Abstractions

FOX 10 Interview

2011-06-15T14:18:00.000-07:00

A big thanks to my publicist, Scott Jemison, and to FOX 10 News for today's interview on Studio 10. It was great to have the opportunity to talk about Aqueous Books and Fred Skolnik's recent release, The Other Shore.

Pensacola publisher releases new novel: fox10tv.com

Advice for Noobs

2011-04-04T16:06:00.000-07:00

I received an e-mail from a new writer--a poet--wanting to break into publishing her poetry. How to start, she asked? I've received a rejection, and I want to make sure I'm doing this right.

My advice: Read, write, and submit times infinity! You should be aware of what others are writing, and you should keep reading. Subscribe to a few magazines that publish poetry you like. Read lots of online journals. Never stop fine-tuning your work, try to write every day, and don't be too discouraged by rejection. Keep submitting no matter what. Be tenacious, and be driven. Expect lots of rejection. Eventually, you'll develop a tough skin. Always expect rejection, and when you receive it, don't take it personally. When you don't receive it, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Sometimes even published writers need to remind themselves not to get discouraged. I have friends who have been published, or make that Published, with a capital "p," and they still talk about the sting of rejection.

Like the old adage goes, you can't make everybody happy all the time. Writers: the best thing you can do is to please yourself. It will come through in your writing, and that spark will shine through. If you're trudging through your writing, that'll show too.

Fees, Business Models, Publishing, Oh My!

2011-02-10T07:02:00.001-08:00

It may be worth a mention that when I set the submission fees for the print edition, I consulted with a marketing expert with more years of experience in his field than I've been alive. My initial thought was $5 across the board, and he balked at this. He urged us to go for $20, but I knew that was too high.

He offered his reasoning for this, which essentially entailed weeding out not-very-dedicated submitters, where the idea was to encourage a higher quality of submissions, and to let people know the print edition should be taken seriously. His line of reasoning is that people realize they get what they pay for, and having a fee on the higher end would provide the image of a higher quality publication.

Thinking about this, I considered the existing identity of the online journal, with an ackowledgement that any print edition would be associated with the online journal right out of the gate. We've always been free, and the only time a fee has been charged was for a competition for which, yes, there was a prize and print publication, with complimentary copies being awarded in tiers, from the Grand Prize winner through honorable mentions. But competitions are different from a standard print issue and therefore are based on a different model.

Updates that will be posted to the print submission guidelines are:

* That a complimentary issue is provided for all submitters
* Adjustment to the fees
* Removal of fees for reviews
* That published authors will receive compensation, TBD

I do take issue with Robert Swartwood saying that the business model is a bad decision. I am far from Narrative's greatest fan, but they are essentially doing the same thing. This doesn't make it right, but it doesn't make it wrong, either. Has it worked for them? Obviously, yes. That is neither to say that it would work for me, nor that our fee structure is based off of theirs. The reason I divulged how I came up with the fee structure in the first place was to show that it was not based off anything anyone else was doing, but by consulting with someone who knows what he's talking about, and by taking into consideration the current incarnations of the journal.

The bottom line is this: if you don't like the fees, don't submit to the journal. Soon they will look a lot friendlier, and then some other schmuck will likely come along and whine that we don't pay enough to our contributors... and the cycle goes on.

Ignorance Breeds Contempt

2011-02-07T11:25:00.000-08:00

Is Prick of the Spindle experiencing growing pains? Maybe. Since its inception in March 2007, the journal has come a long way. It went from being a fledgling online publication to becoming the first literary journal available as a Kindle magazine, and then to branching off into the print arm, Aqueous Books, which publishes novel- and novella-length works of fiction and nonfiction.

The journal's dedication to literature continues. In the interest of opening up yet another avenue for our readership, we recently launched submissions for a print edition, which is to be a biannual publication. We are charging submission fees, which will allow us to pay contributors and cover costs of printing.

However, not everyone is taking kindly to this. Check out this blog, courtesy of Robert Swartwood: http://www.robertswartwood.com/insights/scam-of-the-spindle/

Thanks for the PR, Mr. Swartwood!

We are not greedy, but if we were, we wouldn't pay our contributors. The contributor compensation is TBA, because it really depends on how many submissions we receive, the cost of printing the issue (which will depend on how much content is included), and so on. Call them growing pains. This is a new venture, and with several print issues of the journal under our belts, we'll doubtless be able to provide a solid contributor compensation list. We do not receive financial support from any person or institution. And because we currently have a 501(c)(3) application pending, we are not yet able to apply for grants.

It may be worth noting that Prick of the Spindle editors are volunteers, and have been since the beginning. None of us receive any compensation, and the monthly web hosting fees (and any other associated costs) come from my very own (not very deep) pockets, and have from day one. To call any of us greedy is laughable, and just plain ignorant. We are not Narrative.

Please feel free to weigh in. What do you think are fair fees for submitting to a journal that will provide compensation? I recently read with interest several Facebook posts on this subject, and would love to hear your thoughts. We're not against listening to our readers--after all, we've dedicated the last four years to reading your work. What do you think?

Aqueous Books Update

2010-06-12T11:03:00.000-07:00

As of May 31, 2010, Aqueous Books' debut publication, Michael J. Atwood's HiStory of Santa Monica, is available. It is available through Aqueous Books, as an Amazon Kindle edition, from Barnes & Noble, and through the Ingram online distribution catalog. View the Press Kit here.

It has been a long process, to which many of my publishing acquaintances can attest, putting together and sending out press releases and notifications, establishing contact with booksellers and libraries, registering Aqueous Books with various online sources, and yes, even the occasional amount of legwork.

Has it been worth it? It's been worth every ounce of energy, blood, and tears, and even worth every Benjamin Franklin spent (and trust me, there have been many! Ouch!)

I am looking forward to our upcoming publications: by Mel Bosworth, Alec Bryan, Heather Fowler, Aaron Polson, and quite a few others.

This is only the beginning of a very long journey that I hope will last longer than I do, and I think we're off to a great start. I have the honor and privilege to work with some very fine, talented authors, and my right-hand lady, the very talented editor Erin McKnight, who has been an amazing asset throughout all of the processes.

Time to celebrate? Not yet--there's still work to be done!

~

The Indie Book Awards

2010-05-23T08:33:00.000-07:00

I'm so pleased to announce that my first book--How to Write & Publish a Successful Children's Book: Everything You Need to Know Explained Simply (Atlantic Publishing, 2010)--landed a finalist spot in the Writing & Publishing Category in the Indie Book Awards!

I owe a big "thank you" to my careful editors at Atlantic Publishing--Kimberly Fulscher and Marilee Griffin, and to the publisher, Doug Brown, for allowing me the freedom to include my illustrations in the book. I'm as happy as if I'd won the award!

I'm looking forward to my next nonfiction title's debut, due at the end of June, on publishing for the Kindle. It will be the first book to describe the process of publishing a magazine and newspaper for the Kindle. It's good to try to have some sort of corner on the market!

