Without Spot or Wrinkle publishing update

 Boys Howdy, what a week this has been and more exciting stuff coming up ahead and my headlights are on and I'm shifting gears moving forward with the publishing of my first ever book, Without Spot or Wrinkle. 

Just at the end of this week the final reports and editing are turned in and I've been notified that the next phase of publishing is beginning this week coming. Now, it's all about the cover. I've already chosen some things and they are: a glossy finish of the cover, cream color paper of the pages inside. The team that does the cover will pull together a cover and place the text on the front as well as the photo and bio on the back of the cover and send a copy to me for review. 

Having sent them my idea for the cover it will be interesting to see what they have designed and since they are the pros in the area of outward design it's gonna be fun to see. I can hardly wait. Not sure what the time frame is but I'm sorta expecting a week or two. It'll be terrific if the book is released before Christmas. I'm hoping!

During this past week my patience was greatly tested by my computer. It has a new monitor, keyboard and mouse but an old hard drive. It's operational standard is in the slow mo gear and so I have to wait a long time for any response at all. This week wasn't a good time for it's type of behavior and so yesterday I ordered a refurbished hard drive and it will arrive on the 14th, just a few days from now.  I can hardly wait because of the huge difference it will make in my productivity. Yipee!

As mentioned before, I've started on number 2 book but haven't gotten very far with it because I'm still involved in the first book's production process, however the number 2 is cooking and I'm eager on getting stuff on paper. The preliminary chapter outline is written, and scriptures gathered. I've lots of commentary reading to do as well and I truly look forward to that. Adding other research material to my bank of information is fun...I' a gatherer right now. 

The yard sale went well but I have residue left for the next yard sale. I hope to be able to join with someone else by adding my stuff to theirs, but will see if that can happen. In the mean time have been invited to store my boxed up items in a friends garage. I live in an apartment and have no storage space except for the car. It's very sweet of my friend and I'm preparing the stuff to take over to her place this coming week.

In the between times I'm gathering stuff to redecorate my friends apartment which will be the week after the 17th of September.  I've talked to a friend about the project and she's gonna help me when the time comes. Presently I'm collecting and making stuff and nearly finished, just waiting for a shipment to arrive. Have some preliminary stuff to do in the apartment and I'll be doing that until the shipment is here.  Things like taking down what's presently on the walls and finding things to place on the bedroom walls because I'll actually be doing the bedroom too out of necessity. Much of what is on the living room walls will be stored and what doesn't go with the new theme will go in the bedroom, like personal pictures of family etc. It's gonna be fun.

So that's it for this evening in the Cottage. I'm Judy with Milo whose reclining on the back of the love seat where he has the best view of the parking lot. Blessings for now...

 

When a senior widow starts a new week with Sunday...

 I've read about SEO's and have a vague idea of how that works in getting people to read my blog but, it apparently doesn't work for me...must not fully get it! Anyway, I'm back and writing and it's 9:02 pm August 27th. Went to church this morning. Then treated myself to a pedicure, nearly fell into a glass table because I missed a step getting down from the pedi chair. I didn't hit the floor, just thought I was gonna.  Then stopped at  Market Street and bought a peach cobbler and some vanilla  ice cream. Went to my friend's apt and had lunch and desert and left shortly. Got offended and then spent time in the muligrubs lack of control in life. Well, church was great, lunch was good, desert was exceptional and the pedi was wonderful and my toes are nicely pink. I was pampered.

I've been wanting and needing a pedi for a long time but have just continued giving myself one every month. This was a planned treat. I will go back to that place. The young lady who helped me was very good. I will make an effort to go every month.  And, I will ask for her.

Haven't done much else today. My knee was bothering me yesterday so I decided I should stay off of it. Walked Milo though. Staying off it means no heavy lifting, pushing and carrying. It's just a few short days 'til pay day so I have to bite the bullet until Friday.  I can do that. This week ahead will be about packing the car, pulling out more stuff to sell, regular house chores and tomorrow it will be about going over the budget and tomorrow mailing back the sim card to AT&T. by taking it to the post office.

