Updates and Back from the Computerless Purgatory

I have been gone for way too long, but not totally removed from writing related activities. I had two physical book sales, the second one spontaneous, where someone wanted copies of my books.  One buyer promised to do reviews.

Between these sales, I had a giveaway in November for Thanksgiving and Black Friday, where The Long Walk and Wolf Trek were downloaded over 35 times.  I got one favorable review, but I think that reader had purchased the book.  Maybe the giveaway reminded him to review it.  LOL.   I'm not sure that giveaways are the best way to get reviews, so I think it's back to the drawing board.

I have gotten suggestions to submit stories to journals and do interviews, and I think I am going to go that route. 

I also decided to donate all of my Amazon book sales to the HWC chapter strike fund.  I am separating the print sales because I can keep track of the digital sales and am using the book sales for exposure.  Besides, I mostly recover the cost of shipping.  The Amazon sales aren't amazing, but a contribution is a contribution. 

So, I finally got my computer back a little over a week and half ago.  That separation along with the union activism have thrown off my writing schedule.  Last week I was organizing the strike authorization vote for both Faculty and Professionals, and that took most of my free time.  Now, it's final grading time, and I hope to be finished by this Sunday, so I can get back to my projects, some small some large.  Here they are in order:

• Write an original story for my newsletter subscribers and produce a newsletter.
• Finish Not Your Abuelita's Folktales.
• Print and start revising The Harvest.
• Look for presses to submit my finished manuscript and set a hard deadline to submit query letters.
• Read new authors and new works.

That is a lot to do in a few weeks, but some of the smaller goals, I hope to accomplish while I am on the road, and my kids are trapped in their seat belts.  I won't be grading on the trip this time, but will finish final grades from home, which will be a different rhythm for me.  I am always trying to maximize my writing time during breaks.

I am wishing all of you a new spirit of writing this holiday season!  I hope you get a lot of work done.

Rest and enjoy this holiday break, but keep writing!  #barrioblues

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