres, so there is quite a diversity of books available.

There are a lot of great items up for bid for a very good cause. Please spread the word.

The auction will run from June 21 9pm - July 1, 9pm

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Okay, I know--this looks like a blogfest. And it kind of is.

And I know you guys know I'm NOT a fan of blogfests, and usually do my best to avoid them. But this one was way too awesome to pass up. Independent booksellers are an incredibly important part of the publishing industry. They hand sell books. Support authors with amazing events and signings. Not to mention it's pretty much impossible to find people more passionate about reading.

So when Lisa and Laura emailed me about a blogging event celebrating Independent Bookstores, of COURSE I was in. And while there are quite a few local Indies I love and support, there's one that goes just a *little* above and beyond, and that's why I chose to feature it. Mysterious Galaxy Books, in San Diego, CA.

Here's how they describe themselves on their website:

Mysterious Galaxy celebrated sixteen years in business as an independent specialty genre bookstore in May 2009. Our tagline, “Books of Martians, Murder, Magic and Mayhem,” encompasses the genres for which we are widely known: science fiction, mystery, fantasy and horror. In recent years, we have expanded our galaxy’s borders by participating in community events, creating events of interest to our customers, and partnering with local non-profit organizations. We also particpate in a wide variety of outside events including the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, Men of Mystery, Southern California Writers Conferences, Comic-Con International ... and many more.

We have an active young adult program, providing authors to visit, read, and teach at schools that partner with us. Our MG Junior section reflects this program and our passion for young adult literature ... which we all enjoy.

Our staff is composed of passionate and knowledgeable booksellers, and we share our enthusiasm for our genres through hand-selling, great customer service, and regular reviews in our print and electronic newsletters, as well as here on our website.

You see that LONG list of authors I've met? Yeah, most of those were from signings at Mysterious Galaxy. They organize more author events than any store around--and they do an awesome job with all of them. And it doesn't matter how crazy or chaotic an event is, they keep it organized--even panels at Comic Con.

Every week I look forward to my Mysterious Galaxy email newsletter telling me what they have going on, and I do my best to hit every event I can. And I am dreaming of the day when I get to do a signing there myself. I know they'll do an awesome job with it. *wistful sigh*

So to show my support for them--and you guys--I'm going to give away a book of your choice (so long as it's something MG carries--remember, they're a genre-store, so they don't carry everything) to one lucky commenter on today's post.

To enter, simply follow my blog and leave a comment by 11:59 pm PDT on Saturday, June 4th. I'll draw one random winner and post their name on Sunday, June 5th. Once the winner contacts me, I'll arrange for them to choose their prize and ship it as soon as I buy it. International entries welcome.

And...go!

To learn about more awesome Indies, check out these other links:

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I took a break today from doing final revisions on a novel and picked up a little writing book called Some Writers Deserve to Starve! (31 Brutal Truths About the Publishing Industry) by Elaura Niles. I don’t find the chapters very brutal–just honest. And I agree with nearly all of them.

If you’ve been writing any length of time at all, chapters like “Putting Words on a Page Does Not Obligate Anyone to Read Them,” “All Publishers Are Not Created Equal,” and “Writing Conferences Cost Bucks” will resonate with you! Frankly, I expect there is a great deal of truth in all 31 of Ms. Niles’ chapters, but I have been spared a lot of it.

What About This One?

Two of the author’s brutal truth chapters are “Writers Rarely Help Other Writers” and “Not All Critique Groups Are Critique Groups.” Because I’ve seen what she described over the years in various groups [that didn't work for me], I believe she is right much of the time. But it also reminded me how wonderfully blessed I am to have a writer friend who DOES help me.

From time to time, I trade manuscripts with a writer friend in Australia. Her thoughtful responses in the detailed critiques have been very helpful in many areas: strengthening endings, picking up loose plot threads I had inadvertently dropped, telling me which chapters dragged, etc. I’m grateful for her honesty–which is NOT brutal.

How About You?

What has been YOUR experience with critiques and critique groups? Have they been helpful–or not so much? Is the advice good–or in such conflict that you don’t know what to believe? Give me your thoughts.

