I'm not feeling so going through the motions anymore, but I can't explain why the thing that fixed it worked. Basically, while I was out running errands today, I was thinking about the next story chronologically in this trilogy I've got going (though I'm planning to rewrite the first story next). Jack and Anna play a fairly important role in it as secondary characters/plot catalysts, and Jack and I had been having a bit of an argument about something he wanted to do. (He's very opinionated for a figment of my imagination.) I finally realized that what he wanted to do would work for the story and was very important to his character arc, though I'll have to be careful and remember that he's not the lead of the new story.

So I think it really was about convincing myself that this isn't really the end of the story.

I made meself a little site.

[link]

Should I include my representation?

Allyson, it doesn't look like AmyLiz or deb do. On Nora Roberts contact page, she lists her own email address, and also has her publicist listed, but not her agent. Jennifer Crusie does list her agent toward the bottom of her contact page.

I think you do it if you want, and if it's okay with your agent. Since your site is devoted to your book (the above are all writers' sites rather than book specific), and you are shopping your book, it's probably not a bad idea, provided your agent doesn't mind.

Either way, I wonder if you can buy a URL that ties in either to your name, or your book title, and have it re-route to emahollywood.

Either way, I wonder if you can buy a URL that ties in either to your name, or your book title, and have it re-route to emahollywood.

I don't know about the representation issue, but I agree with this. Great site, BTW.

What Susan said. After reading all the chapter lead-ins, I'm even more eager to read the book. There's a lot of stuff in there that I'm not familiar with because I only really got into the fandom around 3 years ago, so it boggles the mind some. And I'm just a nosey middle-aged spinster looking for vicarious kicks.

Amy! Pet me! I did nearly 2,000 words on Cruel Sister today and the damned advance cheque hasn't even arrived. I wanna biscuit.

Yay! ::pet, pet::

If it's wrapped up too neatly, I feel cheated.

Me three.

Should I include my representation?

I'd ask her first. Since you are shopping the book, it makes sense, but I wouldn't put it out there without letting her know. The site looks great, too.

Allyson, the site looks superb. I love the lipstick and the fangs - just nails it.

I don't include my representation on my site, or my publicist. Which, BTW, any writer should (the publicist, I mean), but I can't, because apparently at SMP the turnover is insanely high and no one ever bothers to let the poor dumb writers know. There's nothing to make you look like an idiot faster than having someone try to make contact with a PR person who has left to go to law school, when it becomes apparent that no one has bothered to let the writer know. I leave my agent off my website because, even without it, I get a shitload of queries through my website beginning "Hi, you don't know who I am but I love your books and by the way I have also written a book and would your agent mind if I sent it to her and would you ask her to read it?"

edit: forgot (just waking up, sorry for ramblies) that you might want to spring for $20 or whatever it costs and have business cards done up with name of book, short blurb description, representation and website. Those you'd have control over - you hand those out to interested people at cons and bookstores and things. Reminds me, if my damned advance cheque gets here before Gabriel blows the last trump, I need to get some made for "Matty"; I've done them for the first two, and they're livesaving sometimes.

spring for $20 or whatever it costs and have business cards done up with name of book, short blurb description, representation and website.

From what it sounds like Deb, SMP should be paying you to be your own publicist for all the help they are. Cards sounds like a nifty idea. I mean, business cards are about the business you're in. Why shouldn't a writer have business cards about their books? I never would have thought of that, myself. I'm so glad we have people with spicy brains to give us clues.

The layout is dead simple:

Largest type, bold, centered along the top edge: Deborah Grabien

Slightly smaller type a few spaces below that, also bold, also centered: Book title

After that, you choose what info you want to add. Mine, below the book title, slightly smaller, centered but not bold, has the publisher and release date of the book on the same line, then "the Haunted Ballads series" same type size and centered not bold.

Toward bottom, I have agent's name and email, my own email, and my website addy.

No graphics, nothing to distract from the basicv information.

oooh, thanks for the advice.

I sent an e to my agent asking if A) it was a good idea, and B) if including a sample chapter/excerpt is okay.

Also thinking that maybe I should include a photo and fill out my bio by adding that I've done an assload of underground publishing and had my own zine (Suburban Backlash, about punk rock, SM, and Queercore in the suburbs).