"They" never told me it would be like this...

When I started on my publishing odyssey, i never really thought much on the what-to-do-after-I-get-published. As a self-publisher, i am the marketer, promoter, author, and pr person all rolled into one.

So now I am thinking of ways to promote myself and my books. I started with creating a website. I was able to start with a free hosting service, but when I went to register my official site name, I was stopped because the site insists I am an American and won't allow my to change my information so it won't reject my credit card!

So my site is now up and running... http://bibleschooldropout.web.office.live.com. Hopefully, if i ever get my info corrected, I can set up a more simple name.. like bibleschooldropout.com, or .biz. or .net. or...

Secondly, after reading some of my friends marketing ideas I created bookmarks to hand out. Why not? Most people have business cards to advertise. I'm a writer, so I'll use bookmarks. They have pictures of my covers and my web address. Now all I need is more ink for my printer...

Give-aways seem like a good idea as well. So I've done that, and am planning on some more. Check out my website for details...

Publicity and marketing also means pictures. Now I don't like having my picture taken, much less post it everywhere for people to see. It is fortunate that I have a photographer friend who will cut me a deal. Maybe I can Photoshop it so I don't look so....

And then there is my friend who owns a bookstore. He is going to let me hold a book signing at his shop at the start of the Christmas shopping rush. Now I have to think about ordering stock, publicity and all that stuff...

Just tonight, I learned of another way of promoting my books. It's called a blog tour. Now that sounds interesting. However, I can't even keep up with my own blog. I wonder how I'll do keeping up others...

And I haven't even quit my day job yet...

Come by and visit my website. There is a reason I made it a link.

It's a Book! or two or three or four....

Well, it's about time! Two years plus invested in prayer, research, writing, reading, red ink, rewriting, more red ink, more rewriting. They have finally arrived! Or have they?

The Bible School Dropout's Bigger and Better Guide to Bible Study came first. Because of the material left over from this book, along came The Bible School Dropout's Guide to More Bible Study. So while I shopped around for a publisher to take my baby out into the world, the second book was completed.

Part of the second book included a bonus section called B.I.B.L.E - Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth. It consisted of 6 lessons covering how you can build God's Word into your life. I thought "Hmmm... I wonder." And in quick order The Bible School Dropout's Guide to Building the Word of God in My Life came into being.

During 2009 and into this year, I studied Hebrews. Of course, I was using the Bible study method I outlined in my first two books. As the study was drawing to a close, I thought "Hmmm... I wonder." You guessed it! The Bible School Dropout's Guide to Hebrews came together rather quickly.

Did I plan it this way? Not on your life. I have a lot of ideas for future projects and a goal to continue publishing. But I did not think I would be releasing four titles at one time! My mind was spinning as I worked from one to the other, polishing and working to get them to a place where I was confident enough to let them go.

There I was, all pleased and happy. They were released. Then... oops. I noticed a wrong reference in two of them. OK. So i halt production, and correct them. Whew! At least nobody bought them and then emailed me.

Do I think these books are perfect? No. If the goal was perfection, then I still would be ordering proofs and tweaking. They may never have gotten published if I was waiting for them to be absolutely perfect.

What I did accomplish was the satisfaction of reaching a goal. The satisfaction of reaching that finish line called published.

However, I also know that I can't sit back and wait for the royalties to come in. I have to switch to a marketer and promoter, thinking how I can get my children in front of people and find them good homes

I also have ideas which are yelling at me to be put on paper. I am currently completing the draft of my next project, a doctrinal study guide. I am also researching another book idea. My book study this year is Genesis. Well, that would make at least four guides. "Hmmmm... I wonder..."

False Labor

Way back in the dark ages, college, my creative writing professor said that getting a book published is like being pregnant; it takes about nine months.

Most writers would say it takes longer than that. You have an idea that you gestate into a full blown manuscript, and then you have to work to get it published. Whether or not you go traditional route or self-publish, the process is pretty much the same.

But what he didn't tell you was the false labor that also accompanies the publishing process. You work hard to reach that goal of seeing your book in print. You submit your manuscript and get a proof back in your hands.

And there is it, in your hands, a copy of what your book will look like when you approve it and send it out into the world. Then you open it..

Crap!!! mistakes and typos. I knew I was in trouble when I noticed on the copyright notice Yahoo was spelled with 3 o's. I can't even blame my copy editor or typsetter because I am the copy editor and typesetter! Out comes the red pen and I pour over the manuscript. It's bleeding ink, but I'm satisfied I have corrected the mistakes.