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We don’t like to talk about quitting or giving up on our dreams. But let’s be honest. Will every wannabe writer eventually land big contracts,  snag a well-known NY agent, and be sent on ten-city book tours? No.

Maybe your dreams are more modest, but you’ve worked at breaking into publishing for years. Should you continue the struggle? For how long? How do you know when to quit?

Asking the Wrong Question

I came across an excellent discussion from a blog post that is several years old, but the advice is timeless. Called “When to Quit,” it’s a lengthy article by Scott Young on this subject. I hope you’ll read it to the end.

One factor the article said to consider was how you feel on a day-to-day basis as you pursue your dream. How is the process affecting your life, your character, your growth? “So if you are pursuing your dream and you don’t think you are going to make it, the question of whether or not to quit doesn’t depend on your chance of success. The real question is whether pursuing this dream is causing you to grow. Does this path fill you with passion and enthusiasm? Do you feel alive?”

You may not agree with all his views, but I guarantee that the article will make you think–even if you have no intention of quitting. It might lead you to make a course correction however. And it will make you evaluate why you’re pursuing your particular dream–and that’s always a good thing!

If you have a minute, give me your reactions to the ideas in his article.

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[Writing goes in cycles. I am tempted to quit every few years! This weekend when I was particularly frustrated with a revision that isn't going well, I went back through my blog and found this. It helped me--and maybe it's worth repeating for you too. This is from several years ago...]

What’s the Use?

Yesterday I dragged myself to the computer, bone weary, body aching, and tired of my writing project. The last few weeks I’d increased my writing hours a lot to meet my (self-imposed) deadline.

I imagine part of it was not feeling well, but yesterday I looked at the almost complete project and thought, What’s the use? This actually stinks. I bet I’ve wasted the last six months on this.

I couldn’t make myself get to work. So I did what most good writers do when they want to look like they’re working, but they’re not: I checked email.

Rescuing My Writing Day

And thanks to Suzanne Lieurance from “The Working Writer’s Coach” and her “Morning Nudge,” my writing day was rescued. This is what she sent yesterday that got me back to work.

The life of a freelance writer can be very frustrating at times. There are so many things to do and not enough time to do them all. Or - the writing seems to be going nowhere and you just can’t make yourself sit down and write. You work and work, seemingly to no avail.

So you begin to wonder - What’s the point? Am I really getting anywhere? But know this. If you’re starting to feel frustrated because you think you’ve been working WAY too hard for the few results all this work has produced, you’re on the verge (even though it may feel more like you’re “on the edge”). You’re on the verge of creating some powerful momentum.

Stick with it…  So many people give up, just when they are on the verge of great success. Just when they start to feel really frustrated. Just when they feel nothing is going the way they want it to. If that’s how you’re feeling right now - celebrate! You’re on the verge of wonderful, great things! You’re on the verge of creating that powerful momentum that will move your writing career ahead to an entirely NEW and exciting level!

Today, relax and let go of that frustration, knowing you’re on the verge of great things. Try it!

I urge you to sign up today for Suzanne’s daily kick in the writing pants, “The Morning Nudge.” You’ll be glad you did!

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We Give Books is a new digital initiative that enables anyone with access to the Internet to put books in the hands of children who don’t have them, simply by reading online.

We Give Books combines the joy of reading with the power of helping others, providing a platform for caregivers and educators to inspire children to become lifelong readers and lifelong givers.

We Give Books also helps some of the world’s best, most inspiring, literacy organizations by spreading the word about their great work and by providing books to the young people these organizations support.

Our Campaign: The OCHO Project

Read a book online today and help We Give Books and the OCHO Project put books in the hands of underprivileged children across America.

OCHO (Opportunities for Children to Help Others) is dedicated to helping children support other children, both locally and globally, in an effort to improve their reading skills. Through reading books and completing academic reading exercises, students “earn” books and sponsor a free OCHO book fair for children at schools from low income areas.

