Getting Published: Notice a Trend

Well, after a few hurdles I got the blogging essay collection uploaded to Kindle Direct (I wanted to try IngramSpark as a comparison but wasn't in the mood at the moment)...

Notice a Trend: 17 Years of Prime Blogging is now for sale!

All because I had award-winning blog articles from the Florida Writers Association's Royal Palm Awards - see the gold sticker! - and needed a print book to put the award stickers.

The hurdles involved as always: 

1) hiring someone to make the book cover. I went to Fiverr again and found cover designer Olinart who suggested a different approach that looked cleaner and fit the theme of the book better.

2) hiring someone to format the book for publication, because in spite of my years of writing and my background in journalism I still can't get the damn margins and book gutters (that space between printed pages where the bindery keeps it all together) figured out to a 6" x 9" alignment. PLUS getting the footnotes squeezed into the PDF was a headache, and this book on blogging - where the links to articles backing up your arguments normally go - won't go anywhere without proper citing.

Formatting to publication for fiction works seems pretty straightforward as a lot of designers offer to do that. Formatting non-fiction was a harder get, so I ended up going to a site called Reedsy where I sent out requests and got one back from Michael Vito T. who got the margins done, spaced pages to make it fit, and tweaked the fonts.

It still costs out of pocket to get these things done, but it's a far better - and more budget-friendly - method than dealing with Print-On-Demand services.

The eBook on Kindle is ready to go. The print paperback will take another three days for market. I'll amend this article when I'm sure the ISBN numbers are set.

Maybe with a fiction book I will attempt to publish via IngramSpark that way and test how that goes.

P.S. Funny Locations is doing well and I hope to find more short story fans! 

Next Up For 2024: Getting Published to IngramSpark

Okay, as you know I've published a book through Amazon Kindle Direct. As a librarian who teaches computer skills classes especially one on self-publishing, I need to understand the process for getting published through the OTHER market through IngramSpark, so my next project is getting my blogging article collection set up through THAT.

So I will be distracted by getting this done over the next month or so, including making an order for a book cover - what should a non-fiction book cover look like? - and then making sure the formatting is done proper (Ingram seems to use different formatting than Amazon).

I will update when I can. In the meantime, PLEASE tell your friends about Funny Locations and get them to buy copies and leave reviews! Danke.

I Survived Florida Writers Association Royal Palm Awards Dinner 2023

Well, this year for some reason the Florida Writers Association was not selling a Day-Only attendance for me to attend on Saturday, they were offering the full weekend which cut into my work schedule (and honestly I cannot afford). So I missed the conference presentations and discussion groups.

I did pay to attend the Royal Palm Awards banquet as I was a Finalist this year in the Nonfiction - Published Blog or Article category and I had high hopes for my submission "All Which Wicked Designs" this year.

Checking in before the dinner.

It seemed to be a smaller crowd than last year's, but well attended.
Only a handful were finalists, the rest were there for the good food
and the friendships.

People at my table wondered why the dessert was out first.
I suggested the possibility the cheesecakes were frozen served,
and the servers put it out early to warm up to room temp.

Nice mix of zucchini, mashed potatoes, and a chicken/steak combo.

I have to admit this photo is 7 years old, I may need a new
Author headshot.

And... well...

SQUEE

I received GOLD in the Blogging category!!! 

As I already planned to include the article in the collected essays book I'm currently putting together, I will need to include the update for it.

I did not receive printed stickers this year, because someone must have realized as an online article I had nothing physical to place stickers upon. I should get an image file shortly.

Yay.

For Winning the Silver in the RPLA Nonfiction Blogging

 

I will add this to my "Irrational" article over at the You Might Notice A Trend blog.

It's always a good motivational to have an award on your mind as you keep writing. /sigh

I Survived Florida Writers Conference 2022

And I have documented evidence that they didn't survive me. BWHAHAHAHA. Ow stop hitting me.

Okay. TO THE PHOTOS.

I have my Batman logo t-shirt on, but
my blue button-shirt is in the laundry
so I wore a white-blue beach bum shirt
instead. I masked for much of the day
because yes COVID IS STILL OUT THERE...

One of the two writing sessions I attended.
The FWA organizers hosted a smaller program this year,
again due to COVID and people still being wary of
public places...

The lunch gathering.

The dinner gathering. They switched out the tablecloths,
obviously. ;-)

One thing at FWA was the backlog of annual anthology
publications offered for FREE. I'm guessing they were
clearing out storage space somewhere.
AS A LIBRARIAN I CANNOT RESIST
FREE BOOKS!!!!! This was just the one I brought with me
to the dinner. There was a huge pile of volumes
back in my car...

