The Eleventh National Black Writers Conference - March 29, 2012 – April 1, 2012

I first attended this conference, held at Medgar Evers Collegs in Brooklyn, NY, in 2008. I enjoyed the experience and vibe (still thinking about this tasty vegetarian restaurant across the street), and found the discussions and workshops informative and motivating. While I haven't been able to attend since, I haven't forgotten about this conference and would like to attend the next one, Thursday, March 29, 2012—Sunday, April 1, 2012.

I wanted to share the program details in case it should interest someone enough to register and hear passionate roundtable discussions on The Impact of Migration, Popular Culture, and the Natural Environment in the Literature of Black Writers.

Here's what they have planned for participants:

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Pre-Conference Activities

Spoken Word Workshop
Sponsored by the NBWC and PEN American Center
Edison O. Jackson Auditorium, Medgar Evers College

Youth Programs

10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Workshop, readings, and program activities for elementary, middle-school and high-school students.
Founders Auditorium, Medgar Evers College

Call for Papers: Presentations

10:00 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.

Exploring Themes in the Works of John Oliver Killens, Ishmael Reed, and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o

Poetry Café

6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Sponsored by the Central Brooklyn Public Library

Friday, March 30, 2012

Film Screenings: Selected films and shorts based on literary themes
11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Edison O. Jackson Auditorium, Medgar Evers College

Elders Writing Workshop

4:00 p.m.–5:30 p.m.

Elders Writers Workshop Presentation
Edison O. Jackson Auditorium, Medgar Evers College

Official Conference Opening

7:00 p.m.–8:30 p.m.

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, Featured Speaker and Honoree
Founders Auditorium, Medgar Evers College

Concert: Off-Site Event
9:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

Jazz concert and cultural program

Saturday, March 31, 2012

NBWC Reading Series

12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The National Black Writers Conference Reading Series is sponsored by the African American Literature Book Club, the Brooklyn Literary Council, Mosaic magazine, the National Black Writers Conference.

Panels and Roundtable Discussions

Defining “Urban,” “Street,” and “Hip-Hop” Literature: Its Evolution and Impact on American Culture

11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

This panel is based on the concept that the publishing industry, mainly mainstream, and some writers and editors, have labeled “urban literature,” “street lit,” and/or “hip-hop literature as stories with an urban setting that portray the gritty side of black American life. Moreover, they have viewed the new crop of black writers of this literature as not being “literary” and have often characterized their stories as poorly written. Yet, for years, black writers such as Donald Goines, Iceberg Slim, and Chester Himes wrote books that fit into what might be called “urban literature.” Yet white writers such as Richard Price, author of the raw street novel Clockers, and Hubert Selby, author of Last Exit to Brooklyn, wrote books with urban-based themes. These writers did not have their texts so categorized. Are urban-based stories by white writers classified differently than urban-based stories by the new group of black writers? How much does the craft of writing play in the manner in which the books are defined? Who determines the definition? Should we broaden our definitions and understanding of urban literature?
Is this literature here to stay or is it just a fad? We want the participants on this panel to discuss the origins of urban-themed stories, what constitutes them, how are they defined today and what impact these stories reveal about contemporary American culture.

Migration and Cultural Memory in the Literature of Black Writers

1 p.m.–2:30 p.m.
Sponsored by the Pan-African Literary Forum

The globalization of today’s society and the migration of black writers to various parts of the African Diaspora have had an impact on our definitions of black writers and on the literature they produce. One theme central to the literature of black writers throughout the African Diaspora is the value of cultural memory. Cultural memories convey the spirit, language, traditions, music, art, history, values, and belief systems of a people. When there is no cultural memory, there is no way for people to survive. The writers on this panel will examine the ways in which black writers who move back and forth among the geographical boundaries of the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe define themselves across cultural boundaries and represent and analyze cultural memory in the literature they produce.

The Impact of Popular Culture on Politics in the Literature of Black Writers
5:00 p.m.–6:30 p.m.

We live in a society constructed by politics and our nation has developed a political consciousness that informs our elections, our media, our literature, our films, our economy, and our global interactions with the world. Our civil rights, religious, and societal movements are informed by politics. Politics is often at the center of our lives. As citizens of this country, we continually examine the impact of politics in our lives. Black writers have always responded to politics through the critical analysis of politics in the government, popular culture, and world economy and through the creation of political thrillers, suspense stories, and cautionary tales. The panelists will discuss the impact of politics in the literature of black writers from these varying perspectives.