The OCHO Project: Read for a Need was created as a way to encourage a love of reading for young children, enhance their literary skills, and show them a way that they can help provide books for children who have few or none of their own.

The goal is to provide participating schools with a total of 5,000 books. Read more about the impact of the OCHO Project.

HOW IT WORKS

1.) First, join our Book Dads group

2.) Next, select a title from the ever-growing library of great children’s books and start reading online with a child in your life. Each time you read a book online, you help give a brand-new hardcover or paperback book from the Penguin and Dorling Kindersley library to the campaign you’ve selected. Read as many books as you like, as many times as you like.

3.) Spread the word and invite others to join our Book Dads group

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Well...it's almost November (OMG How did that happen???--stupid Time Goblins!) and if you've been on Twitter or hopping around the blogosphere (or pretty much anywhere except under a dark and isolated rock) you've seen that everyone is talking about the same thing: NaNoWriMo.

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Perhaps it’s because it is the Jewish New Year or maybe it’s due to a recent experience, but I have been thinking about “giving back” and mentoring.

Writing is such a solitary and difficult thing to do and when an opportunity to obtain support from an established writer presents itself, it is always very inspiring. Recently, however, I saw this work in reverse and it really made me sad and angry.

I have a client who received some good national publicity, which resulted in my signing him to do a book proposal. The publicity also attracted a well known TV personality and book author who would have been a wonderful support to my client and his project. I’ll call him Mr. P. Mr. P approached my client and offered his help, so the two had lunch. Mr. P promised that if the proposal were sold, he would provide an introduction and, based on that statement, my client added Mr. P’s promise to his proposal. It turned out this particular proposal wasn’t easy to sell, but finally we received a small offer partially based on the promise of a foreword from Mr. P. When my client went back to him just to make sure that, indeed, the promise would be fulfilled, Mr. P agreed but said he would charge a fee that was three times the advance—a totally outrageous amount! Needless to say, the client turned down the publisher’s offer and the project is now dead. What really makes me sad about this situation is that I know Mr. P well, and when he was just starting out, many, many people gave him their support—one of the main reasons he is so very successful today.

On another occasion, some years ago, I remember my client and good friend Gus Lee wanted to get an endorsement for his first novel from Amy Tan. His editor made an introduction between the two and Amy generously provided a quote for China Boy which helped the book to sell. Since then, the two have become very good pals.

I think it is so important to remember, once you are successful as a writer, that supporting others who are coming up only enhances what you are doing. It is incredibly mystifying to me when people who achieve fame and success forget where they came from.

I wonder if you have any thoughts on this subject. I would love to hear them.

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Rejection is part of the writing life. Writers have always struggled not to take rejection personally. Unless you’re super human, it deals a blow to one’s self-esteem.

“To be a writer is to be rejected. I’m not kidding,” says Rachel Ballon, Ph.D., author of The Writer’s Portable Therapist. “Those writers who stop writing the first time they’re rejected can’t call themselves writers because rejection is part and parcel of the writing game. It isn’t what happens to you IF you’re rejected, it’s what you do or don’t do WHEN you’re rejected.”

You Can Recover

I get concerned when my writer friends and students get so beaten down by a rejection. (And with our struggling economy lately, rejections are happening more frequently.) Rejections do hurt, and the disappointment can be huge. All the “don’t take it personally” lectures don’t help much then. You need more, especially in the initial stages when the rejection is new and raw.

“Expect rejection and disappointments with the knowledge that you’ll recover from them,” says Ballon. “Be just as prepared for rejection as you’re prepared for an earthquake in California or a hurricane in Florida.”

Plan Ahead

I never thought of that before: prepare for rejection. It makes sense though!

Most of my family members live in Florida now, and when a tropical storm is building to hurricane status, they go into motion like a well oiled machine. Buy batteries and food staples. Nail plywood over windows. Make sure generator works. Stock up on drinkable water. They don’t just sit back and hope the hurricane veers off and misses them. They know that the likelihood of being hit by a hurricane is low, but definitely possible. Being prepared has saved their lives and property more than once. And their plans for recovery and clean-up go into effect as soon as the storm passes.