Then I'll be looking for more to put in the yard sale. Walking by faith has a bunch of elements in it but for right this sec., just pray. I ate all the rest of the chocolate chip cookies. They were good! and now as I look at next week all I can think of is how it's gonna go. But then along comes the truth of it and that's faith and faith is just a knowing. So, I go forward with that thought, knowing He knows! and with that, everything is going to be okay.  For me, most of the time it's un-explainable

I guess it's suppose to be that way so that you aren't gonna start fretting. So, it's the beginning of a new  project of sorts. I started anyway. Really if almost then it's okay to reminisce a while you work. It's time for me to go through the writing and let it go until it's finished.

This post sat in the "draft" situation until this morning when I discovered I hadn't finished it. So, I'm gonna finish it and it's an update also. The yard sale was today and it went well. Rather than having it in my neighbors yard under the shade of a tree I moved it to my daughter's yard across town and boy was that a job.  Got up at 5 this morning because I had to feed Milo and take him outside besides getting myself ready for the big day.

At 6:30 my neighbor showed up with her car lights on and we went caravan style to my daughters house where another friend met us and the set up began at 0 dark 30...meaning it was dark out, very dark. Lots of labor involved. As soon as it was light enough I drove around setting out the yard sale signs of which there were 4. I had put the advertising on FB. 

It was a good turn out and we started closing at noon because of the heat. What was left unsold went back into my little car for the next time. Of which there is no plan yet. Had plenty of help so to say the least, I'm tired and I don't know why I'm still up because it's after 1 am.

My blog is not getting any attention...last one no body read. Guess I better get it figured out and fix the issue what ever it is.

This is Judy in the cottage considering a glass of milk and a cookie.

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Standing still while running.

 Did you ever feel like though you were moving and thinking 90 miles and hour you felt like you were some how standing still? Well, that's where I'm at right this minute. Seems like there is so much for me to do and I'm moving as fast as I can, while I'm still standing still. So many things I'm waiting for so that I can proceed are going to take some time and thought and my head knows that but...Even at this moment it's happening, I'm standing still. 

Laying back in my red leather recliner there are things for me to do and those things are not due now or anything, but they are talking to me. I reached for my trusty laptop and here I am, writing because it's time but not because I have something truly terrific to share.

I've been very busy collecting, pricing and making things sell-able. In the meantime, working on a friend's apartment as her decorator. She decided she wants a horse theme. She lives in a 1 bedroom apartment. I'm soliciting a couple of friends to help me put it all together in a couple of weeks. The resident gave me a theme and a budget and I'm on my own. I love it this way.

So I ordered a few things that will go on the walls...really cute and are suppose to come the week after Labor day weekend.  I'm gonna ask her to leave and stay gone until I call her to come back for the reveal. That's the week of September 3rd. The item's should be at my door during the first of the week.

Right now there are many paintings her mom did of flowers mostly. So that's all coming down and will be replaced by a horse theme through out from the front door, past the kitchen and including the living room. There is a double window and two doors, one to the bedroom and one to the bathroom and then in the entry, one for a coat closet and a second for stuff. I'm making a couple of signs with wood scraps that will say, Feed room,Paddock, Stall and Tack Room.

Feed Room, kitchen: Paddock, living room: Stall, bath: Tack Room, bedroom. In my imagination it's gonna be really fun and cute with some relaxing colors. If it works, I may take pictures and put them in a post. She had horses when she was younger and though she didn't ride much, she loved taking care of them. It's gonna be fun.

I've also had several errands to run and laundry to do this week which is why it's quite possible why I chose the title of this post. Seems like when I have a lot to do or take care of, I also have to do something creative. So this week I repainted the frame of a painting for this same friend. It looks really good and helps the painting. That kind of creative blitz doesn't
always turn out well but this one did.

Ok, that's it for this one. I'm hoping to get some notification from the publisher regarding editing. And, BTW I have begun writing #2 book. Maybe I mentioned that before, no matter, it's in progress.

I'm Judy, and I'm enjoying some light jazz while writing away on this Friday afternoon. Hope you have a blessed next few days until we meet again...Happy Trails to you!