Off goes the revised manuscript. Order another proof and I wait, again.

Crap!! More mistakes. Start the process all over again. make the corrections revise the manuscript, upload it and order a new proof

Well hopefully the third time will be the charm. I'm running out of red ink.

New Beginnings

It's been a while since I've been here. So much for the goal of posting something regularily!

Today I watched my son graduate from High School. It was a bittersweet celebration. The class of 2010 of Bawating Collegiate and Vocational School will the last graduating class. After 49 years the school is closing and will make way for Superior Heights, the new high school which is now taking shape in what was the parking lot of the old one.

To me, a graduation has always been a two edge sword. It means the accomplishment of a goal, but it also means the end of your current path. That can be a scary thing. You have spent so much effort in reaching your goal, and now that you are there, what's next?

Most of the graduates plan to further their education, either at college or University. Some have entered apprenticeships, and still others have decided to go to work for a while.

These young people have plans for their futures. Looking back at the graduations in my life. I have to realize not all of my plans bore fruit. There is an old saying that life is something that happens when you make other plans.

Would I have made different choices with the information I know hold in my hand. Definitely. I know for instance, I would have gone for teaching instead of journalism. At the time, I had no interest in going back to school, which is rather ironic as i have earned numerous diplomas over the years on various subjects. My newest one earned this spring, adorns the wall.

But then again, would I have been satisfied with the way my life turned out if I had gone that other route? That is something I can only speculate about.

Why do today what I can put off until tomorrow

It is amazing how many things demand my time when I am thinking about sitting down at my computer to write.

I have to check my e-mail. check the threads I follow on Christianwriters.com (CW), check the forums on crosswalk.com, get a bite to eat, and then since it is such a nice day, I know there are beds that need to be dug and prepared.

So where is the time to write? Or even think about it. After all, I have a couple of projects on the go and some more ideas simmering in the background. I should just be producing pages a day. But Spook my ferret is out of her cage and she is so much fun to play with. And the cats are demanding to be fed. There are dishes in the sink. I need to wage war on the dandelions.

Oops, time to check my threads on CW again. I need to ban Skeeter who just banned me.

BRB.

Hey Iron Chef is on. They are cooking snails. Yuck! I wonder who is in chat. Rats! No one.

Boy, it is already noon and I still have to get ready to go to work. Where did the morning go?

Oh, well, i did manage to write one or two paragraphs. Most of them are here.

I've fallen and I can't get up

I pay the bills by doing technical support. Not any technical support mind you, but phone tech support.

That's right. I'm one of those people you reach when you call 1-800 HELPME!

What's even more ironic is the fact I graduated from college many years ago with a B.A. in English with a minor in journalism, because all I wanted to do was write. When I was in college in the olden days, a student owning a computer was almost unheard of due to the expense. You had to book time on the school's computers, located in the library. My papers were written the old-fashioned way... on a manual typewriter. My knowledge of the cutting edge technology was next to nil.

After being in the real world for several years I realized I needed to get some training in the computer field, and have been there ever since.

So here I am resolving life's most perplexing questions. Like, "Why isn't my Farmville working?" and "Where's my start button? I don't see my start button." "Where is the "any" key on my keyboard?" "Where's the off button?" and "Do you mean the modem? That big black box?"

The sad part is I'm not making up these statements. I have actually had a customer call me, unable to locate the any key on the keyboard. Or the one who can't find the start button because he was looking on the keyboard instead of the monitor.

I've had a customer tell me they are in an office building and cannot open their windows. I've also had a customer leave the computer and go and open their windows. I even had a customer who paid for support only to be told he needed new batteries for his wireless mouse. that turned in an expensive pair of triple As!

Even though the customer is often blaming us, or their computer, the fact of the matter most problems with the computer boil down to a "PEBCAK" error. The Problem Exists Between Chair and Computer.

After I earned my Computer Support Diploma, I taught Computer Courses at a local business school. One of the first things I would say to my class is do you know what happens when you call one of those helplines and they put you on hold? Of course the class would say "No."

I would reply "They are calling over their coworkers saying, "You gotta listen to this one!""

Some of the class would laugh, a few would looked shocked. After all, as the teacher, I must be telling the truth.

But I would finish up the story. Those people were once sitting in chairs where you are now.

