2015: The Year of the Book

Just a mock-up cover; a graphic designer will do the real one, but it was fun to make!
Just a mock-up cover: a graphic designer will do the real one, but it was fun to make!

That’s right. According to the Chinese calendar, we may be entering the Year of the Sheep, but I’m declaring it my personal Year of the Book.

What does this mean? It means by gosh, by golly, by gum, I’m going to publish A Man of Character by summer. It means I’m going to edit and revise both A Matter of Time and The Demon Duke to the point where I feel comfortable entering them into contests and, heck, maybe I’ll even publish them, too!

It means I’m going to read. And read. And read some more. The Goodreads goal is 50 books, the same as last year (I missed it by ONE!), but I’m actually hoping to devour many more – whether romances, research, classics, or something else that catches my fancy.

It means I’m going to write. I’m going to write for Flash Fiction, I’m going to write on Book FOUR. Yes, yes, yes. I’m going to write.

This is the year. This is MY year. In 2015, I. Will. Become. A. Published. Author.

This is huge for an anxiety-ridden scaredy cat like me, people. Others throw themselves into these ventures, ready for every twist and turn, certain they can conquer whatever the publishing industry, readers, reviewers, and/or social media can throw at them. (OK, I hear rumors that there exists at least one author who feels that way.) Not me.

OK, I overcame SOME of that scaredy-cat-itis last year. I started a local critique group. I queried nearly seventy agents. I got three requests for a partial, three requests for the full MS, and one small e-press publication offer (which I turned down after realizing just how badly I want to hold my own book in print). No instant success, but not entirely bad, right? I even finaled in a writing contest.

But still, to actually PUBLISH the book? Brave New World. And one that I’m determined to enter.

What’s 2015 going to be for YOU?