Expectations

Pinhole tagged me with the chore of stating what I hope to gain from this blog. His tongue in cheek in cheek answer was great, as was WordVixen's, but for once I've going to take the question serious and try to answer accordingly.

First and foremost, a shred of name recognition. I'm not naive to think that having this blog is going to make agents start clamoring at my door, or say yes, the instant one of my queries lands on their desk. Matter of fact I doubt any, even the most popular of blogs have that kind of influence. But I do think that leaving comments and participating on agent blogs gets you a bit better of a look when you query those agents. And lets say you already have an agent. When they approach and editor they can say look this person might be a first time author but they have a readership of ???? that visits their blog regularly. Has to help at least in a small way. And then lets say your book hits the shelf. Having your name out and about in the world has to increase sales if only by a few copies. And you have to sell that first one before you even think of a best seller list.

Then there is the hope that this blog gives me a better chance. Let's say I query an agent. Maybe there is something about the material that they like but yet they aren't completely sold. At least having the blog gives them a place to check out more of my work.Yes, the blog is riddled with bad grammar, poor punctuation, and shoddy editing, but I firmly believe my voice is pretty much the same. I believe in myself and my abilities and the whole act of acquiring an agent is sort of like dating. Sometime you don't have to be the best looking guy in the world or have the firmest of bodies to land the object of your desire, if that person gets a chance to know the real you. That's all I want is a chance and if the blog gives me that that any effort I've out forth is well worth it.

Camaraderie. I could talk fiction all day. Writing it, reading it, deciphering it. This blog has introduced me to many like-minded people. Some live in here in the US, some in Canada, others in France, and Germany, and New Zealand. Sure we write different stuff, read different stuff, and go about the process in different ways, but I still love talking shop. Then there are the non writers. Some read a lot, some not so much. Some are funny. Some educational. Some are just flat out entertaining, but they are people I never would have met in any way or form without this blog. My hope is that one day I will be in a position to go out and do some sort of book tour. At that point I expect y'all to all show up if I pass through your neck of the woods. Sure, it would be cool and flattering if you bought a book but I'd be just as pleased if you simply stopped by to say hello.

One unexpected but great side affect of this blog is the outlet it has provided. Sure there are times I'm posting when I could be working on my fiction but sometimes this blog is the very thing that gets my creative juices flowing.

I started this after hearing several agents mention that writers need to start promoting themselves long before their books hit he shelf and I honestly have no regrets.

Instead of tagging someone with this I'm going to turn things around on all of you. and ask, What do you expect from me? What do you click on here hoping to find? What brings you back? What keeps you away? What do you want to see more of? Less of? You get the idea. Now chime in because another thing this blog has done is transform me into a comment whore.