Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
Twitter hashtag is #IWSG
The awesome co-hosts for the September 2 posting of the IWSG will be Julie Flanders, Murees Dupé, Dolorah at Book Lover, Christine Rains, and Me!
Of course I'm insecure.
Don't be silly.
This publishing thing is like a roller coaster ride from hell.
Yay, my book is done.
Argh, I have to do all this work to make it better.
Yay, my book is better.
Argh, I have to wait all this time until its released.
Yay, my book has been released.
Argh, sales have dropped to nada.
Yay, someone wrote a nice review.
Argh, I've had the same 10 reviews for months.
Yay, I'm working on another book.
Argh, my muse is on vacation.
Thought you were the only one? Or, thought it would be easy after you got signed or decided to self-publish?
Nah. Nothing worth having is easy.
We just have to keep pushing. Keep moving forward. Keep writing. The more work we put into it, the more we get out of it.
True story.
Are you feeling insecure riding the publishing roller coaster?
***
The Dark Side of the Moon
by Kristy Centeno
***
The Dark Side of the Moon
by Kristy Centeno
A Secrets of the Moon Novel
Publisher: InkSpell Publishing
Cover: Najla Qambar Designs
Release Day: 9-1-2015
Release Day: 9-1-2015
Print:
Ebook:
During her darkest
hour, will she find the courage to seek the light?
Marjorie has eluded both capture and death yet again, but
her days are numbered. The old threat has resurfaced to endanger everyone she
cares for and only a forged alliance with a member of royal blood will
guarantee their safety and hers.
However, in the midst of accepting who she is, Marjorie has
to come to terms with the fact that those she considered friends may be
anything but, and the mother she thought dead may have been missing against her
will.
A relationship in turmoil, a storm brewing in the distance,
a shattered tranquility...will she find the courage to save her loved ones even
if that means losing her humanity?
Kristy Centeno is an author of paranormal romance, young
adult, new adult, horror, and contemporary romance.
She has always had a passion for books and after years of
being an avid reader, she decided to transform her desire to write into a
reality and thus, her first novel was born. In her journey to create memorable
reads, she has delved into several genres, creating fictional characters meant
to entice readers and captivate the mind.
She is currently working on finishing off the Secrets of the
Moon saga among other projects, which include sequels to her published work.
When she’s not busy taking care of her five children or holding down the fort,
she finds time to sit and do what she loves the most: writing.
Website: http://booksbycenteno.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/KristyCenteno
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/KrissyGirl122
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/KristyCenteno
***
Okay, now ... on to the really EXCITING NEWS!!
An amazing opportunity from the admins at the IWSG!!
After the success of last year’s IWSG Guide to Publishing and Beyond, we decided to create another book. This time it’s a short story competition with the top ten stories getting published in the anthology.
Eligibility: Any member of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group is encouraged to enter – blogging or Facebook member. The story must be previously unpublished. Entry is free.
Word count: 5000-6000
Theme: Alternate History/Parallel Universe. That’s right, we’ve decided to go the speculative route. This theme has plenty of scope and we’re open to pretty much anything along these lines, except erotica or graphic violence.
Story deadline: November 1st 2015
How to enter: Send your polished, formatted, previously unpublished story to TheIWSG at gmail dot com before the deadline passes. Make sure to include your contact details.
Judging: The IWSG admins will create a shortlist of the best stories. The shortlist will then be sent to our official judges:
·
Laura Maisano - Senior editor at Anaiah
Press for their YA/NA Christian fiction
·
Russell Connor – Author and owner of
Dark Filament Publishing Startup
·
Candace Havens - Author and
Editorial Director for the Covet, Edge and Select lines at Entangled
Publishing
·
Dawn Frederick – Literary agent and the
founder of Red Sofa Literary
·
Alice Speilburg – Founder of the
Speilburg Literary Agency
·
Michelle Johnson – Founder of Inklings
Literary Agency and Writers' Center and Bookstore owner
·
Kendare Blake - Author
·
Lydia Moëd - Associate agent at The Rights
Factory
Prizes: The winning stories will be
edited and published by Freedom Fox Press next year in the IWSG anthology.