More things for this author to do

 I decided that rather than submitting a selfie, I should find someone to take pictures of me, they would have to be better than the ones I've been taking. This picture is a selfie, one of the better ones. I've already sent three in....and then.... An old work friend called me and wanted to have coffee. We did and, in the conversation, she mentioned her daughter was doing some photography and building a portfolio. Well! don't you know that I jumped on it and asked if her daughter would be open to taking some shots for the back cover of my book.

We met in the cool of an evening at a newly constructed parking garage that was well landscaped on one side and that's where multiple shots were taken. I will get them in about a week after the photographer has done some editing and hopefully some airbrushing. I can hardly wait to see them. The picture I have placed here is taken before I met with the photographer so I'm in the same outfit but of course those pics won't be selfies.

I contacted the publisher person I talk with and asked if I'd be too late with submitting another picture in a couple of weeks and she said no. So, there!  Right now, the editing team should be editing the manuscript. I've no idea how long that will take. Hopefully it's not too bad for a novice writer. I will know it when they are ready for me to see what they have done for my approval.

So, while I'm waiting, I'm orchestrating a yard sale for September 2nd. I'm pretty much doing it by myself. What I mean is, the part about getting it all together and pricing. I've been working on that now for a couple of weeks so that by the time the day comes I will be ready with stuff to sell. I'm still collecting tables. I have on round table, two rectangular small tables and am borrowing 2 card tables. I'll be setting up in my neighbor's yard because it's shaded until about 11:00am. The YardSale will start officially at 8am and go until it's too hot to continue and that would be around noon or 1pm. The temps here are still in the triple digits so no telling what it will be that day. 

Anyhoo...I have 3 friends who are going to help work the sale and that's really good. I'm not terribly comfortable with the money, though I can do it. With a calculator I can but not just off the top of my head. Why am I having a yard sale? Because this is a self-publisher and I have to pay to be published. Now some think that's not really being published. However, these days in the publishing world it's common. Except for the money. If I want the book out there because I believe in it then this is how a non-published writer gets published and the book gets into the hands of the readers. And that's my goal.

I'm Judy at my desk, Milo is asleep, and I will be shortly.Goodnight, and God Bless.

Of course, I've got it all together!

 

Though some days it feels like my life is all about the book. BTW, I really like my cover design. I'm pretty sure the publishing cover team will find something better but until then this is it.  Anyway, as I was saying, the things I've been asked to provide haven't been that easy to accomplish. It has more to do with graphics now than writing and though I use to be pretty good at figuring things out when it comes to making pictures look good, etc. not anymore. It's all way outside of my understanding. So, it takes all day just do one thing and that's the least amount of time. It's a good thing I like figuring it out until I can't!

I wanted to put my goose painting in, but it doesn't fit their software so now I'm considering doing a black ink drawing in a small enough size that it can be used. Gonna work on that this evening and see what I can come up with. It'll be on multimedia paper.

There is more of my life that the book though, really. There's this little guy. Though he's small and a would be lap dog, he doesn't spend much of his time in my lap. Not really his fault though. I don't stay in a chair long enough.

His name is Milo and he's about 2. Marked like a Doberman and built like a Doxie/Chiwawa deer headed/long haired dog. Smart little guy and very obedient. Never had a pup so eager to please. I have a cousin who is in the horse business of breeding and rodeo roping training business. So, visited the barn and will be back. Didn't get the pictures I wanted for art. Besides adventures with animals, I spend a good amount of time with friends in my age group. We take care of each other in many ways and mostly encourage each other in the stage of life we are living and thriving in.

                                                                                                    

If you are in a younger age group, I want you to know that contrary to what is in the news about health issues of the aging that is certainly not all there is to growing older. There is as much living left to be done as ever. In some respects it's lots freer and more laughter if you want it. I know for me it's really up to me and I choose to keep on living whatever state I'm in. There's good everywhere I look and I look for it everyday. Forgetting about the physical lack there may be and capitalizing on the wonder of every day.  Blessings...I'm Judy in the cottage, nice and cool on a Saturday afternoon.