~

Another Installment of Angry Rejection Mail

2010-05-14T17:13:00.000-07:00

We (meaning I and the majority of the staff at Prick of the Spindle) think the gross majority of e-mails sent in angry, impulsive response to rejections (even the nicest and most helpful of rejections) are largely hilarious.

A while back (don't ask me how long ago) I posted an article I wrote featuring some of the best hilarity-inducing e-mails. Due to the more or less steady influx of such letters (which I attribute to the more or less steady stream of rejections we send), I think featuring these every now and then might be good for a larf.

One note, however: we have noticed a strong trend. Since implementing the Submishmash submission manager, we have noticed that both a) the decrease in overall submissions received and b) the increase in quality of submissions received has coincided with a sharp decrease in the number of angry rejection mail (ARM). Coincidence? Perhaps. Or...not so much.

Without further ado, ARM #1 of this installment:

You would have found everything that you suggested if you read the story slowly. Not every story can be understood, even if it is written simply and expecially if it is more complex than it initially appears, if it is quickly read. But today's editors are more than often too overwhelmed with and desensitized by submissions to read them any other way. Thus, contemporary literature has become like so many other things in this country--a cheap product to be quickly consumed in vast quantities.

As for the parotting dialogue, that is the character's personality, a personality strongly based on a real person.

Writer X

5. "expecially" should provide some idea of the quality of writing we're dealing with here
4. "Today's editors." Yeah. I'll let that one stand on its own.
3. Submissions don't desensitize me--this work is my passion. I am, however, becoming better at analyzing the volumes of work that come in and determing whether something can be "rescued" by editing, or if it is flawed at its very heart and the result of a writer not yet developed.
2. Yeah, we're all about that "cheap product." We're Wal-Mart shoppers. Faded Glory over Gucci.

And the best one yet...
1. Oh yes, fiction is always best when it imitates life and actual people and events closely. After all, that's what fiction's all about--staying true to the events, not the story. Nonfiction is for the birds!

~

The Producers

2010-04-24T06:47:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe it's been more than a month and a half since my last blog post. For shame! I slap my own hand.

It's a day that's threatening rain and perfect weather to write. But on the agenda for this weekend is a whole lot of reading. I have read through many manuscripts for Aqueous Books, and still have many more to read through, including going through final edits for our first publication, Michael J. Atwood's interlinked short story collection, HiStory of Santa Monica.

In other exciting news, on Monday, April 12, I met with Jerry Ahillen, Pensacola Little Theatre Artistic Director, and Michelle Hancock, the Little Theatre's Beyond Boundaries Program Coordinator, to discuss my Outreach Initiative for Youth Drama idea. I am excited to provide the results of that meeting in the following press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Prick of the Spindle literary journal partners with the Pensacola Little Theatre to produce plays for youth in the Fall of 2010

Pensacola, FL, April 23, 2010 ― International nonprofit literary journal Prick of the Spindle announced a new partnership with the Pensacola Little Theatre, who will be producing plays for area youth through the journal's Outreach Initiative for Youth Drama competition. Prick of the Spindle is hosting a competition open to international dramatists for youth in three categories. Playwrights can submit work for children in age groups 4-8 years old; 8-12 years; and 12 and up. View the guidelines.

This initiative promises to continue the impact on area youth that the Pensacola Little Theatre is known for. A winning play from each category will be produced in the fall of 2010 through the Pensacola Little Theatre's Beyond Boundaries program. The program, managed by Coordinator Michelle Hancock, brings drama into schools, assisted living facilities, and community centers in an effort to provide a cultural experience to people from all backgrounds. The journal's vision aligns neatly with that of the theatre. "It has been my vision from day one to promote quality work from writers of all backgrounds," says Prick of the Spindle Editor-in-Chief and founder Cynthia Reeser. Both organizations are poised to offer top-level material to the community at large.

The Pensacola Little Theatre was founded in 1926, according to their Website, on the closing of The Opera House. The Board of Managers (later to become the Board of Directors) brought the theatre successfully through the Great Depression, and have been serving the community ever since. Now midway through its 73rd season, the Little Theatre is host to such stage shows as Little Shop of Horrors, The Producers, Victor Victoria, A Midsummer Night's Dream, 12 Angry Jurors, and more.

Prick of the Spindle is a Pensacola-based nonprofit organization founded in 2007. It is the first literary journal to establish a presence as a Kindle magazine on Amazon.com, and has seen a rapid increase in its readership since its inception. It is one of the few literary journals publishing drama, and has interviewed a variety of established and up-and-coming authors and editors. Authors published in the journal have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, the StorySouth Million Writers Award, Best of the Net Anthology, Best of the Web Anthology, and more. The journal is hosting a reading featuring published poets, fiction, and nonfiction authors on June 19, 2010 at Dolce Vita on South Reus Street in Pensacola; the event is a fundraiser whose profits benefit a youth art program.

For additional information, contact Cynthia Reeser at pseditor@prickofthespindle.com.

Visit Prick of the Spindle and the Pensacola Little Theatre online.

We're looking for playwrights! Folks, send me your best work. I can't wait to read it. Guidelines are here.

Paintings Afire.

2010-03-08T20:34:00.000-08:00

I am so very pleased to have sold "Blue Staircase" (quite honestly, it's a heartbroken sort of pleased) and to have placed "Intrinsic," which I sold in 2008 at auction, for the cover of a poetry chapbook forthcoming by Stacy Julin from Tiger's Eye Press.

I suppose I should keep painting.

Howie Good is Good.

2010-02-27T07:16:00.000-08:00

Howie Good--you know the one--his work is everywhere and he set some kind of record for the number of poetry chapbooks published by a single poet in a year in 2009? He has yet two more chapbooks in the works (and I know of at least a third, but Shhhhh! I'm not talking).

Check them out. They are:

Pig/Iron
&
Anomalies

~

Because I am Tired, and Shameless, and Writing Moves Me.

2010-02-25T20:17:00.000-08:00

Things that have kept me lately from blogging as I should:

1. Working what I think works out to about 100+ hours per week.

2. Reading stories like this one, by Scott McClanahan.

3. Bringing home a brand new bundle of ISBN. (Yes, the plural for ISBN is "ISBN," which cracks me up. It figures that the initialism to such a term has its own grammatical rules.)

4. Getting published in Metazen.

5. Getting mentioned at The Kenyon Review.

6. Getting rejected (again) by The Collagist.

7. Having my work read on video here.

8. Having my book on children's publishing reviewed here and here.

9. Finishing up the final edits on my book on Kindle publishing.

10. Being a guest reader at Lynn Alexander's Full of Crow Poetry Hour.

11. Reading Aqueous Books submissions.

12. Reading submissions for Prick of the Spindle.

13. Final judging for Prick of the Spindle's Poetry Open Competition No. 1.

14. Gearing up for the Art Party VII this weekend.

15. Keeping track of Prick of the Spindle Kindle Magazine subscriptions.

16. Being afraid of missing my deadline to send in my NewPages book review for March, for The Cormorant Hunter's Wife, by Joan Kane.