Authors will receive royalties on books sold, both print and eBook. The top
story will have the honor of giving the anthology its title. The winners will
also receive an exclusive badge to display on their blog.
We’re excited to see the creativity and enthusiasm that’s such a part of this group put into action. So don your creative caps and start writing. And spread the word!
We’re excited to see the creativity and enthusiasm that’s such a part of this group put into action. So don your creative caps and start writing. And spread the word!
***
This is amazing news!!
Ever think about writing a short story about an alternate history/parallel universe?
I am now!!
Sounds like a good book to read Heather, Yes! I think we are all insecure in some way or another which is why this group helps and so a big thank you to Alex and helpers for ensuring it remains. The contest is a wonderful idea but as I write only poetry I am afraid I won't be able to enter.
ReplyDeleteTake care.
Yvonne.
Argh! Sounds like you are arguing with a pirate.
ReplyDeleteThis contest is going to be epic.
Thanks for co-hosting today!
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI love how you did your introduction. Cool. And what you had to say is also heavy. You're right. The roller-coaster as I like to say doesn't slow down, it keeps going and gets faster.
Thank you so much for co-hosting today.
Shalom,
Patricia
It is a ride from hell! LOL
ReplyDeletePeople say to just get busy writing the next book. I agree now. Of course, us self-published folks still have to do the other things, but focusing on writing the next book keeps me sane. :)
Great anthology idea and impressive judges. Kudos!
Thanks for co-hosting.
IWSG #119 until Alex culls the list again
Heather, this really hit home. I tell my Crafting a Novel college students that writing the book is only half the job, but I really don't think they believe me. If anyone had told me ten years ago that I would be marketing like I am (even with a traditional publisher) I probably wouldn't have believed them either! Nice to meet you!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I really wish I wrote alt-history/parallel. lol Thanks for co-hosting!
ReplyDeleteA rollercoaster is the perfect comparison to being a writer. Thanks for sharing the announcement and co-hosting.
ReplyDeleteSusan Says
It's awesome that you had the courage to see it through and get published. I've never really had the courage or the organizational skills. I have a lot of unfinished stories!
ReplyDeletehttp://teamnetherworldlovesyou.blogspot.com/
Oh yeah, I'm definitely doing loops on that roller coaster ride right now. It's crazy! And it doesn't get any easier the more stories you publish. The contest is awesome news! I'll have to try to think of an idea for it. And it's a pleasure to co-host with you today. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting Heather! Rollercoaster? No kidding! As one who 'thought' it would get easier- Hah! Roll with the ups and downs!
ReplyDeleteTrue words! You never quit worrying, but you get a little bit further every day!
ReplyDeleteYeah I've been on that rollercoaster all summer - and I really don't like them! Thanks for co-hosting the IWSG this month, and now to go off and invent my parallel universe :)
ReplyDeleteThe cover is stunning, Heather. Congratulations. Did you listen to Pink Floyd while your wrote?
ReplyDeleteI totally get your roller coaster ride!!! Excellent outline of the crap we go through - sigh.
ReplyDeleteThanks for co-hosting!
http://shahwharton.com
Thanks for co-hosting! I'm super stoked about this anthology news! :)
ReplyDeleteI haven't even published anything yet and the roller coaster is in full swing. I never expected it to stop :)
Dark Side of the Moon sounds really good! I'll have to add it to my never-ending to be read list!
- Madilyn Quinn @ NovelBrews
I think we're on that roller coaster together - like the new Colossus at Magic Mountain in CA where they have two coasters that "race" each other through the loops. :)
ReplyDeleteYay for the news! And Congrats to Kristy!
Yup, all those roller coaster emotions are legit. Why can't this be easier? (she whines).
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting this month!