I changed out to a more professional look for the dinner,
because I was a Royal Palm Literary Award finalist in the
Nonfiction - Blogging/Articles category. I know this isn't
Oscars-worthy fashion, but WORK WITH ME HERE.

Hark! A Blogger Approaches!

HOLY FORKING SHIRTBALLS.
I WON SILVER (2nd) WITH THE 
"Irrational" ARTICLE FROM MY POLITICAL BLOG!
BRING TO ME THE FINEST CHEESES OF THE LAND.

There may be more photos and prize stickers forthcoming. Long day, satisfying night. 

Update: Here is the official event photo of me accepting the award!

Keep on blogging, you beautiful bastards!

 

FWA Finalists for the 2022 Royal Palm Literary Awards

HOLY FORKING SHIRTBALLS.

Two of my blog article submissions to the Best Non-Fiction Short/Blogging category have reached FINALIST status!!!

The submissions still in it to win it are:

Hark! A Ranking of Nirvana Albums

Irrational

I'm a bit surprised The Tragedy of Surfside did not reach Finalist status, as it was both a somber (and non-partisan) article as well as something of regional (Florida) interest. Irrational, after all, was rather partisan (anti-trumpian) in tone. Hmm. The judging does depend on how the readers view the quality of it, alas.

Still and all, NOW I have to go get a day pass to attend this year's FWA Conference to be present for a hopeful award win. I know now the rules about Finalist grading does NOT guarantee a win - there can be more than three Finalists, hell there could be more than TEN Finalists for the top three awards - so I will be more guarded about my hopes.

Good luck, all.

Update on the FWA Royal Palm Submissions in 2022

Well, started getting the word back from the Florida Writers' Association on the Royal Palm Literary Awards, where I had submitted five articles from my political blog this year for consideration in the Non-Fiction - Blogging category.

Sad news is that two of them - "The Big Lie and the One Truth," and "Strange Days Inside the Job Lines" - did not make the Semifinalist cut.

Good news is that three of them - "Irrational," "The Tragedy in Surfside," and "Hark! A Ranking of Nirvana Albums" - DID make the Semifinalist cut, and I am hopeful that at least one of those articles can reach Finalist status as well.

I have to admit the new art logos for the RPLA awards are more eye-catching than the previous banners. Nice...

Sometimes This Needs To Be Said

Damn the Man.

You can resume your scheduled weekend events. Good luck.

Submitting to FWA 2022

Okay, I've done my ego some good submitting a number of works to the Florida Writers Association's annual Royal Palm Literary Awards!

I sent in five articles from my political blog for the Short Non-Fiction/Blogging category, hopefully this year I won't be toooooo partisan in my opinions.

I also submitted two flash fiction items I'd written this 2021, both of them were for a flash publication that were not accepted, but I feel good about them so I'm trying them with the RPLA. Update: Okay it turns out I did not pay attention to the rule changes. Last time I was told you could submit up to five entries per genre, but this year it's just five entries TOTAL. So I had to weed out the two flash fiction entries and eat the "No Refunds" consequences.

I also also submitted the FWA's annual anthology, this year themed "Thrills and Chills," and with luck it's funny enough - well, *I* like the punchline - to impress the judges this time around.

I'm thinking about submitting one more, longer short story that I've been toiling with for years, but I need to get it done soonest before the Early Bird submission costs go up.

KEEP WRITING, FELLOW WRITERS!

Here's hoping for good news by June/July...

Updating My Wittylibrarian Art

Still working on getting this definition / logo updated for self-merch and stuff.

So now I need to add this to a coffee mug somewhere... brb.

Update 7/25/21: Okay, got the coffee mug made at VistaPrint, and it got shipped in solid condition, which was way better than CafePress' delivery.

Gonna show this off at work, krewe!!!

I think I got some neat giveaway items for the next comic-con I'll be attending...

The Award

It came today in the mail!

I have Mal lying in repose behind it so you can see the white text more clearly on his black fur.

(hmmm) (contented sigh)

It feels good, getting recognition at something artistic - painting, writing, photography, singing, performing - you enjoy doing.

Thank you, Florida Writers Association, for this accolade!

Royal Palm Literary Awards 2020: Award Ceremony

Having submitted a Finalist in the category of Short Nonfiction: Article or Blog, with "Seven Reasons NOT to Invade Iran" from my You Might Notice a Trend political blog, I waited and watched last night's Royal Palm Literary Awards via online presentation (hi, pandemic!) for the results.

