Dear Elizabeth Last Year

Dear Elizabeth,

I'm you from 2012. This year, 2011, you're going to publish your first novel. I know what you're thinking, that we barely wrote well enough for approval at Twilighted.net, but have faith. You will succeed. But let me give you a little advice to help you before you get in too deep.

Be a Reader....Online


Now is the time to read ebooks and review them on Goodreads and maybe your own blog. I know you're afraid that by reading while you're writing, you might accidentally incorporate their ideas into your book. But that's simply not true. After all, how many hundreds of books have you read before today? Exactly. So read, and review. This will connect you with other readers and when YOUR book comes out, they will feel a connection with you and want to read it, too. Plus, they make great beta readers. Time? Make time. Make Fridays your reading day. We both know you can read a good novel in 3 hours. Aim for at least one per week.

Save up $500 in working capital


The book you're going to write will cost about $500 to produce once all is said and done. Cover art, ebook conversion software, writing books, website costs, and inexpensive marketing is going to run about $500. Be frugal, and learn everything you can. We both know we're not a graphic artist. Hire a great cover artist, like Melissa Oyler, and see if she can work with you. You never know until you ask.

#Wordmongering is your friend


We are major procrastinators. Why do now what you know you can squeeze out later? Right? So #wordmongering is your friend. Meet up with other authors at the :00 and write for 30 minutes. Celebrate your word count. Take a half hour off. Repeat. You write 750-1000 words every time to you do this (because you have a rockin' outline of scenes) and therefore it only takes 90-100 #wordmongering sessions to write your novel. (It's going to take you 5 months to write CANCELLED, but if you #wordmongered 2 sessions per day, you could finish in a month and a half... just sayin').

Be Careful Who You Team With


There are going to be many wolves in sheep's clothing that will love to use your time and talent, or even your money, and not deliver what's promised. You have a heart of gold and easily put other people before yourself. You did this when you were an Ombudsman, when you worked for Alcoa... it's the big sister in you. That's okay, but remember to put your OWN oxygen mask on before assisting others. Your writing must come first.

Everyone is Going to Love It


You're worried no one will like your book. Every writer feels that way, and this stops most of them dead in their tracks. But 99.9% of the time people are going to be impressed just that you wrote a novel. Because it's everyone's dream, and YOU made yours happen. Someone might eventually not like CANCELLED, but that doesn't mean they don't like you. They just couldn't relate to the story. After all, you don't like every book you've ever read but never felt negative feelings towards the author. Well, except for William Faulkner but that's more wrath against the closed minded students in your 11th grade honors English class. And that's okay, he's dead.

So hold your head up high, and keep on trucking. I expect even more from you in 2012, young lady.

Sincerely,
You, Monday, January 2, 2012.

A robotics engineer asks his business partner to marry him, but a previous one-night stand is having his baby. CANCELLED is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords.  WIP: SERVED Two never married parents fight over their toddler's upbringing and moving on with their lives, without each other;(status: outlining)