A rung on the ladder of life (or NEWS!)**Updated**

I'm going to post this announcement today, even though I suppose it's slightly premature... in that I haven't received my paperwork yet... but...

I am a newly minted Assistant Editor for Entangled Publishing! Seriously excited about this, folks. It's a tiny, bottom-rung job and I'll probably be making beans and doing tons of work for it... but it's an editing position with a publishing company! I'll be putting actual hours toward experience, learning more about the craft in the process, and helping authors achieve their dreams of being published!

I'm on one of the category romance lines right now. It's as good a place as any to start, I figure. I don't get to acquire anything (too low on the ladder as yet), but I'm hoping that this position will lead to bigger things in the future! I'm looking forward to posting more of my deep, dark musings about the editorial process from this new perspective. I hope you'll make sure to drop in and comment occasionally.

I have been freelancing as a developmental editor for YA and sci-fi novels for around 6 months now, as well, and I hope to continue doing that work... A girl's gotta have her pet projects. So if you know anyone who needs their MS edited, make sure to send them to Writing Refinery.

Coming soon:
Photos from a Roller Derby excursion. It was my first time attending a bout. Super fun!

**UPDATED**
No, Leslie, this does not mean we're staying in CT. It's a remote position that I can do from wherever I happen to live. :)

Blogging events in my future (and possibly yours, too!)

There are a couple of cool events coming up that you may have heard of, or you may not have heard of. Anyhow, I wanted to let you know about them!

FIRST!!! IndieReCon (February 19-21)

"A small group of indie writers has pulled together and is hosting this FREE online conference on everything INDIE in Feb 2013! The goal? To make indie publishing a mission possible.

Are you curious about Indie publishing, but don't know where to start?  Or are you already a published Indie author looking to boost your sales or expand your reach?  Then you'll want to attend this exciting online conference happening in 2013 - INDIE Revolution Conference.  Or as we like to call it, IndieReCon."

and SECOND!!! AtoZ Challenge (The month of April)

Can you post every day except Sundays during this month?  And to up the bar, can you blog thematically from A to Z?

Also, coming soon... I have an exciting announcement... but you'll have to wait for it! The next couple of months are going to be busy! Life is always on the move, though... and so I'm determined to make space for the creative. I know I'll need it. What about you?

'From the Ashes' Blogfest and Cover Reveal!

I'm so excited to take part in Jessica McKendry's 'From the Ashes' blogfest and cover reveal today!!! Jess is an amazing and dedicated teenage author. She's been tenacious. Over the past year-plus that I have known her, I don't know that anyone has inspired me more in the craft of writing than this girl. She just keeps at it!!

And now, without further ado, here's the cover for her upcoming release!

I'm not sure how it all went wrong.

The concept was simple.

The Trials were made to test us. They were made to challenge our strengths; our bravery.

We were supposed to come out better.

Winning the Trials would make us Superior citizens.

It would bring us honor and demonstrate our loyalty to the Imperial Alliance. I knew exactly what I wanted.

Until I met him.

There was something about him. Something dark. If only I had known the danger it would put us in.

I thought I knew the risks.

But I never imagined the price we'd pay.

***

An insightful look at the good and bad that exist within us, McKendry's debut is a high-octane adventure that pushes the imagination to the limit as it lays bare the nature of self-reliance, self-confidence, and teamwork. Playing with the concepts of dark and light and how they affect our lives in multiple forms, her novel is a complex coming of age story that encapsulates the heroine's journey from student to leader. A dark tale of love and revenge, From the Ashes is a powerful reminder to think for yourself instead of blindly following what you've been taught to believe.

Important Tip from Internland: Research Your Submissions!

I am sure that you have heard this recommendation before, but in case you haven't and because you probably need to hear it again:

Research the agent and/or editor to whom you are submitting your manuscript!

People, I cannot stress this enough. How much time and energy you put in BEFORE you hit the "Send" button can make a world of difference between a publishing contract and a rejection letter. Never mind the fact that you should probably pay an editor to review/copyedit/develop your manuscript a bit more for you (let's face it, none of us can see all our own flaws, and our friends are often a little too kind to point them out, either). Acknowledging that agents and editors have specialized genres/areas of interest is more than just smart for you to do for yourself. It shows respect for the agent/editor's time and that you are invested in the success of your book (and they should be as well).

Seriously, people, if you wrote a non-fiction book about family law practice, don't submit it to a Romance novel editor (Yes, I've seen this done). There's no chance that your book will fit into the scope of that editor's publishing. All you end up doing is forcing the editor to waste their time rejecting you. That kind of character development is just plain unnecessary for you to have to endure.

The more you research and understand the nuances of the genre you are writing in and match it to the genres/areas of interest of the agents and editors you submit to, the higher your chances of success. If you really want your book published, give it the best chance you can! The world is not holding you back. You can be the architect of your own success!

Now, get out there and hire some freelance editors (me) to help you sculpt your manuscript so that when you submit it you really are putting your best foot forward!