17. Reading Mel Bosworth here and here and here.

18. Writing a story for an upcoming e-book from Metazen.

19. Having Light and Trials of Light reviewed here .

20. Guest blogging here and here and here.

21. Getting mentioned here and here and here.

22. Getting interviewed here and here.

23. Finishing a painting and another.

24. Listening to this. Over and over.

25. Writing blurbs for such excellent forthcoming books as Paper House by Jessie Carty.

~

Full Of Crow: Weekly Poetry Hour

2010-02-14T21:01:00.000-08:00

Full Of Crow: Weekly Poetry Hour

In which I am a guest reader.

Just...stuff

2010-02-06T08:11:00.000-08:00

The manuscripts for Aqueous Books are rolling in. I'm really looking forward to reading the material we're receiving.

If you haven't caught it yet, Jason Behrends of Orange Alert kindly interviews me here. Thanks, Jason. You are good people.

I'm looking forward to receiving my shipment of Light and Trials of Light. And, of course, the first issue of Artifice, which is stacked. Have you seen the line-up? Gaw. Check it out.

And, on a non-writing-related topic, I feel the need to document somehow, in some medium (and blogging is as good a medium as any other), the cuteness of my 3-year-old child. Most of you are familiar with how children go through phases, especially when they are very young and when it comes to their speech patterns. I know I am not alone as a parent in thinking that my child is precocious (and precious). For example, his latest cute-ism has been, "When you were a..." His dialogue is often:

"When you were a _____, you (or I) _____."

Examples of late have been:

"When you were a chicken nugget, I ate you all gone."

"When you were a race car, I drove you."

"When you were a light bulb, I turned you on."

"When you had a foot on your head, I put a boot on it."

"When you were a bottle, I drank you."

"When you were a chair, I sat on you."

"When you were a hat, I put you on my head."

To me, this is the perfect fodder for a children's book. Who knows, with inspiration like this, maybe one will be in the works soon.

~

Poetry Chapbook Shipping

2010-01-31T21:25:00.000-08:00

I just received word from Finishing Line Press that Light and Trials of Light will be shipping this week after a delay with the printer. I am excited to see it in the hands of friends, and to have a nice healthy stack of review copies to send out.

I am also still seeking reviewers for my book that just released from Atlantic Publishing, How to Write and Publish a Successful Children's Book (see left sidebar to order).

I am very excited for my client, whose memoir I recently finished editing. We sent out query letters to agents on Monday of last week, and by Friday she had a request for a full manuscript sitting in her inbox. The package should go out tomorrow, and then, we wait for 6 to 8 weeks to hear back. I don't know about her, but I will be awaiting the response with bated breath.

And, I just turned in the final copy for my book on Kindle publishing, which will release from Atlantic Publishing in the spring of this year. I am watching the Kindle-iPad problem with great interest. I would like to see the debate result in some healthy changes for the publishing industry--changes that I hope will work in favor of authors, and not media megaconglomerates.

Now it's time to dive into a gigantic stack of submissions, both for Prick of the Spindle and Aqueous Books, to try to find time to work on my short stories, and to prepare for Art Party VII, which is just around the corner, on February 27. So much to do, so little time.

~

A New Publisher: Aqueous Books

2010-01-26T11:49:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I announced Prick of the Spindle's new print publishing arm, Aqueous Books. We already have two publications in the works, to be announced soon. There is a third manuscript on its way, and I barely breathed word of this ten hours ago. That is indeed a good sign. Our first publication will be a collection of short stories, and the second will be a printing of the first novel ever published by Prick of the Spindle. I'll leave it you to investigate the latter. (Hint: It's not from the current issue, Vol. 3.4.)

Please visit the Aqueous page for updates, which will include submission guidelines and information about our royalty contracts. Also, thanks to Mel Bosworth over at Outsider Writers Collective and Press for giving us a shout-out.

~

Guest Blogging and Podcasting

2010-01-19T12:10:00.000-08:00

With the release of my book, "How To Write and Publish a Successful Children's Book," (available for purchase through the link on the left side of this page), I have a guest blog post appearance at http://atlanticpub.wordpress.com/ and a podcast available on YouTube at http://bit.ly/7AeHfB.

Also upcoming is a guest blog at http://www.womendaybyday.com.

For the release of my book on Kindle publishing, forthcoming tentatively in early spring, I have been invited to guest blog at Nik Perring's blog, and to podcast at The Creative Penn.

I am tremendously excited to have the opportunity to participate so actively in the marketing of my book.

More coming soon!
~

Shelving My First Book

2010-01-16T22:24:00.000-08:00

I have fond memories of my father taking me to the library from the time I was about four, sitting with me in our wonderfully sixties-era postmodern library, with its bright orange bean bag chairs and russet-colored, triangular wall decor. I learned to read at age four, and from the time I cracked my first picture book and inhaled its glossy illustrations (I have always been an ardent fan of new book smells), I have dreamed about someday having a shelf full of my own books--books I wrote--somewhere in my home.

Two days ago, my first shipment of books arrived on my doorstep. It was a sunny day, rain-free, and when I (ever-so-carefully) ripped open the package, excitement built and my smile began to glow. There they were, two little stacks of books with my name on the cover. The first thing I did was run my fingers over the glossy cover, and then of course, as per old habit, I flipped through its pages and let its scent carry under my nose. Then I really flipped through it, looking at the illustrations, graphics I created, authors I interviewed, text I wrote.

It is quite a different thing to toil away and research well into the night, to build and edit and create this project, this book; quite a different thing to eat, sleep, and breathe it, than it is to hold the finished product in your hand. How to Write and Publish a Successful Children's Book is something I am very proud of. The cover is handsome, and I am so pleased with the professionalism of Atlantic Publishing's layout department.

And there are two more coming out this year. My first poetry chapbook, of course, Light and Trials of Light, ships from Finishing Line Press January 22. And I finish up my book on publishing for the Kindle in one week; the anticipated release date for that book is early spring 2010.

And sometime in February, the first issue of the bi-annual Artifice Magazine will be arriving on my doorstep.

There is another exciting thing in the works, but I can't reveal trade secrets, even to my closest friends. Sorry, guys! Hate me now, but when my toilsome work of coding for about a week straight comes to fruition (pending approval, keeping my fingers crossed!) I will crow like someone dropped an anvil on my foot (what are those used for, anyway?).

Til then, sincerely yours,
Cynthia

Starting Off with a Bang!

2010-01-07T08:08:00.000-08:00

2010 is off to great beginnings. I just received word that my book from Atlantic Publishing, How to Write and Publish a Successful Children's Book, ships from the publisher tomorrow, January 8.

Light and Trials of Light ships from Finishing Line Press January 22. And I wrap up my book on Kindle publishing toward the end of this month, and I anticipate publication in early spring 2010. The Kindle book includes an interview with celebrated screenwriter John August, who penned the scripts for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Big Fish, Go, Charlie's Angels, and others.

Good things are coming my way through other sources. A longtime lawyer friend will be processing the 501(c)(3) nonprofit paperwork for Prick of the Spindle. Finally! After much ado and a few years of false starts, we are at long last on our way to becoming official. Funding is a resource that has been sorely lacking for us, but now that proverbial light at the end of the tunnel is beginning to beam through.