Love the writer's roller coaster--because it's so true! I try to level it out by tamping down the excitement and grinning through the tragedies. I guess it helps. Maybe.
ReplyDeleteThanks for co-hosting. Great post and best of luck. Wishing you no more worries and smooth sailing.
ReplyDeleteJuneta Writer's Gambit
Yeah, we all go through it and are at one of the dips or bends along the way. One one hand, it's nice to have so much common ground. On the other, I wish it was prettier ground. Here's to cultivating it and making this journey epic, eh?
ReplyDeleteI'm still editing my book and it already feels like a roller coaster.
ReplyDeleteThanks for co-hosting!
Right now I am saying "argh" to the no sales and no new reviews. I have been trying so much to get both and...nada. But I never learn my lesson because I keep writing and publishing. ;) That's actually the best thing we can do...keep on writing! :)
ReplyDeleteI suppose the alternative is to become a recluse like JD Salinger and hide all your manuscripts away in a safe deposit box.
ReplyDeleteI spend too much time living in an alternate universe that I'd rather write fiction! (LOL.) One genre I have yet to explore but certainly don't think I can make the deadline. Love your roller coaster story line, exactly how I am/have feeling/felt. Thanks for co-hosting this month's IWSG.
ReplyDelete"The more work we put into it, the more we get out of it." - So true!
ReplyDeleteAnd thinking about a story for the anthology - not my usual genre but we'll see!
Who knew writing (and publishing) would be work? Kidding of course. Such good advice here. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Alex, loved the pirate talk, LOL. Of course, we are all nervous and insecure, regardless of how far along we are in the process. It's a human emotion. I've tried over 100 jury trials and I still get nervous and feel insecure right before I begin speaking to a jury. My husband has been a lawyer for thirty years and told me the same. I imagine it will be the same for my publishing career. If we didn't feel insecure or nervous then something would be wrong.
ReplyDeleteHi Heather, and great to see you as co-host today! Loved the little discussion at the start of this post. I could have written that!
ReplyDeleteInteresting book you've presented here today! It sounds like Marjorie has quite a journey of survival ahead.
Thanks for co-hosting today. Yes, that sounds like a good story. I've been on that roller coaster ride. Hubs thinks when I say I finished a book, that means I'm finished. Hahaha. He's learning.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my blog and the words of encouragement. Now to think of an alternate history story! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for co-hosting this month! You made me laugh with your words of truth! Yes I am on that roller coaster too.
ReplyDeleteI am loving the IWSG Big News today. This is going to be fun.
Your description of writing the book and beyond is just perfect! Thanks for co-hosting today and sharing.
ReplyDeleteAlmost makes you wonder why we ever wanted to be writers in the first place, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteThanks for co-hosting this month's IWSG.
It is great co-hosting with you. Ah, the dreaded emotional roller coaster. I think I'm on it right now:) Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteIt's good to know that others do the emotional rollercoaster thing too. Doesn't necessarily make it easier, but misery loves company ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting
Yep, there are ups and downs on a daily basis. It's definitely not true that everything's rosy once you get published, but we have to plough on and keep writing! Excellent contest from IWSG. I'll need to see what I can come up with. Congrats to Kristy!
ReplyDeleteHeather have fun co-hosting. And writing is a roller coaster ride of emotions but there's nothing else I'd rather be doing.
ReplyDeleteAll the arghs made me laugh. The truth is funny. :) Never give up, never surrender. Congrats to Kristy on the new book!
ReplyDeleteDark Side of the Moon sounds great, and I'm not biased, but my daughter's name is Marjorie so I tend to really like that name! Loved this post!!!! Thanks for co-hosting this month!
ReplyDeleteI love alternative-universe stories, but I find it harder to write short stories than novels for some reason. If I can come up with a workable concept before the deadline, I might be tempted, though!
ReplyDeleteThanks for co-hosting. :)
Looking forward to that roller coaster ride. The work getting there is tough. Thanks for hosting this month!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your new release!! That's pretty exciting news too, I'd say. Best wishes. Thanks for co hosting!