Tribute and Awards Program

7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Founders Auditorium, Medgar Evers College
1650 Bedford Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11225

VIP Reception
ABI Bldg., Medgar Evers College
1638 Bedford Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11225

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Talkshops

10:00 a.m.–11:15 a.m. Fiction; Poetry; Book Reviews

11:30 a.m.–12:45 p.m. Dramatic Writing; Creative Nonfiction; Book Proposals

Panels and Roundtable Discussions

Black Writers and Ecoliterature: Stories, Essays, and Poetry Shaped by the Natural Environment

12:00 p.m.–1:30 p.m.

As our global society becomes smaller and the impact of global warming and natural disasters are magnified, issues of conservation and the need to protect the natural habitat and the environment have become more pressing. Black writers have responded to these issues in varying ways. Through their novels, essays, poetry, short stories and plays, they have written cautionary tales that prepare us for what will happen if we do not protect the environment and their works have raised public awareness about crises such as war, famine, and natural disasters. Writers on this panel will discuss the literature that raises public awareness about the need to restore life-sustaining communities.

The Role of Social Media: Black Writers Take Literature to the Web

2 p.m.–3:30 p.m.

The use of the social media for marketing, promoting, and publishing in the writing world is well documented. There is an argument that social media techniques have leveled the playing field and have helped to make the writing and publishing of books more accessible for all writers. The writers on this panel will discuss the implications of the Internet for black writers and the ways in which the Internet can be used and/or has been used to affect the marketing and kind of writing produced by black writers.

Being Sold or Selling Ourselves: Black Writers and the Marketplace

4:00 p.m.– 5:30 p.m.

Black writers face a number of challenges in the publishing industry. Publishers, for example, often believe that there is no audience for serious literary fiction. The literature created by black writers is often narrowly defined, thus resulting in the fact that black writers are marginalized from mainstream presses and forced to either self-publish or publish with small independent presses. The literary industry professionals on this panel, from mainstream, independent and small presses, discuss these challenges and offer their perspectives on solutions for overcoming these obstacles.

Playing Fetch All By Myself

I saw this vid of this adorable little canine playing fetch by himself as his owner sat and talked with friends, seemingly oblivious to his companion's desire for him to toss a tennis ball down some steps for it to run and catch.

I couldn't help but relate this little dog's predicament to certain aspects of my life. It occurred to me that for many years I've felt as though I was in charge of fetching my own ball. That ball representing different personal things to me, though I'm not ashamed to admit that compatible companionship is one. While the universe has tossed these figurative balls out to others, some who weren't even in the mood to play and threw them back or away...I've sat patiently, my little tail wagging in restrained anticipation, waiting for my turn. All I've wanted for so very long is to be able to play fetch too.

But a good thing is that I've gotten really good at running after the ones I've made myself, and have observed what the others have received, so that I know what a good throw looks like. And I already know what a great "catch" I am.

Just having one of those moments I suppose. I knew what my four-legged friend was going through and decided to make a post about it. Little dog, someone will toss that ball for you one day, I promise.

If only you could promise me the same.

November Books: An Inferno and One Other Hot Spot

So I headed over to the bookstore the other day in search of a new read. I've been doing the self-help/nonfiction thing for a minute now and wanted to unwind with some fantasy. Note: This sudden desire to buy a new novel coincides with my recent reunion with my short story collection. This is how it usually happens. When I'm on a path to pursuing my own literary passions....other authors start beckoning me to read their work. And, of course, I oblige their requests.

The Inferno of Dante, or Dante's Inferno, was on my list as someone recently presented a possible parallel between its theme and the theme of one of my short stories, "Unspoken Duty"—that of being led into the afterlife. I read some parts of it years ago, but due to my young age, couldn't extract from it what I can today now that life experiences have caused me to ponder who I am and why I'm here.

Midway through our life's journey, I found myself in dark woods, the right road lost.

A captivating introduction, don't you think?


I'd never read a book by author Zane. I knew her erotic novels were very popular, and I was impressed with her success, but never made the move to read her work. After picking up my lengthy translation of Dante's work though, I wanted to wash it down with something more relaxing. OK, I'll be honest, I wanted to read something titillating. And what should I see on a display table as I browsed....the Zane collection. I read the covers of all of them trying to find the one that would best suit my tastes. Love is Never Painless seemed to do. A collection of three novellas that deal with the not-so-loving aspects of relationships. I've read one so far about a faithful, loving man who struggles to maintain his marriage to an increasingly self-destructive drug addict. It was okay. Only because I found myself skipping over some of it to get to the juicy parts.

