Crossposted from blogetary:
Well, last month's blog contest
went over like a lead balloon. But that kind of implies at least a
modicum of flight. It's better to say it sank like concrete shoes into
the deepest, darkest part of the ocean. No one entered. So, I will not
be trying that again.
I have a friend who taught me this saying,
"You get up. You put your boots on." Some days that's all you can do.
Nothing else but to look before you and try to put one foot in front of
the other.
Otherwise, what's the alternative? I try to remember that,
because each day brings new possibilities, but the truth is that
sometimes the only reality is doing what's before you and realizing it
just may not ever get any better.
This should be a post either espousing some great literary, writerly thing, or hawking my wares as an author, or putting my proofreading business out there. Or even trying to sell ad space in the classified section at the Larchmont Chronicle. That's what I should be doing. But, I've kind of run out of steam, you see.
1)
I sold a book at a bookstore, but the bookstore, having held onto my
books (2 of each) for a year, bless their hearts, sent back the other 7
books.
2) My books on Amazon haven't sold in a year and a half.
3) Haven't sold a book on Lulu for about a year.
4) Haven't sold many books on Alban/Sam's Dot Publishing, either.
5)
Classified ads are struggling along, but they are barely paying for
themselves. I don't know what I was thinking even taking those on. I'm
not a salesperson.
6) Over the last few months, I've averaged about $150/month in proofreading business (gross).
7)
The proofreading gig that I had oh-so-briefly and hoped was going to be
regular monthly additional income, albeit small (they were getting it
for $15/hour instead of the regular $25/hour), and that I hoped would
lead me to other proofreading jobs, has gone away. I think I made it
worse by begging to get it back.
I've applied to
Pavilions/Safeway. That's within walking distance so I know I won't have
to worry about being late on the bus. I've sent in applications to temp
agencies, but the stuff they have is usually a 2 hour bus ride away and
I can't guarantee I'd ever get to work on time. I'm looking for gigs on
Guru.com and Monster.com. Media Bistro stuff is all in New York, but I
try there, too sometimes.
I can only do what I can do. I am
college educated with a degree in English Literature from a good liberal
arts college. I have more than 13 years of experience proofreading and
copyediting, as well as editing journal articles and undergraduate
academic papers and sprucing up resumes, cover letters and bios. I do a
good job.
I am not a book editor. That takes training and an
apprenticeship that I have not had. And I'm not a replacement for a
writers group where someone can hammer out the good and bad of their
work in progress. I am too casual and cavalier in who I am for the
corporate business world. No one but my friends and family seem to be
crazy about my stories. But I am a darn good proofreader and copyeditor.
I
could try to be a barista at a coffeeshop again, but the machines have
changed so much since 1996, I'm not sure I'd adapt well unless it were
an old school Italian coffeeshop that had a machine with a good pull on
it.
I don't know what else to do. I guess we'll see what the future holds.
You get up. You put your boots on.
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