It's in the works with a $gift

 Can I get any more awed than this? The book is now in the editing stage at "my publisher"! Working with the pros to get it ready for print, etc.

And then I get this phone call see...and it's from the director of a non-profit. He was a friend of my husband so a friend of mine but, besides that, the request I made to the foundation result, came to me through the phone call and the gift given is $2,000 minimum.

The publisher is a self-publishing publisher so there is a fee for getting a book published. Vanity publisher is what they, all self-publishers, were called. Things have changed in that realm of getting a book out there and it's because the 5 big publishing houses are so hard to even get your manuscript seen that the self-type has become the now, apparently, way to get a book published. I did my research on this. The publisher I chose is among the least expensive with the most all around means of printing and marketing. And a most important part of this for me is/was to have a payment plan I can afford, and Xulon Publishing had the best I could find.

So, needless to say I'm completely beside myself, first that the book is even written, second that a publisher accepted it for publication and now there has been a generous gift to get the book costs paid. I can only say this about all of that...the book is about honoring God the creator of all things, spreading information about his love for his creation, and how we might truly love our neighbor to become one church, ready for the return of Jesus for his bride, the church. Not the denomination or the building but the people who love him first above all else. 

It just blows me away that He would use me in such a way at the age of 79. Now I pray people will buy and read and apply what is written inside. I don't know exactly when it will show up on the bookshelves and in e-book form on Amazon and elsewhere, but it will within 9 months which is May 2024. Soonest would be December 2023. I'm praying for December.

So, very busy doing something I love doing and that is writing. I am loving every second of this season in my life.  Off now to move forward on the next project, and it's already swimming around in my head. Thinking it will be around 50k words. This one is 31k words.

So, there ya are for today and this post. Still trying to get some feedback and if you can, please leave a comment. I would love to hear from anyone who reads the posts. 

I'm Judy at my pc, writing to you.  Blessings to you and yours!

Looks like it's a deal!

 Tomorrow I will go over the agreement with the gentleman that I've been talking with over the past month. If all is in order I will initiate with a small payment and the publishing process will begin. I will post again tomorrow.

I've talked with several other publishers over the past few weeks and each one has been gracious and actually fun to talk with. Finances is always the deal breaker up until now. So many varied offers that it's a bit difficult to decipher. So, during this time I've had to pay attention to details and almost read between the lines in some cases to be sure I'm getting what I want in each category.

Getting the book out where people can find it is the big deal. Just because the word distribution is in there doesn't mean it will be distributed and in some cases it's talking about the author doing the distribution. So when I visit tomorrow that's a box I will need to pay attention. In fact, I'm going to make a list before the call so that as things are gone over I will be listening for the items on my list that are of concern to me.

I just thought of that. It's a terrific idea. Anyway, I think this publisher that I will be talking to is the way for me to go and will give me what I'm looking for at a price I can afford with a payment schedule I can do.  I believe he said the book would be out before Christmas and apparently that's good marketing strategy.

I do want to say that this has been a different kind of venture that I've ever attempted before. There are so many choices I was unaware of. I looked into publishing free on Amazon but it didn't seem to cover all the things I want. I believe this writing is really good and relevant and important for people to read. I believe I've said things in a way that will impact behavior of the reader and those the reader talks to about it. The book is an attempt to change behaviors that have been in position in most everyone's life for generations.

If I don't choose the right distribution methods, then it won't have as far a reach as I think it needs to make an impact on the whole body of Christ. Every denomination and every non denomination. As well as those Christians who do not go to a brick and mortar building to fellowship.

 

This is my design of the front cover. I don't know that the publisher will work with this or suggest a better cover. I do know that the cover is a really big deal. So of course I want what will cause people to pick it up. That's the first step to getting them to read what's inside. 

So! For this post...I'm done. I'm so excited about the happenings of tomorrow, If there is anyone out there that is reading my blog, I hope you feel the suspense too...

Once again, I'm Judy in the cottage, expecting 101 degree heat in SW Texas. Stay cool out there.