The likelihood of writers being rejected is about 100%–much worse odds than destruction from an earthquake or hurricane. But how many of us have a plan for recovering from that particular professional “disaster”? Not many, I’m guessing. But we should have. We know it’s coming from time to time. And I wonder if we wouldn’t respond better if we planned for it.

Strategy

How do you plan for the day-perhaps after months of hopeful waiting or interested nibbles-when your story or novel or proposal is rejected? How can you prepare for it? Well, what makes you feel better when you’ve been rejected by someone in your personal life?

• A hot bath and a good novel?
• A phone call to your best friend?
• A candy bar or Starbucks coffee?
• Hanging out with people who do love you?
• Going for a hard sweaty run or bike ride?
• Journaling?
• Curling up with a “feel good” movie or chick flick?

Chances are, those same things will help you through a manuscript rejection. They can be the solace for your bruised soul.

Plan Ahead-Work Your Plan

I think I’m going to make a list on a card called “Rejection Recovery Strategies” and tack it to my bulletin board. And the next time a book or prop

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“Do the thing you fear, and the death of fear is certain.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

I’ve been reading James Scott Bell’s excellent book The Art of War for Writers (all five-star reviews on Amazon.com), and he says that “the biggest mental obstacle–in writing, in war, in life itself–is fear.” I would agree 100%.

How do we fear writing?

Let me count the ways… Bell mentions several kinds of fear that plague writers. Do you find yourself in this list? Do you have additional fears?

Fear of:

• not being good enough
• not getting published
• getting published but not selling
• getting published once but never again
• getting stomped by critics
• getting stomped by family members
• wasting your time

The Quality of Fearlessness

Bell wrote about the young Teddy Roosevelt who was a sick, frail, fearful child–and what changed him into the fearless leader of history. Basically, he learned the old adage of “fake it till you make it” or “act as if.” Bell says that fearful writers become fearless writers in the same way.

Sure, you will set goals and get prepared and (if you’re like me) pray for help, but in the end you will need to act as if you’re a successful, fearless writer until (over time) your feelings catch up with your behavior and you actually become one.

Start Today

When fear in some form hits you today, what immediate action step could you take in the face of that fear? How would a professional, successful writer deal with that fear? What is one way you can channel that fear into energy for your writing?

Be fearless today and, as battle buddies, share one tip you’ve used successfully to win the war on the many fears of writing.

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The day after Andrea was diagnosed with breast cancer, Mark sent a personal email to every one of the 220 interview guests of Just One More Book!! asking each if they would leave a voice message on our hotline sending good wishes to Andrea. The plan was to create a CD of audio messages Andrea could listen to during recovery from surgery and during her chemotherapy treatments.

The messages started to pour in immediately (Henry Winkler responded first, within minutes). In all, 126 messages came from authors, illustrators, librarians and publishers from around the world (including England, Spain and Israel) and ranged from newcomers to celebrities.

Many of the messages were more than just good wishes. Some people recited poems or sang songs they wrote for Andrea. Some related their own experiences with cancer and others offered to speak on the phone anytime Andrea wanted someone to talk to. An overwhelming 75 minutes of audio! Plus, Andrea received a number of packages in the mail — handwritten cards with original artwork, t-shirts, books and other gifts. She even received two “bionic” candy apples.

In fact, we received so many messages that Mark realized he needed to create a summary audio clip for Andrea so she could get a quick hit of support and energy any time she needed it. The result is an audio collage called The Warrior Theme packaged over Sunshine and Starlight, a fantastic instrumental by Bjork Ostrom.

There are too many names to transcribe and link to from this post. Instead, listen carefully to everyone who contributed so far!

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We hope you will take a moment to watch this video and then purchase a copy of the book. This project comes from the heart and the only people making any money on the sale of this book, are the residents of San Diego County who lost their homes in the 2007 wildfires.

Please open your hearts to them.

* * *

Echelon Press would like to offer our special thanks to
the exceptional musical artist
Alex Woodard

for allowing us to showcase his new tune
PHOTOGRAPH
in the following video!

