Aeryn Traxx

 January 1^st, 2009

        Here we are - that time of year when we make those accursed new year's resolutions. I promise to do this blah, blah, blah. And if you’re the type that does that religiously every year- way to go. If you manage to fulfill all those resolutions each year you need to be put on a pedestal for the rest of us to ooh and aaah over. I know my limitations and am not even going to go there. I plan to break out big time in 2009 and could make a resolution for it  but resolutions are nothing but another list and believe me do I have lists. I am so anal about keeping on top of things I have lists of my lists. I am like one step away from being diagnosed OCD! But I digress….. I was talking about breaking out big time in the new year and my ever present lists. Instead of sharing resolutions (which I don’t have) I thought I would share a list (just one of MANY). Might be inspirational to some, others….just more blah blah blah.

          List of things I need to do to get My Prince out of the red binder and into a publisher’s hands who, after reading it, will knock over everything on their desk to get to the computer to shoot me an e-mail that they want to contract it and my name will finally make it onto the best seller list. (I never said the titles on my lists were short.)

          First – finish it. That means taking out the little x’s that stand for parts to be added later and add them in. No waiting for the missing parts fairy to wing by and drop off a few paragraphs. Just finish the bloody thing already.

          Second- Send it off to the crit partners for a once over. Reminder: you have seven crit groups you belong to so there will be a lot of people picking this thing apart. Note to self: Stock up on Kleenex before hitting the send button.

           Third- Have an ample supply of brown paper bags to breath into as you are reading the first of many e-mails from crit partners who wonder what meds you were on when you were writing this and where can they get some.  

          Fourth – take the tattered remains of your tome and breathe new life into it by nipping and tucking as suggested by the many people who have, by now, ripped the poor thing to shreds and have sent it back on a stretcher.

          Fifth – Send the revived specimen to the freelance editor you hired who will tear the poor thing apart once again because that is what you are paying her to do. Assure said specimen you can indeed sew his arms and legs back on, it really has nothing to do with his lineage.

         Sixth – Send perfect query letter and now perfect manuscript to the first of many e-publishers and wait four to sixteen weeks for reply.

Repeat number six as often as necessary until either you get sick of looking at the bloody thing or someone offers you a contract.

          Seventh – Launch major promo attack on every group in the address book of preferred excerpt.

          Eighth – The evening the book is to be released stay up til well past midnight cursing the fates your last name is so far down the alphabet it will be 3am before they get the book uploaded and able to be purchased. Note to self: Make sure to take the next day off or call in dead if all your PTO has been used up.

          Ninth – Send snarky thank you note to bitches from Bragging Rites that said you were too childishly naïve to make it in this business and that you should do the industry a favor and just disappear. Send copy of Thank you note to assistant promotions director at Ellora’s Cave who said you had no redeeming qualities as a person and as a writer should concentrate on color by numbers. Send copies of My Prince to both.

           So there we are, just one of the many lists I have stapled, taped, filed or stacked in my office waiting to be addressed in 2009. I’ll get to them all at some point. Once you make it to a list I am like a pitbull till I cross everything off the list no matter how long it takes.

          Professionally, I am poised to break out big time in 2009. And 90 percent of my lists have to do with becoming published. But I do have a very short list of personal things I hope to find in 2009-things I’ve lost in the past few years and miss very much. I found Hope in December 2008 so I was able to cross that off my list but I have a few things I am still looking for. Love, balance, health and happiness. With the hope I recovered in 2008 and professional success coming my way soon I am relatively certain I’ll find the remaining four- hell it’s almost a guarantee - they’re on my list.