Now that I've been in the tech-support industry for several years, it comes as no surprise. I was right all along. "Hey guys, have I got a good one for you!"

The Audience

I'm reading On Writing Well by William Zinsser. He asks the question "Who is my audience?"

His answer to that is surprising. He said "You are writing for yourself."

It did make me think. As a writer, I want people to read my words and what I have to say. In the back of my mind, i am constantly wondering if people even care about what I am writing. Or if a publisher will see my work and know there is a spot for it in their arsenal.

However, when you actually think about it, he's right. There is no such thing as the mass audience. Readers and editors don't know what they want until they read it. A writer is writing primarily to please himself, or herself. If you are writing with enjoyment, then what you write will also entertain the readers who are worth writing for.

But as a Christian writer, there is another side to the story. It is this. I am writing to please myself, and I am writing to please God. I am not niave enough to think that what I am writing is inspired. Only the Bible was inspired. But there are times when i walk away from the computer with a sense of satisfaction, knowing what I wrote was from my heart to God's.

This is my offering of praise. To write for my audience of two.

The author and finisher of my faith

I'm just about finished my draft for The Bible School Dropout's Guide to Hebrews. It has been an ongoing project for over a year now. After all, it is only right if I'm writing a study guide, that I should study the book myself!

It has been an amazing journey. From a writer's viewpoint, seeing the author develop his argument piece by piece until the only conclusion you can come to is to believe in Jesus. He skillfully weaves the Old Testament into his masterpiece, showing how the prophets, priests. sacrifices, the tabernacle, and the Law were all pictures of Christ, God's solution.

In Chapter 12, we are encouraged to look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. As a writer, I understand this concept well.

A writer creates a world in which he places his creation and creatures. He gives them life and sets a goal before them and tests them along the way to see if they are worthy to reach that goal. He guides their actions and knows how they will respond to certain circumstances which he puts in their paths.

Jesus is my author. He is writing my story and guiding me to the climax, when I will reach the goal that is set before me. My story is filled with unexpected plot twists, red herrings, and more than a few wrong turns. But I am confident that in the end. I will arrive exactly where God wants me to be.

The learning curve

After more than a year of peddling my book in a traditional publishing market. I was starting to lose hope it would ever see the light of day on a bookshelf. The only response I received was from a shady outfit that would publish my work for a consulting fee and if it sold the minimum required copies, my "fee" would be refunded.

Since I had an important message to share, I was determined to find a way to get my book into print. I had even considered getting it photo-copied and bound at the local Staples. But the cost for that is prohibitive. Once i figured printing and binding costs, advertising, and shipping, not to mention my labor in all of this, I quickly realized it was not a cost effective way to go.

I researched POD companies. But the costs were also prohibitive in going this method. Again, I would have to put all of the money up front, purchase the books and go from there. The only difference is I would have a book and not a photocopied manuscript.

Then along came Createspace.com. This site will allow me to get my book to market at no or little cost. Well, at least not in terms of money.

So now i am learning to wear some of the many hats it takes to bring a book to market. Not only as the writer, which is the beginning, but other things as well. Like copy editor, layout artist, typesetter, troubleshooter, and publisher.

When they tell you it's a do-it-yourself operation, they are not kidding!

Something new

How hard can it be to create a blog? Answer a few questions... click the mouse a few times and voila! There is the blog. Newly created, like a blank page in a typewriter, for those who remember what a typewriter is.

But after you create the blog, then comes the work. What do I call it? Do I want something that indicates it's a serious blog? Which no one will read? Or go with the lighthearted in an attempt to attract an audience and cover both serious things and not so serious things?

This shouldn't be this hard. After all I've written four books and even published one. And yet that task seemed easier than thinking up a name for this blog.

I thought about something that alliterates with dropout.. like dropout's droppings. That did not sound very appropriate. Like I was going to leave waste behind.

That left out dingleberries as well. Ewww! Maybe such a title would appeal to a 10-year old boy.

I got the suggestion Dingbats. Besides being a font in a lot of word processor applications, it didn't hold much appeal.

Then I though about Dropout's Doodles. Now that may work. Kinda catchy.

So with the help of a friend, i thought about snickerdoodles. I like snickerdoodles. They are a sweet, cinnamon flavored cookie. They are also crunchy and goes great with a glass of milk, hot chocolate, coffee or tea.

What does that have to do with writing? Absolutely nothing. Unless you like to eat and drink when you are typing.