Buy Heat of the Moment from

Check out Alex Woodard on MySpace.

Or visit his website at www.alexwoodard.com.

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Thank you, Go Daddy, for helping me get my life -- er, um, my WEB site back!!!! Go Daddy has come to my rescue. The phone folks are very helpful -- therapeutic even. I mean, we ALL need therapy when we are desperate with a down site, do we not?? Anyway, let's raise a wacom pen or mouse in thanks to Go Daddy. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I finally feel whole again.

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Not too long ago, L.J. Sellers, author of THE SEX CLUB posted a Blog about Blog etiquette. She questioned whether it is appropriate to leave your name and a link to your site or Blog. Several people seemed offended by the very idea. I have seen on other groups and lists where people call it blatant self-promotion. Well, of course it is!

I would never presume to say why anyone else Blogs. That is a personal choice and no one has to answer to me. I can only tell you why I Blog.

1. Because I have things to say and I want to share my thoughts with others and find out what they think. I am curious by nature.

2. I am promoting my books and my company. No secret there. What kind of businessperson would I be if I didn't.

When people accuse me of blatant self-promotion, or accuse other authors for that matter, I just want to laugh at them. Of course we are self-promoting. We are professionals and we have a job to do. We have written books and if we do not self promote them who will know they even exist. How will you know?

There is a lot of value in self-promotion and the sooner people realize that and stop complaining about it, the better off everyone will be. An author promoting their work is no different than a car dealer promoting their vehicles.

When an author takes on the responsibility of having a book published, they also take on the task of letting readers and the public in general. There is always talk of how an author should be respectful of the readers wishes; don't put useless links on Blogs and posts and such, it is blatant self-promotion.

What about the readers respect for the author? Doesn't the author who toils and sacrifices to write a book deserve the opportunity to promote and share his talent with those he wrote it for? We write so our words can touch readers. How do they do that if they are afraid to self-promote?

We are all readers on some level, and to offer tolerance and understanding to our fellow authors is a small sacrifice. So, I ask you, if you get an announcement from your fellow author, consider the amount of time YOU have put into your last project. If you see a Blog address at the end of a post on your Blog, consider the fact that YOU want more people to read your Blog and the person leaving the address might just lead others back to you. And when you see someone on a list who is mentioning their own book, remember that if YOU mentioned your book instead of complaining about their mention, you might be able to sell another copy.

It's not about right or wrong, or good or bad, it is about giving readers the CHOICE to decide if they want to follow a link, or buy a book that is mentioned. Courtesy and tolerance. Imagine if we each used a little bit each day. The world would be a better place, and not just for blatantly self-promoting authors.

Blog Book Tour August Challenge #13
©Karen L. Syed

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I recently took part in a truly wonderful art project. I, along with 20 other pet portrait artists, were invited to create and contribute works of art to be published in a uniquely themed art book.

It's called "Party Animals", and if you remember last years' benefit art book that I contributed to and blogged about ("Dogs Rule"), this one could be considered a "Part Two" of sorts. Jill Beninato of Sit Stay Smile is the responsible "party" for "Party" -- she spearheaded the "Dog's Rule" project herself and made it all happen! She came back at us with "Party Animals" this year . Once again it is an honor to be a contributor. Like last year, this years' book includes art images that were specifically created for the project by each of the artists. The interpretation of the theme of "Party Animals" was the goal, and each artist was given free reign!

(See "You Tube" video demo series of my watercolor painting for the "Party Animals" book)

This time though, the party is even BIGGER and more shareable (yes, that's really a word - I looked it up), because, unlike last years' project, ANYONE can enjoy a beautiful copy of this years' collaborative project because copies are for sale, with ALL proceeds - every nickel - going to benefit A Place To Bark. (Plus, your purchase is entirely tax-deductible.)

I can tell you first-hand that the quality of the printing and binding of this 'zine is gorgeous and lovely. I am proud to have my work in the book, and to be among so many other extremely talented artists who are not only each boldly unique in their own artistic voices, but who are also very generous and caring people who are all joined by our love and support of animal welfare. Because the entire monetary proceeds of the 'zine go directly to A Place To Bark, you know that your $20 purchase is making a HUGE positive impact. (The great art, beautiful printing, and inspiring words in this book make it truly gift-worthy as well).