2009 started off with tragic beginnings, and don't even get me started on the nightmare that was 2008. It is with both relief and hope that I enter this new decade.

~

New Year's Resolutions, Part the Second.

2009-12-29T17:24:00.000-08:00

~~The funny list. (Funny to me, anyhow.)~~
~~The quirky list.~~
My resolutions, continued.

1. Acquire the ability to read the minds of clients.
2. Have a fling with Strunk & White's Elements of Style.
3. Tell the Chicago Manual of Style where to go.
4. Become less of a grammarian, more of a post-post-modernist, with a sprinkling of modernist sensibilities and a dash of formalism for good measure.
5. Make plans to attend AWP (in 2011).
6. Read more Heidegger.
7. Consume the entire bodies of work of T.S. Eliot, Wallace Stevens, Flann O'Brien, and Neil Gaiman. In the sense of brain consumption, not ingestion.

New Year's Resolutions.

2009-12-29T12:39:00.000-08:00

Without ado:

1. Take GRE
2. Apply to grad schools
3. Get scholarships (many)
4. Continue raising fundage
5. Use said fundage to apply for federal nonprofit status
6. Get grants to make excellent things happen
7. Publishing, publishing, and more publishing

Expansion of brain and business looms on the horizon.

The Vol. 3.4 and Holiday Post. Thingy.

2009-12-23T19:30:00.000-08:00

Whew...Oh wait. I start to breathe a sigh of relief and then catch myself. Not yet, Reeser, not yet. So the new issue launched today, hoorah. Vol. 3.4 is large and lovely here. Being that it's Christmas Eve Eve, today was spent, post-launch, doing things related to Christmas, including but not limited to contemplating the purchase of a last-minute tree and then deciding against it (why break with the tradition of the last 3 years). So this evening is set aside for the posting of new art to the galleries (six new artists to add), and the sending forth of the newsletter out into the electronic universe.

I am proud of the new issue, and even prouder of my editors for helping make it happen. Their hard work, dedication, and brilliance (wait, does this sound familiar to you?) make it all come together. I just can't stress that enough. I am lucky to have such a wonderful team. Sometimes my editors leave me (I'm talking about you, Scott Bowen!) but then they go do things like starting their own journals (ref. Divine Dirt Quarterly) and call me things like "mentor" and "juggernaut" (that last one made me smile for a long time). So everything's okay, really. I've got an amazing crew and I'll stop embarrassing them now by harping about how wonderful they are. 'Cause they are. Seriously.

This will probably be my last post before the big tree and Jesus day, you know, so merry holidays & co. In the most non-religious of senses, peace be with you all.

~

Fabulous Friday, a post in which I brag about people I know

2009-12-18T08:49:00.000-08:00

I'm dubbing today Fabulous Friday. Following will ensue shameless bragging about my friends. And that's all it is, so stop reading here if you're not interested.

Who has the best editors? I do! Eric Weinstein, Erin McKnight, Anne Marie Rooney, and Tori Bradshaw are the best editors a 'chief could ask for. Their expertise, dedication, and brilliance (I'm not kidding!) are the backbone of every issue. I am so lucky and happy to have the opportunity to work with them.

Up at the 'naut (that's Fictionaut) is an interview with yours truly on Prick of the Spindle. Nicolle Elizabeth asks the best questions. Read it here.

More bragging (I told you!): Finnegan Flawnt, whose reading voice is near-unrivalled, reads my flash piece, "Invasion." Thank you, Finnegan. If you are not a voice actor, god only knows why. Sir, you need to go to Hollywood.

Is this the holiday spirit? Who knows. All I know is that these wonderful people, and several others whose work I'm reading and loving right now (see: When the Cats Razzed the Chickens by Mel Bosworth), are making me feel really cheesy right now, saying silly things like, they're the spark that's feeding my energy to launch the next issue and make my second book deadline mere days afterward. You. Guys. Rock.

~

Galleys and the State of Pre-Publication

2009-12-15T22:06:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to be going over the galleys and making corrections for my upcoming chapbook with Finishing Line Press, Light and Trials of Light. Editor Leah Maines has been wonderful to work with, and I appreciate her professionalism and her work ethic. I am proud to be publishing my first chapbook with Finishing Line Press.

Did I mention I'm open to being interviewed?

And if you haven't ordered a copy of Light and Trials of Light, please support my first chapbook by visiting Finishing Line Press's New Releases and Forthcoming Titles page. Be sure to scroll to "Reeser," as titles are listed alphabetically by author's last name. The book ships January 22, 2010.

My book on children's publishing should also be released sometime around the end of January from Atlantic Publishing. I'm in the midst of writing the book on Kindle publishing, and turn in the final manuscript in mid-January. I anticipate that book might be published sometime around April. That's three books in 2010...so far.

With the new issue of Prick of the Spindle due out on the 23rd, and still edits to finalize and reviews to write, the holidays feel like a blip on the far horizon; they will catch me off guard again this year. I know this, and I accept it.

~

Passing Thoughts, Part the Second.

2009-12-10T08:20:00.000-08:00

When Editors Become Psychiatrists: The Revisionist.

"Come in, sir, and tell me what's bothering you."

"Well, you see ma'am, I'm feeling really depressed."

"Let's talk about that and see how we can fix it--you know, on a structural level."

"Okay, well, my wife is seeing someone else, I think my son is doing drugs, and my doctor just told me I might have a lung disease."

"No, no, that's all wrong. You need to be more specific here--your wife isn't just seeing someone else, she's having a passive-agressive reaction by sleeping with one of her co-workers--the intern, because it implies a need to regain power. Your son should be doing, let's see, cocaine, because it makes things more interesting, don't you think? More dangerous that way. And your doctor, well--"

"I'm sorry, wait a minute. That's not what's going on--"

"Okay sure, but your story won't sell. It needs work."

"Excuse me? Sell? Story?"

"Don't you think it would be more interesting to everyone if we added touches of magical realism here and there?"

"Uh, I'm sorry. I don't understand."

"Listen, this is your story and you need to take control of it. But not too much control, you know, let it develop organically. It should build up to a nice arc and then wrap up--not too neatly, mind you--and have a few little bumps at the end, to show the main charac--um, to show that you--have really learned your lesson."

"My lesson? Uh, listen...I should...I should really be going."

"Okay, but when you come in next week, think about the elements we discussed. And remember--show, don't tell."

~

Passing Thoughts

2009-12-09T06:27:00.000-08:00

If editors became cops:

"Drop your caps! That's it..."

"What'd I do?"

"Put your modifiers where I can see them!"

"Ma'am, I've done nothing wrong."

"I'm charging you with the apposition of justice and two counts of comma splices. You'll be spending some time in the state periphrastic, buddy."

~

New Discovery

2009-12-04T18:22:00.000-08:00

This is a question for writers. Have you ever accidentally discovered that a story or poem or essay or what-have-you that you submitted somewhere way back was actually published? I would argue that it beats finding forgotten money amongst your belongings any old day. I just discovered my story "Sanctuary" (the only story I've ever written on the subject of faith/doubt) up at Liturgical Credo. A warm, albeit belated, thank you to Colin, the editor, for publishing this.