Which was this:

They haven't published the full list of winners - which covers Fiction and Nonfiction, Poetry, Published and Unpublished works - but I'll update this site with a link when I can.

This is a good, nice feeling. For a writer, there is some satisfaction when you get a work printed even when it's self-published like on a blog because there's the enjoyment of having committed the writing to paper (so to speak) and put it out there for entertainment or enlightenment or both. There is a lot of satisfaction (well, depending on how much of a perfectionist the writer is) when any work is lauded by peers.

Thank you, Royal Palm judges. I know it's tricky to give accolades to politically-tinged writing, and I am grateful you are wise enough to be open-minded to judge a work on its quality.

Now, back to blogging! (writes op-ed about how gun nut militias are ruining PT Cruiser's reputation as a cool retro car) ...What?

Update on Royal Palm Literary Award Submission 2020

I've previously reported I reached the Semi-Finalist status for a Royal Palm Literary Award in the Non-Fiction Blogging category, and I am happy to report that I received word today that it's now a FINALIST in that category!

The article "Seven Reasons NOT To Invade Iran" qualifies now to reach First, Second or Third Place. However, not guaranteed: I learned a few years back that there can be more than three Finalists in most categories, so I have to remain optimistic but guarded this time.

Still and all, good news, keeps me motivated, what what. Back to writing!

(Naps on a Saturday during a thunderstorm) ...dammit...

Anybody Good With Zazzle?

Hola, peeps. I gave up on Cafe Press as a place to market Witty Librarian merch - the coffee mugs kept getting cracked in shipment - so I'm switching over to Zazzle to see if things are better over there.

So um, I uploaded my Witty quote banner to the site and got it attached to a coffee mug and... well, now I'm trying to figure out how to transfer that banner JPG onto other items like mousepads, t-shirts, and SUVs.

Anyone got any tips on that? The instructions all keep saying I need to transfer to a Template format but it's not giving me the ability to upload to Template. Unless I missed a step somewhere...

In One More Day, I Begin NaNoWriMo 2019!

Sharing this link with you as I get ready to commit to National Novel Writing Month for 2019!

https://blog.nanowrimo.org/post/188067825552/its-october-which-means-that-national-novel

There's images and banners stuff you can download to your own social media pages.

Like this one

Good luck with your projects, fellow writers!

Asking for Artwork Commission for this Blog

I need to spruce up the WELCOME page I'm creating for the blog - to support the new www.paulwstories.com address - so I'd like to get in touch with any comic book or fantasy genre artists for commission. I know some people don't want to work with my Comments site so just click on my EMAIL link here to chat with me.

I'd like to get something done by May, if possible.

Making Changes at This Blog

Check out the Writings tab on the menu above!

And I should be adding more books as this year progresses!

Busy New Year's Day 2019

Just been doing a few things here and there.

• I got the "Face In the Light" submitted to a magazine, see how the response goes.
• I am updating my web address info for self-marketing. I went out and snagged a new domain that I will use to redirect people to the blog here. Which may involve me renaming a few things here and there on THIS site.
  The new address is www.paulwstories.com 
• I am redoing the Writings Tab on the menu above, adding book covers to the links to provide visual info for people to follow. This is still a work in progress and may involve a complete rehaul of things.
• I am about to start work on a specific story for a specific submission, may the Old Gods and the New protect us.

Hello, 2019!

Plan For 2019 As a Writer

One of my priorities is submitting "A Face In the Light" to any publisher willing to accept it. Gwendolyn Kiste, bless her, gave me a suggested magazine to try at the beginning of January!

In terms of other projects, I'm keen on completing the NaNo novel this past year and getting it submitted through IngramSpark (ah, more on that later) which has a deal through NaNo worth checking out.

Otherwise, I need to keep writing. One idea, hopefully not too stressful, is to write a short story once a week. Since stories and not novels are my forte, play to my strengths. There's a ton of Talents 'verse stories I *should* get done (superhero ideas in my head since the 2000s).

One last thing is to see about reclaiming an old domain name I had (I dunno if I ever linked it through this blog before). It's already proving a hard project: even though it's been abandoned, it hasn't been picked up and any attempt to repurchase it is blocked. I need to check with the original domain provider about getting it back...

Curiosity and Saying Hello

Just checking, is anyone still visiting this blog? I know I don't keep it updated as often as I should.

I'm gonna unlock the comments options on this site just to see what the responses will be. Please take a moment to say Hallo.