If THAT isn't ENOUGH, the ORIGINAL ARTWORKS printed in the 'zine will be auctioned off on Ebay on October 15, with all benefits going to A Place To Bark. Mark your calendars!!

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If someone graded you on self-care or self-nurturing, how would you do? Most of us–especially women–would flunk the evaulation. And if you’re also a writer, that can spell trouble.

What’s Your Excuse?

As women, we’re taught to meet everyone else’s needs before we nurture ourselves. And we do so, mostly without complaint, until we drop of exhaustion or illness. We de-value self-nurturing and self-care, putting it at the end of our lengthy list of Things To Do.

Back in 1992, during a particularly harrowing year, I bought a book that I recently re-read. I was delighted to see it has been reissued. The Woman’s Comfort Book: A Self-Nurturing Guide for Restoring Balance in Your Life by Jennifer Louden is chock full of some of the most fun and practical and specific ways you can incorporate self-nurturing activities into your life. The book was written after a year of trauma that left the author unable to write or relax.

As she put it, “I needed to trust what my inner voice was telling me, which was to slow down, take some time to care for me. But I felt too guilty about not being ambitious to heed my intuition. And so a dangerous prison formed: I couldn’t take time to care for myself because I felt I should keep working, but I couldn’t write because I wasn’t nurturing myself. What a mess!”

What’s Your Problem?

One of the best features of the book is a big chart that lists nearly eighty ailments you might have, then the corresponding short chapters that might help that problem. For example, if you feel “deprived,” she suggests the activities in the chapters entitled “Checking Your Basic Needs,” “Comfort Journal,” “A Self-Care Schedule,” “A Day Off,” “Heal Your Habitat,” and several others. If your problem is feeling joyless, you might try the chapters on “Your Nurturing Voice,” “Reading as a Child,” “Seasonal Comforts” or “Animal Antidotes.”

Her ideas are budget-minded (the only kind that work for me), and they are things you can do in your own home. For example, one chapter is on creating a personal sanctuary for yourself. I intend to use a few of her suggestions to rearrange a corner of my office, “walling off” a section with my freestanding bookshelves, moving a small rocker to that corner, adding some plants, a large framed poster of the English countryside, and a small rug to distinguish my sanctuary.

Courage, Fortitude, Boldness

The author claims that it “takes courage to make nurturing yourself a priority. It takes fortitude to meet your own needs. It takes boldness to listen to and trust your intuition.” If it’s been years since you allowed yourself to make self-care a priority, I think her statement is true. I know it was in my own case.

Ms. Louden also asserts that “deserving time to care for yourself is not something you earn…Taking care of yourself is not a reward for getting ten thousand things done today.”

Don’t Wait–Act Now!

There’s no need to wait until you’re burned out with a severe writer’s block to take care of yourself. A little daily self-nurturing goes a long way toward avoiding such conditions. And if you need someone to give you permission to do so, consider it done! I am ordering you to take good care of yourself!

Don’t know where to start? Then I really urge you to get a copy of Ms. Louden’s book and sample some of her fifty chapters of ideas. I know you’ll find something you’ll love!

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Have you reached a point in your writing career where you’re not as gung-ho as you were? Your fingers aren’t as fast on the keyboard, your neck gets stiff more quickly, or sleepiness overtakes you before you’ve written more than a page?

Maybe you’re in need of renewal.

Like the Eagle

I read a fascinating bit of information about bald eagles today. There comes a time when an eagle can no longer take off as quickly or fly at top speed, when his sharp talons have grown dull, when calcifications have formed on his beak, and his feathers are worn. Did you know that this smart bald eagle takes time to renew himself at this point?

He goes away alone, sits on a high rock close to the sun, and begins to pluck out all his feathers, one by one. (He may have 7,000 feathers! Talk about pain!) Then he finds a stream to clean himself of the caked mud, parasites, and insects he’s collected. When he’s clean and nearly naked, he sits in the sun and waits.