~

Upcoming Publications

2009-12-02T08:12:00.000-08:00

Making (re: forcing) the time for writing and submitting is starting to pay off. I am tremendously excited to have had a flash piece accepted for publication in the Metazen Christmas Book, "Down in the Grotto, We Break Bread Together." Metazen is doing a wonderful thing: helping those who really need our assistance. Donations go to the Sunrise Children’s Villages Orphanage in Siam Reap, Cambodia.

The debut issue of Artifice Magazine is scheduled to hit the presses in February; I can't wait to see it. It includes a terrific line-up of authors, including Susan Slaviero, Kyle Hemmings, Blake Butler, and Roxane Gay. My two pieces, "alt img 3" a poem written in html, and "Story (Prepackaged)" a graphic story (of sorts) will appear in that issue as well.

And...I'm looking forward to having @picfic stories appear on Dec. 23 and Jan. 10. Twitter fiction is a demanding little form! Who knew? It's like poetry condensed, except with a petite narrative thread. If you haven't tried it before and are up for the challenge, I encourage you to play around with the form and see what you come up with. It's demanding, but fun.
~

Pre-order Period Ends Nov. 30

2009-11-28T14:56:00.001-08:00

A very hearty and heartfelt thank you to all who've helped my pressrun by pre-ordering my first chapbook, "Light and Trials of Light." I'm very excited to have my first book published by Finishing Line Press, and to have endorsements by SUNY Journalism Professor Howie Good and the award-winning poet Kevin Prufer. I admire Howie and Kevin's work so much, and am truly honored to host their names on my first publication.

If you haven't ordered your copy yet, please do so before the Nov. 30 presale period ends! If you miss it, that's okay. You can still order afterwards. Go to http://www.finishinglinepress.com/NewReleasesandForthcomingTitles.htm

And thank you so much!
~

When the Cats Razzed the Chickens by Mel Bosworth

2009-11-28T14:00:00.000-08:00

Folded Word does it again. And so does Mel Bosworth. I was happy to receive my signed (and personalized) copy of "When the Cats Razzed the Chickens & Other Stories" by Mel Bosworth today. It was a nice post-Thanksgiving surprise. It kind of heightens the warm fuzzies.

Mel is an excellent fiction writer, and I can't wait to dive into this one. Purchase your copy from his blog at http://eddiesocko.blogspot.com/?zx=18e840dbdb777f2 or from Folded Word at http://folded.wordpress.com/tag/mel-bosworth/

Happy reading, everyone!

Publisher, Publisher, Author

2009-11-22T22:00:00.000-08:00

Vroom, vroom! I'm revving my writerly engine and getting ready to start writing my new nonfiction book on Kindle publishing on Monday. I'm excited, and interested to see where this one takes me. This will be my second through Atlantic Publishing. They've been fantastic to work with, and I'm happy that I get to work with the same editor I had for my book on children's publishing. There's something to be said for getting to know an editor's style and tastes, and working with the same person over the course of multiple projects.

Speaking of publishers, I'm looking forward to seeing my first poetry chapbook, "Light and Trials of Light," from Finishing Line Press, in January 2010. Apparently, there is going be a cover change, due to the rich blacks of the current cover bleeding. But hey, that's alright. I've got a plan B, and C, and D, and... My preorder sales period ends November 30, and I want to extend a hearty thank you to everyone who has supported my pressrun by preordering my chapbook. If you have not purchased your copy, please do so by visiting http://www.finishinglinepress.com/NewReleasesandForthcomingTitles.htm

On another exciting note, I have finally worked through many, many bugs that at times made me think Prick of the Spindle's first podcast would never see the light of an mp3 format, but at long last! with the help of some un-obvious software, a great microphone, and a very patient and flexible author, Podcast No. 1 will be available soon at http://www.prickofthespindle.com. Don't miss my interview with Meg Pokrass, coming soon.

Also, if you're a member of the Fictionaut community for writers, be sure to give my newest story a read. It's not often I get around to writing stories lately--something I've long been wanting to change--but let me know what you think. Read it here: http://www.fictionaut.com/stories/cynthia-reeser/the-taste-in-my-mouth Warning: it's very dark. Not for the faint of heart, or the easily offended. It's also nonfiction.

PRESS RELEASE

2009-11-12T14:32:00.000-08:00

PRESS RELEASE
FINISHING LINE PRESS

PO Box 1626
Georgetown, KY 40324
859-514-8966
FinishlingBooks@aol.com
www.finishinglinepress.com

For Immediate Release

Finishing Line Press announces the publication of Light and Trials of Light, a chapbook of poems by Pensacola author and artist Cynthia Reeser

A multi-talented creative artist with a gift for language and observation, poet, editor, and visual artist Cynthia Reeser will have her first chapbook collection of poetry published by Finishing Line Press in early 2010.

Kevin Prufer, three-time Pushcart Prize winner; author of National Anthem, Fallen from a Chariot, others; Editor/Director of Pleiades: A Journal of New Writing; Associate Editor of American Book Review; and Vice President/Secretary of the National Book Critics Circle, says of Reeser's poetry: "These poems are smart and lovely, quiet and intimate. Cynthia Reeser is a poet of careful observation, quick to notice the flicker of candlelight across a loved one’s face, the “luster in the clatter of shells,” or the “butter-heavy rain cloud, phantom under a summer wave’s surrender.” And, although her subjects are personal—love, family, friendship, the poet’s affinity for the world of nature—they are shot through with moments of startling insight, brilliant conclusion, and, occasionally, a sort of wicked, erudite wit... Reeser has a fine talent."

Cynthia Reeser is the editor-in-chief of Prick of the Spindle, a literary quarterly journal, and is a prolific book reviewer and poet. A Pensacola native, her poetry has appeared in numerous print and online publications, and her book reviews can be read on NewPages.com every month. A former book review columnist and staff writer for a military newspaper, Cynthia is also a visual artist whose work has appeared in numerous shows, auctions, and art walks throughout Louisiana. Her nonfiction book, How to Publish Your Children's Book, is forthcoming from Atlantic Publishing in January 2010, and she is currently at work on a book about Kindle publishing. View her Web sites at www.cynthiareeser.com and www.prickofthespindle.com.

Howie Good, author of Tomorrowland, Lovesick, and others, praises Light and Trials of Light: "Cynthia Reeser writes with a rare combination of moral intelligence and emotional sensitivity. She pushes language to -- and sometimes beyond -- the limits of conventional vocabulary and diction to convey her tremendous sympathy for things that are broken or easily break. Her poems often occupy the blood-red moment in which a significant object or person or event is about to vanish from our lives. Trees fall victim to the chain-saw, romance to boredom and hurt, memories to distortion. But if Reeser’s overriding subject is the frailty of the things we love, their vulnerability to decay and destruction, her poems themselves are powerfully made. They have a kind of sturdy elegance that will challenge and move and ultimately dazzle you."

The cover design and photography for Light and Trials of Light is by Cynthia Reeser.