ReplyDeleteThanks for co-hosting!
ReplyDeleteMy current WIP is an alternative history, though it'd probably be cheating to submit a story that's just part of my WIP instead of a standalone.
I wouldn't mind being on a roller coaster. Right now I'm insecure about being stuck on the merry-go-round just going in circles.
ReplyDeleteArlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
Tossing It Out
Wouldn't it be nice to have some guarantees that our books will do well?
ReplyDeleteThanks for co-hosting.
It certainly is a roller coaster ride! And yes nothing worth having comes easy. What an opportunity to enter for the anthology! Very cool!
ReplyDeleteYou're certainly right about the roller coaster. I love the Anthology idea; I might give it a shot. Thanks for co-hosting! Argh! :)
ReplyDeleteRoller coaster for sure, but isn't life that way many times?
ReplyDeleteCool book feature.
The anthology contest sounds very exciting.
Thanks for co-hosting.
It is a roller coaster. We enjoy the highs and then hit a low. If anyone says publishing is easy, I want to punch them. =|
ReplyDeleteThanks for co-hosting today Heather. It's funny how you state writing's likeness to roller coasters. I'm scared to death of roller coasters. You would never get me on one, not on your life. But here I am riding this writing/publishing roller coaster. And with no attention of getting off. Go figure. Anyways, let's hope none of us ever decide we want to get off this ride. And congrats about your book release!
ReplyDeleteI haven't gotten past the whole finishing a manuscript yet. That is hard enough for me. Baby steps, I guess.... Good luck with everything! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm always waiting for the other shoe to drop when I get good writing news :)
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Kristy. I hope to submit for the anthology. *crosses fingers*
Loved your blurb. The bad news is I've had the same 24 reviews for 4 years. I hope to change that now that I can write because my health is on the mend.
ReplyDeleteNancy
It certainly is a roller coaster. And I haven't even begun submitting novel manuscripts (versus short stories) yet!
ReplyDeleteWow! What a banner day it is around here! Thanks for dropping by In the Shade, Pat!
ReplyDeleteLove the internal dialogue. That pretty much sums it up. The writing contest is a brilliant idea.
ReplyDeletePlay off the Page
LOL - it truly is the perfect example of the roller coaster we're all on ;)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to Kristy, looks GREAT!
And I'm so excited about the Anthology contest, this group is so amazing!
After my first book was published, and celebrations cooled down, I thought I could get my life back. After ten years of writing and taking classes, I missed the things I used to love to do. Then marketing, and, well all of you know the dance to life of a writer. I resisted my muse's nagging to begin book two. I failed. Book two is at the publisher and I'm still hoping to get my old life back. LOL. Blessings.
ReplyDeleteEvery time I read a post by someone who is published (in any way) I'm reminded to celebrate even the small victories. The process is never-ending AND most of us will never be at the top of the bestseller list. It's one foot in front of the other all the time.
ReplyDeleteI'm meant to go and help support other people, but I'm finding more and more support for myself as I've been going along and reading. So many great words of encouragement. Some great words of reminders as well. "Nothing worth having is easy". So true.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the encouragement, and here's a little from me to you.
Keep up your great work and hard dedication. It's an inspiration to others.
Ha, ha, roller coaster is so true. Just have to keep plugging. Congrats to Kristy Centeno on her new release! Thanks for the inspirational words and for co-hosting this month!
ReplyDeleteSo true. I'm going to commit myself for consistently putting the work in, even if it can't always be several hours per day.
ReplyDeleteThe anthology contest is really exciting! I'm thinking about it. I really loved Sliding Doors.
Thanks for co-hosting this month! So true that nothing worth having is easy. I haven't made it to the publishing roller coaster yet, but it does look intimidating. I'm hoping to enter the contest, I have some ideas coming together :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, everyone, for the great comments!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad that my post rang true with so many of you!
KEEP MOVING FORWARD!
Heather