Archive for September, 2010

A Witch’s Birth Certificate

Back in March, three days before I officialy published Witch Awakening, I went online to the US Copyright office website and answered a number of confusing questions about rights, foreign rights, and other strange, inexplicable things, then submitted an electronic version of my manuscript to be officially registered for a copyright.  Well, when I was in Norway a couple weeks ago, I finally received the official certificate of registered copyright in the mail.  I know it’s just a piece of paper, but like a diploma, that piece of paper represents years of blood, sweat, and tears (mostly metaphorical blood, but you have to take into account paper cuts when you deal with large piles of manuscript.)

So now that I have the official birth certificate for Witch Awakening, I went on Smashwords and published it for people with all different kinds of e-readers, not just Kindles.  And in an odd coincidence that I haven’t figured out yet, my sales for Kindle jumped the same day and have remained high over the weekend.  So high, in fact, that I’m in bemused shock over it.  I don’t know what, if anything, I did.  I’ve been doing promotional stuff whenever I have the chance, which isn’t as often as I’d like, but I haven’t done any promotion lately because I’ve been traveling without much internet access, and my internet connection since I’ve been home has been moody at best.  I can only assume that sales jumped because some angel who read the book on his or her Kindle enjoyed it enough to tell lots of other people about it.  So thank you, anonymous angel–you made my weekend and my week!

This is the most random post I’ve written, and I apologize.  I’ve neglected this blog terribly, and I can tell I’m out of the habit.  I was going to post something exciting about Nolan brothers’ latest movie Inception back in July and then never did, an unforgiveable lapse given how much I love the Nolan brothers’ work.  If they ever start making movies about Renaissancy worlds with witches (an unlikely possiblity, but here’s hoping), I would walk around the world three times and then some to get them to take a look at Witch Awakening.  Being a suspicious, paranoid, perfectionistic sort, I would trust very few directors (or publishers, for that matter) with my baby (not that any directors or publishers are lined up, but a girl can dream, can’t she?)   But I would trust the Nolans.  They’re that good. 

Anyway, to end this randomness, I’m going to go now and work a little more on Phoenix Ashes before I start the gargantuan task (or what feels like a gargantuan task) of editing Tapestry Lion.  I’m determined that Tapestry Lion will be born under the sign of Scorpio.  I don’t know why–it just seems right for this particular book, much as being born under Pisces seemed right for Witch Awakening.  I suppose it sounds strange, talking about astrological signs and publishing dates, but hey, if I wasn’t a bit strange, I wouldn’t be an author and spend so much of my free time with imaginary people, would I?

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