Finishing Line Press is a poetry publisher based in Georgetown, Kentucky. In addition to the Chapbook Series, it publishes the New Women’s Voices Series and sponsors the Finishing Line Press Open Chapbook Competition. Other recent Finishing Line Press releases include Man Overboard by Steven Barza, Scared Money Never Wins by Julia Wendell, Putting in a Window by John Brantingham, Family Business by Paula Sergi, and Drawing Lessons by Carol Barrett. Finishing Line Press and editor Leah Maines were featured in both the 2001 and 2002 Poet’s Markets.

Publication Date: January 2010

To order online, go to http://www.finishinglinepress.com/ Or, you may order directly from the publisher, $12.00, check or money order to:

Finishing Line Books
PO Box 1626
Georgetown, KY 40324
finishingbooks@aol.com
859-514-8360

You can also contact the author, Cynthia Reeser, by e-mail at crr@cynthiareeser.com, or visit her website at www.cynthiareeser.com

Taking a Breather

2009-11-10T06:04:00.001-08:00

What a weekend. After logging in so many hours for the past several weeks to meet with my client for the memoir editing project (re: 3 hours driving per day required), not to mention those spent in front of the computer screen, it was nice--scratch that--it was hugely exciting to finally get away. Not for business.

First on the agenda: Memphis to help a friend move back, but little did he know it would be no simple move. I dragged him along with me to the New Orleans Book Fair, sort of. Although we missed the fair on Saturday, we stuck around town all day Sunday and did what people in New Orleans do. I got to visit the famous cemeteries, which I had been dying (haha) to see since way back. Then we took the streetcar (what San Franciscans know as a trolley) to the Aquarium and les bebes had a blast--they pet the sharks, came eye to eye with sea otters and looked into the core of the feral glowing jellyfish. Then I treated all to some fine local cuisine, and finally it was off for coffee and beignets at the Cafe du Monde.

Unfortunately, it was also the weekend of the Saints game, which meant that J. Bradley's reading/performance at the Zeitgeist, and most other highly worthy cultural events, were in competition with The Game. But it was wonderful meeting J. Bradley, author of "Dodging Traffic," and Jason Cook of Ampersand Books (two fellow Floridians).

I'm back, refreshed, and ready to begin new contracts. Next up on the agenda is a book on Kindle publishing. And the next issue of Prick of the Spindle is just around the corner--coming up on December 23. I will be making time at the end of this week to finally do that initial podcast I've been so vocal about. No, I didn't forget. It's coming. Promise.

Also, I want to send out a warm thank you to Mel Bosworth, captain of the blog No More Hot Lunches for Eddie Socko, for his many and generous shout-outs and retweets. The support is much appreciated. Pre-Order his new chapbook "When the Cats Razzed the Chickens & Other Stories"(Folded Word Press, 2009.

And if you haven't ordered a copy of the Prick of the Spindle Fiction Open Competition No. 1 signature print edition, please do so now and support the journal! We are still saving to apply for federal nonprofit status, and your $8 helps the good cause. Order here.

Also be sure to enter Prick of the Spindle's first Poetry Open Competition, which also results in a print edition featuring the winners and honorable mentions. The prize is a framed black and white photograph by yours truly. Enter here.

And last but not least, visit the Finishing Line Press website and pre-order a copy of my first poetry chapbook, "Light and Trials of Light." I'm giving kisses to the first 50 people who order. But I don't travel. That's on you. ;-)

~

Painting in Progress: "Music for the Damned"

2009-10-31T08:51:00.000-07:00

Goodness Abounds

2009-10-15T20:17:00.000-07:00

My new poetry chapbook is available for pre-order from Finishing Line Press. Be a dear and order a copy, won't you? Praise for this chapbook--my first--comes from Howie Good and Kevin Prufer. Yes, that's right. Howie Good and Kevin Prufer.

Mel Bosworth reads an excerpt from my latest poem, "The Unmooring," which is currently out in the world seeking a home. See the video here: http://www.youtube.com/user/MelBosworth#p/a Thanks again, Mel!

More on my story of a story, coming this weekend.

Editorial: Letters to the Editors, A (Cathartic) Survey of the Prick of the Spindle X-List Thus Far, or, Ego v

2009-10-09T06:52:00.000-07:00

Editorial: Letters to the Editors, A (Cathartic) Survey of the Prick of the Spindle X-List Thus Far, or, Ego vs. Art, or, How Insecure Writers “Handle” Rejection, or, How Not to Get Your Work Recognized, or, Showing Your Ass to the Editors

By Cynthia Reeser

Being an editor has its rewards—among these is the opportunity to read work by promising authors, some of whom are new to the publishing game; the chance to transform pieces that are capable of shining with a bit of polishing; and the pride that comes with seeing the launch of an issue that has involved months of planning, editing and designing. But then, there are drawbacks. Unfortunately, that list is much longer and includes but is not limited to: long, thankless, unpaid hours of reading through stacks of submissions measurable in feet (not the poetic kind); the investment of time reading and editing work that is accepted and planned for in an upcoming issue, only to have the author say that, sorry, it’s already been accepted by another publication, and they’d be happy to send us more work. This list could go on, but I’ll spare the uninitiated.

But I will say that perhaps the worst offense of all is the slap (spittle?) in the face that comes from having a writer act unprofessionally. “Unprofessional” is a pretty broad term, but to us, it often boils down to something specific. Let me offer you a place in my Gianni Binis for a moment: You’ve come home from an eight hour workday, kick off your shoes, grab the leftovers from the fridge that you probably wouldn’t feed your neighbor’s dog (all in the interest of time management) and sit down to:

a. answer e-mails
b. read submissions
c. write reviews
d. plan interviews
e. write bitchy articles like this one
f. plan layout and design until you drop sometime around midnight-4 a.m.
(Choose one for any given night of any given week.)

If you chose a., and your response to a submission was:

We appreciate your considering Prick of the Spindle as a creative outlet; however, we ask that you follow submission guidelines, and submit only once per reading period, as we request.

Then the reply could be this:

YAWN, worry about quality not rules.

Or this (of which the initial e-mail’s subject line was the commanding imperative “Accept These Two Poems for v1.3”):

Thank you for your recent rejection letter from Prick of the Spindle. As per the instructions of Aleister Crowley (Liber III Vel Jugorum) I've chosen to cut myself sharply on the forearm with a razor each and every time I am rejected from a literary journal. My arm will then serve as a constant reminder of my shortcomings—a constant reminder of my apparent inability to write in a way that is trendy and "contemporary" enough to be worth reading. There is work to be done; there is blood to free; so I leave you with a question, Mrs. Reeser: Feareth not the *Unicorn* the claws and teeth of the *Lion*? I suppose we shall see, Mrs. Reeser. I suppose we shall see.

Sincerely,
O Evil Arrogant One, Creator of Words, Assigner of Marital Status*

*Editor’s Note: Name of author has been changed to protect him from being awarded publication and to reflect actual personality or lack thereof.

I couldn’t make these up—they’re far too clever for me. The preceding nugget of gold received this response:

Sometimes a work is rejected because it is not the right fit for the journal, and other times it is simply due to its being outvoted
between the poetry editors, though I personally would like to see more of your work.