Renewal

During the waiting period–up to forty days–the eagle sharpens his talons and beak on the rock. He beats the calcifications off his beak. He waits for his feathers to grow back in. Much of the time he rests. He may look battered, he may feel weak, but he is being renewed.

Writers need renewal too. Are you at that point? Have there been one too many rejections or disappointments lately? Have you given it your all for months (maybe years), but without seemingly much progress?

If that’s the case, you may want to carve out some renewal time for yourself before disappointment becomes despair, before the rejections make you give up, before natural tiredness becomes burnout, before brain sludge becomes writer’s block.

Stumped for ideas on how to renew the writer within? One place to start is Monday’s blog post on restoring balance in your life. I mentioned a good resource there. What are some of YOUR favorite ways to find renewal (both short-term and when you need a deeper rest?) Please share!

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Here is a banner opportunity to gain a LOT of practical information on crafting your career as a professional artist, all in ONE DAY, and for one reasonable price.

There are seminars and workshops I've read about (and several I've attended) which cover the ins and outs of particular niche arts professions. But this looks to be the most well-rounded, ONE day-long seminar I've seen yet which tackles marketing yourself as a professional artist from so many broad angles. The only thing I've seen close to this in depth and breadth is the seminars available at Surtex Show and, to a larger extent, Licensing International. These shows each run for 3 - 5 days and the seminars and workshops they offer are about 1.5 hours each. But there are so many seminars and workshops over the course of 3-5 days, that you can pick and choose from many, many topics of interest.

I've taken many seminars at both of those shows and I've got my money's worth. But I can tell you that it cost *mucho dinero* to take the classes alone, never mind the travel and hotel expenses involved. This workshop costs only $200 (well, $195, officially) for one full day. You get to choose four seminars out of eight offered, which breaks down to $50 per seminar, which is a good price per seminar (for comparison's sake, Surtex seminars last 1.5 hours and are $75 each). Plus, there will be time to talk shop with others in a social atmosphere at the beginning and end of the day.

If you are in the Boston area (or will be September 13), and you are a working artist in need of some information, resources and a little guidance in a few key areas, OR you are a student about to fly the college coop, it's most definitely worth checking out. Great opportunity to gain a lot for not a lot of time or money!

I've attended workshops and seminars with Carol Eldridge and I can highly recommend her to anyone interested in learning about art licensing.

Here is a list of the titles and speakers who will be presenting:

Art Licensing: What it takes with Carol Eldridge, Carol Eldridge Designs
Art Marketing Today: New guidelines with Susan Fader, Ditto Editions
Art Etiquette: The Do(s) and Don't(s) with Suzanne Schultz,  Canvas Fine Art Gallery
Copyright & More: Know the laws with Brian LeClair, IP Attorney
Art Reproduction Today: Get the facts with Susan Fader, Ditto Editions
Art Representation: Is it for you? with Suzanne Schultz, Canvas Fine Art Gallery
Social Networking: How & Why with Corissa St. Laurant , Constant Contact

Speakers' web sites
Carol Eldridge (Art Licensing):
http://www.caroleldridgedesigns.com/


Susan Fader (Art Marketing Today, Art Reproduction Today):
http://www.dittoeditions.com/


Suzanne Schultz (Art Representation):
http://www.canvasfinearts.com/


Brian LeClair (Artists' Copyright Issues):
PDF bio download

Corissa St. Laurant (Social Networking):
http://www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp


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Art Marketing 21 Day Details
Date: SUNDAY, SEPT. 13, 2009, 8:30-5:30
Place: M2L, 104 BOYLSTON ST., BOSTON

• Participants select to attend 4 seminars from the 8 offered -- 2 from the morning session and 2 from the afternoon session)

ALSO INCLUDED:
COFFEE AND PASTRY  During Check -In.
COCKTAIL RECEPTION at the conclusion of
the day.

THE COST FOR THE DAY IS $195.00


Registration form PDF

Email: info@artmarketing21.com.

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