By the way, if you'd like to be a guest blogger next year for us, please contact one of us. We'd love to have you. You don't have to be an equestrian fiction writer, you can blog about other equine interests, too. Just send us a short proposal.
I thought this would be a good time to reflect back on 2008 and predict what 2009 might bring. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the new year, too.
2008 Reflections
I accepted an offer for publication on New Year's Day of 2008 then sold my 2nd book a few months later. To date I've sold two more books.
In February of 2008, I contacted several authors of equestrian fiction to see if they'd like to start a blog with me for the purposes of promoting our books and writing about all things to do with horses. Since then, we've all become friends, made a lot of friends on line, and done our part to increase the visibility of equestrian fiction (hopefully).
On a personal note, I've come to terms with the fact that my mare may not be sound enough to show. In some ways, it's a relief to know that I may not be spending money on horse shows anymore. My husband has a new job that he loves, and we are doing well. Compared to the rest of the nation, we're in good shape.
What About 2009?
In 2009, my first true equestrian fiction book will be published, The Gift Horse. I'm really excited about this book, and I hope that you'll take the time to check it out. I'm planning to run a contest on Equestrian Ink for release day.
I'd like to explore other horse activities this year, in addition to dressage. Do some more trail-riding and maybe some clinics. I'd even like to try team penning. (Can't you just see my behemoth 17-1 hand warmblood mare doing cow work? It'd be a hoot.)
As far as EI goes, I'd like to see us offer more guest bloggers (hint, hint). We'd also be interested in picking up one or two more regular contributors, so if you're published in equestrian fiction or non-fiction (or are going to be), please consider joining us. You'll need to commit to one post every two weeks (or every week) if you prefer.
So what about those pesky resolutions?
- Okay, for me, there's still the weight loss thing. I need to drop a minimum of twenty pounds. If I do end up showing, nothing fits, and I'm not buying new show clothes.
- I will ride more regularly, back to my 4 days a week pledge.
- I want to complete a minimum of two more books. This is in addition to the two I've completed rough drafts for.
- I'd like to increase readership in EI and increase our posts (another hint).
How about all of you? What does 2009 bring for you? What are you hoping for? What are your horse-related hopes and dreams?
What would you like to see from us next year?
3 comments:
I'm looking forward to jumping on the EI train. This is going to be a fun and exciting experience for me. What would I like to see on this blog for next year?
More about the writing process itself. How did you decide on the type of book you write? How long did it take you before you were brave enough to look for a publisher and/or agent? I have lots of questions, so get ready!
Mugwump,
We are so excited to have you join us. I had no idea there was any interest from our readers in the "how to's" of writing. It would be fun to do some posts on writing, getting an agent, etc.
OK, mugwump, I will write a post on my search for agent/publisher. I did do a little about this in my first post here, "One Woman's Path to Publication", March 08. But there's lots more I could say. Some of it is actually pretty amusing. Well, its amusing in retrospect, anyway.
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