If you ever have further questions, please do not hesitate to let me know.

Yes, I know. I’m waaaay too nice. But—oh!—it gets better. A response! Which goes exactly like this:

All we have are questions, Cynthia. We are bound to them like the manacled to the bourgeois; like the self to the flesh. We dream, Cynthia. Futile dreams. Do you hear them plea, Cynthia? Do you hear the dreams and dreamers plea?

Oh we plea.

We plea in hungry aching whispers: "Fin de siècle, fin de siècle."

And when the curtain fails to fall we envenom the alley puddles behind your establishments with bubbles of insemination like an infantry of broken oxygenaters. Silent streams of bubbles, Cynthia. Silent because no one wants to listen to whimpers.

Silent because no one wants to listen to truth.

Sincerely,
O Evil Arrogant One, Creator of Words, Assigner of Marital Status

Oh, would that I were as clever and could make references to a movement from roughly a hundred years ago without bothering to link it to any meaning. Or that I held the power to divine that the editor was married and use the term “Mrs.” without thought. Or that I could inseminate puddles with my bubbles.

On the other hand, if you received a rejection and were feeling all pissy and creative and hadn’t read that particular journal’s content, you might write something like this:

thanks, here's one you can enjoy

The Editor by Uninformed Moron*

There was this guy. We’ll call him Michael. He ran this small literary magazine. He tried to publish underground writers. Mostly he published bad writing. There are plenty of them out there. Bad writers. He always wrote these funny rejections letters. Most were arrogant and worse than the hacks he published. What does it take to be an editor? First of all, you have to have no talent. That’s the first step. The rest is just being an ass hole. You have to think you are doing something important. That is key. Michael thought he was important. His little magazine had a few readers. He even had a few decent writers. The good writers never submitted after they got published. They had bigger fish to fry. So Michael was left with bad writers. He’d send these pompous rejection slips each week. “I like this, but I don’t trust it.” “I feel that you are just making things up.” That is writing. More than half of it, is all bullshit. Nobody wants to read about reality. Most like reading about whores, drunks, and sex. The readers crave escape. They want an alternate reality. Michael was pretty good at publishing whore stories, but lately his magazine’s head had swollen. He started looking for art and culture. That is when you are finished. When you start listening to the voices. You start puffing your own chest out. You get away from your roots. You forget what you do best. There was one particular writer that Michael published named Tom. Tom was the real deal. He wrote about whores, boxing, drunks, and sex. Most of his stories were gross. None of them were ever boring. Tom never worried about his writing. He never cared about anything. He just wrote. It flowed out of him. He had to write. Tom had a few stories published. Michael even published one. “Tom, these are always fun to read but I feel that I don’t trust it.” Tom was doing Michael a favor. Imagine all the horrible stories Michael read on a daily basis. Tom was bringing a little joy and happiness by submitting. The years rolled by. Michael kept publishing the small magazine. His readers slowly dwindled. Part of it was that the writers were the only ones who read it. Once Michael had pissed off the talent, they took their brilliance elsewhere. Tom was no different. He took his poetry and stories to the more established rags. Michael finally decided to pull the plug on his little magazine. It had been a good run. He focused on his writing more. “Michael, I like this but I feel it’s not true.” “Best of luck placing it somewhere else.” Tom retired at 35. He published his first novel. It was a best seller. It was about whores, drunks, and sex.
The End

Sincerely,
Uninformed Moron (with too much time on his hands)*

*Editor’s Note: Name of author has been changed to protect him from being awarded publication and to reflect actual personality or lack thereof.

However, if you were a person who held a particular sense of entitlement due to past circumstances in your personal life that had given you a feeling of victimization so embedded within your personality that you would never, ever be able to get rid of it and would always treat others like dirt to make yourself feel better, you might, just might, write something along these lines after being accepted by a journal with whom you had been working on edits, and from whom you had decided to pull your submission because you couldn’t bring yourself to stoop to changing your work, even if only for clarity’s sake:

Oh, I 'm so sorry to have inconvenienced you. I have only been published 7 or 8 times, so i didn't realize that i couldn't choose between several publishers if I had multiple offers. You mean, I have to pick the first publisher that picks me? For some reason i thought I actually had a choice where my intellectual property is published. i thought i actually owned my work up until the time it appeared in print. Thanks for disabusing me of that notion. What if a second or third offer involves payment. Do I still have to go with the first offer if i never agreed to give my piece to that first editor?

Oh, this is indeed a learning process.

The other journal accepted my piece first, but i was not clear if he was really going to publish it because he did not state when it would be published. When i got assurance that the short story would be in an upcoming issue, i gave it to him.

Sincerely,
Victim 4 Life

Ahh…time to kick back, sip a glass of wine, and let those ungrateful writers’ e-mails roll on in. Bring on the ego trips guys—they really do provide some much-needed comic relief! In the meantime, I’ll be reading your submissions, free of charge.

78,555 Words Equal...

2009-10-07T14:46:00.000-07:00

More than 78,000 words
90 days
180 pots of coffee
16.3 caffeine headaches
12.8 stress headaches
10 reference books
12,174 interruptions
58 bad words thought, never said
0 screaming fits
589.45 screaming fits imagined
and a whole lotta love

This is what my book is made of.

It's Done.

2009-10-06T18:40:00.001-07:00

Now that the book is finished, it's time to put together the graphics. That's right. I'm the go-to girl. I can write copy, do podcasts, and compile the graphics and glossary. And might I add, at no extra charge?

Memoir starts next week; life starts again tonight.

Last Chapter

2009-10-06T08:53:00.000-07:00

I am going in to write the last chapter of my book on children's publishing. I would be lying if I said I'm not relieved, but it is also true that I have enjoyed the project immensely. The schedule has been grueling, but in the way that hard work is good for you. Once the book is completed, I am looking forward to finally finishing the several novels/novellas I started and so monstrously abandoned. They will also be placed into a rigid schedule as if they were due to the publisher in a matter of weeks.

Now on with the show.

Grad School, Interrupted

2009-10-05T10:28:00.000-07:00

Thank you, Nottingham, for allowing me to delay (defray?) grad school 'til next year. I am looking forward to joining the hallowed ranks. This year has been one of the strangest of my life, even stranger than last year, when I almost died a few times. I like to think things are looking up now, but I've made that mistake in the past, and, well, let's just say I'm still hanging in there. I come from a long line of hangers-on.

Yours truly,
Cynthia

Wrapping Up

2009-09-29T16:42:00.000-07:00

My nonfiction book wraps up next week. I have to say that the project has been a learning experience. I have become better at parceling out my time, and at maximizing the workable hours. But then, I've always been a fan of deadlines for just these reasons--having a specific timeline to work within provides a system, and a sort of time enclosure in which a more narrow focus is attainable.

After my final stages are handed in, I begin a new project. It's another lengthier project, and something that I am very excited about. My new client has put the last 7 years of her life into her memoir, and I hope, as her editor, to help her make it the best version of itself. I have a few publishers in mind for her already...

