A few weeks ago I made this blog private, only visible to those with invitations, and invitations only going to other writers.
The reason:
I suddenly got paranoid. I thought of all the mistakes I've made in publishing, some foolish, some risky, some possible downright self-destructive, depending on how the next few weeks, months and years pan out.
I thought of the editors currently reviewing my manuscript.
I thought of the one who currently loves it (YES!) ; loves it enough to send it to the editorial board of Ballantine, Random House.
That's where it's been ever since.
What if They (They of the editorial board) read this blog? They'll think I'm a loose cannon! So, that's the reason I privatized it.
So if you came here in the last few weeks and found yourself locked out, I apologize (but then you wouldn't be reading this would you? Unless I've invited you back in). It wasn't personal. It was just my paranoia.
And then, things in my personal life weren't going so well.
They still aren't.
I did the equivalent of jumping into bed and pulling the blanket over my head; I more or less withdrew from the blogosphere.
But hiding in a cocoon of self-pity didn't do me any good, so here I am again: that ms is still out there, and news could come at any moment of any day. That news may be good, it may be bad, but whatever it is, I'll just keep on trucking.
What choice have I got?
Welcome back, me!
2 comments:
I think you are VERY wise. It is always a good idea to be cautious.
I make sure whatever I say could be comfortably said on the front page of the newspaper.
After my book sold I was not any less mindful of what I was saying.
I don't really see anything self destructive here, but I agree with Pat, it's wise to be cautious.
My own book has garnered far more attention than I imagined, and I'm glad I am naturally factual and cautious in what I say anyway.
I have been surprised by the growth of this blog community, or at least my part in it. That makes me think you should look at having a public blog devoted to some element of your stories.
For example, my own blog is largely focused on issues discussed in my book. And I believe it helps build support for the book by being there. You could do the same.
I hope they take you on with this most recent work. I have been very impressed with what I've seen from Random and I was also impressed with what I saw of Penguin/Putnam. Those two companies are surely head and shoulders above the others in terms of capability.
I hope to learn a lot more when I go to BEA this week.
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