Debut of Prick of the Spindle Vol. 3.3

2009-09-24T00:22:00.000-07:00

Prick of the Spindle Vol. 3.3 has launched! View the latest greatest at http://www.prickofthespindle.com/

With all this talk of podcasting, I have been searching for authors in my area to collaborate on a conversation, but alas...I must be the only published writer within a 100-mile vicinity. To remedy this problem, my fiction editor Erin McKnight and I will be formulating a discussion on writing...topic TBA, but check the website regularly, and follow my tweets to stay updated! reesercyn and PrickotheSpindl are my Twitter names, and you can become a fan of Prick of the Spindle on Facebook.

Hope you enjoy the new issue! It's chock full of great fiction, poetry, and some wonderful reviews (7 of which I wrote, so I'm biased!). There is also new art by Elahzar Rao and Debi Blankenship, and a wonderful dramatic piece, "Harmony Falls," by Mary Beth O'Connor. Also be sure to check out the interview with David McNamara of sunnyoutside press. I have been reviewing sunnyoutside publications for a while now, so it was a pleasure to get a behind-the-scenes take from the man himself.

I'm meeting with a new client tomorrow who needs a good editing eye on her memoir, so I had better get some sleep!

Podcasts!

2009-09-19T08:59:00.000-07:00

I am excited to have finally learned podcasting! It's something that's been at the periphery of my brain for a while now, buzzing every now and then. I was asked to do a podcast by Atlantic Publishing, who will be publishing my nonfiction book, How to Publish Your Children's Book later in 2009.

Check my blog regularly for information on how and where you can access the podcast.

And what with the newest issue of Prick of the Spindle, Vol. 3.3., just around the corner, I am thinking of doing a podcast to accompany the issue, although I would really like to find a few talented writers, preferably published authors, in my area to talk shop with.

Look for Prick of the Spindle Vol. 3.3 on September 23!

Happy Saturday to all.

New Publications Forthcoming

2009-09-12T18:44:00.000-07:00

A few new publications forthcoming...I read my poem "Confession #31: The problem with the heart" in the upcoming issue of The Dirty Napkin, the Sept. 22 issue. That voice recording took 3 times or so, but Jeremy Ellis is very patient, so my thanks to him for giving me the chance to get it right.

I'm excited to have two works upcoming in Artifice Magazine, one a graphic story (read: not a graphic novel) and a poem written in html.

And three pieces of art coming soon in 322 Review: Factory Town, Impermanence, and Smokescreens.

And what with the next issue of Prick of the Spindle just around the corner, what a whirlwind! Look for Vol. 3.3 on September 23.

Also, check out Scott Bowen's new journal Divine Dirt Quarterly.

New Nonfiction Book Forthcoming

2009-09-11T11:43:00.001-07:00

I am currently writing my book for Atlantic Publishing, How to Publish Your Children's Book. I'm not sure which is more exciting--interviewing children's authors, editors, and illustrators, or the research!

New Chapbook Forthcoming

2009-09-11T11:40:00.000-07:00

Finishing Line Press will be publishing my first poetry chapbook, Light and Trials of Light in early 2010. Stay posted for more details.

Love,
Cynthia

Moving Forward

2007-04-13T05:07:00.000-07:00

AmateurArtwork is so very happy that you artists have kept us so busy this past month! We are proud to say that we have posted new artwork almost daily the entire month of March and are looking forward to expanding from, to put it nicely, a content-minimalistic site. We have so much love for you guys!

As for the nuts and bolts of things, we are also looking forward to a total redesign of AmateurArtwork. Our admin is hard at work whipping up a new design (without tables, without frames...) to better showcase our expanding content. She's a busy one, too...so bear with her.

Please keep creating your beautiful art, and of course, if you are an artist currently with us, don't forget that you can add or remove works from the galleries simply by emailing your request with all the gritty details. Send it to gallery@amateurartwork.com.

Of course, for questions, suggestions, and the like, email artiste@amateurartwork.com.

To leave you with a meaningful thought...one of the greatest hindrances to creating something new is the belief that it has all been done before.

Don't be a stranger!

Changes and Updates

2007-03-10T18:12:00.000-08:00

If you are a repeat offender (visiting this website, of course) then you may have noticed that we changed our blog name. Formerly "Prick of the Spindle," it is now entitled "Abstractions." This is due to one very good reason--the recent launch of The Prick of the Spindle online literary journal.

The Prick of the Spindle is now accepting submissions in the realms of poetry, fiction (long, short, and flash), nonfiction, and even reviews. If you are interested or even just curious, please visit http://www.prickofthespindle.com. We can't wait to read your work.

Additionally, we have had an especially large influx of submissions recently, and are looking forward to broadening the horizons known as AmateurArtwork. Chalk it up to an off-season, but things were a little slow around here for a while...But so far, we absolutely love what we have seen, so please keep on sending it!

artiste

February? What February?

2007-03-05T12:42:00.000-08:00

Okay, we skipped a month posting a newsletter...but that's okay, since it probably went unnoticed by 99.998% of our overall viewing population. (Though I guess we were lucky to get one lonely blogger response in January...) But come on, let's hear from you! I know you're out there...my site stats tell me so.

I just read a New York Times review on MoMA's new exhibition, entitled "Comic Abstraction: Image-Breaking, Image-Making." You can check it out at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/02/arts/design/02comi.html?pagewanted=1&th&emc=th
Let me know what you think...I will leave out my personal opinions and let you guys run with it.

Although I will say this, cartooning certainly has its own place in the art world, but I think that bringing it into the field of fine arts can be a very delicate process, given its humble roots. Actually, we would love to see some illustrators on this site (hint hint)...

artiste

New Season for Artists

2007-01-20T20:11:00.000-08:00

AmateurArtwork is pleased to be posting its first blog, care of yours truly, Artiste-- aka The Webmistress.

A lot of exciting changes are going on at AmateurArtwork.com right now. We recently (and painfully) implemented a store for our artists to sell their pieces which are already displayed in our galleries. And we now offer the option for artists to simply post their pieces in gallery space rather than having to go through the approval process, which can take a while. The Submissions and Reviews Board still reviews pieces submitted by artists who wish for their work to be placed in the AmateurArtwork Store, however. Now there is just another option for those who wish to sell their pieces on their own.

If you choose to have us set up a gallery area for you, and do not wish to go through the long submission and approval process to have your pieces in the AmateurArtwork Store, we will also post your contact information so that interested buyers can purchase directly from you, without having AmateurArtwork as a liaison or middleman.

To submit, simply contact us at artiste@amateurartwork.com, and let us know which you prefer. If you wish to have your own display area without submitting, the cost is $30 for 6 months. To enable this option, simply send us your work at gallery@amateurartwork.com. We'd love to hear from you.

In the near future, we will also be adding a blog area directly to the site, so that you can give us your opinions and feedback on the pieces currently in the galleries. Hopefully this will also develop into a forum for artists to discuss practices and techniques, as well as with what is current in the ever-changing art world.

Drop us a line, browse the galleries, send us your work!

With Love
C Reeser
Administrator
AmateurArtwork.com