So, that's what I'll be busy doing for the next few weeks: working; writing; reading; pondering life; updating this blog (hopefully); fantasizing about love and intimacy; dealing with the woes of my home being covered in fall leaves with only one brave rake to tackle them; and living as best I can in whatever free time I have.

Thanks for reading.


Regards,

Jennifer

The Top Ten Self-Publishing Myths

The Top Ten Self-Publishing Myths


Myth #10: The only authors who self-publish are those whose writing is not good enough to be published by a traditional publisher.

Truth: This was probably never true because the first publishers were in direct competition with rich men who could afford to self-publish. These publishers actually created the concept of the vanity press, and rode that horse to huge profits. Today, however, things have changed. Rumor in the book industry has it that no large publishers are offering contracts to new authors unless that author has a following of at least 25,000 and a large online presence. For most major publishers, this is unofficial policy. Book sales in the 10,000 to 20,000 range used to be enough to make the midlist, but these days, a book with these sales would be considered a failure by large houses. The midlist author of the past is today’s self-published author.

Myth #9: Readers do not like to read self-published books.

Truth: Readers do not want to read bad books, no matter how they were produced. Although publishers and other writers might be biased against self-published books, readers just want to know that they’re going to get their money’s worth. Huge self-publishing successe s like The Celestine Prophecy, and The One Minute Manager prove that readers are interested in the content, not who published the book. The issue is trust. That’s why it’s so important for self-published authors to make sure they get the best book possible out there. If it’s well written and well marketed, readers will buy it.

Myth #8: People who read can tell when a book is self-published because the standards of production are lower.

Truth: While publishing professionals might be able to tell the difference, regular readers will not notice minor differences in binding or laminating, and as long as your book looks more or less the same as similar books and the text is easy to read, most buyers won’t know (or care) about the size of the margins or the gutters.

Myth #7: Self-publishing is expensive because you have to order a lot of books up front and pay for publishing services.

Truth: A book is a product that you are trying to sell, and it has to be comparable in quality to the competition: other books that others are trying to sell. If you know how to format your own book and design your own book cover using software like Photoshop you can probably do a lot of the setup yourself. You will still need to obtain and ISBN, an EAN, a Library of Congress number, and a barcode, and you will also want distribution, and possibly editing. If you can afford it, these services are available through publishing companies. Some publishers do require their authors to order minimum print runs, which can cost thousands, or even tens of thousands, of dollars. However, POD (print on demand) publishers don’t require authors to order any books. And in some cases, a number of books are included with the publishing package.

Myth #6: No one reviews self-published books.

Truth: In fact, self-published books do get reviews. Some even get reviewed in major magazines and newspapers. However, these are the exception, not the rule. Most POD books get reviewed on radio, in local media, in regional magazines, and on the internet.

Myth #5: Self-publishing is expensive because you have to pay large setup fees.

Truth: Some publishing companies include the actual publishing of the book in the setup fees. If the setup fee includes formatting, the essential administrative numbers (ISBN, EAN, LOC#, and barcode), a custom cover, and distribution then you aren’t really paying for setup, you’re paying for publishing services. Watch out for those companies who tell you a small setup fee that doesn’t include any real services.

Myth #4: It’s hard for self-published authors to succeed because they have to do all their own promotion.

Truth: Here's a quote from a Senior Editor at Harper Collins: "I won't even look at a book unless the author is prepared to do a book tour and book signings..." If that's not work, I don't know what is. All authors are required to do promotion on their books. No one, except celebrity authors, gets their books out into the marketplace without working for it. No large publisher will take on a new writer who isn’t about to do the promotion, the book tours, and the media interviews.

Myth #3: Self-published authors are at a disadvantage because they’re unknown and there’s no quality control system in place on published books.

Truth: Self-published authors are usually unknown; there’s not much that can be done about that. However, there are a few self-publishing companies who do insist on quality in editorial as well as production values. Such publishers don’t take every book that comes in “over the transom,” and because they have standards, it’s easier for potential readers to trust the books they sell.

Myth #2: Most self-published authors can’t get their books into large chain brick-and-mortar bookstores like Barnes and Noble and Borders, and you have to have books on these shelves to be successful.

Truth: Once, chain bookstores were the only place to buy books, but that’s no longer true. According to a recent poll, only 32% primarily shop for books in chain bookstores. 43% of respondents buy their books online and 9% buy most of their books from small, independent bookstores. 16% bought elsewhere--in drug stores, specialty shops, supermarkets, warehouse clubs, and airports. Plainly, since 68% of buyers buy elsewhere, chain bookstores are no longer the be-all and end-all of bookselling.

Myth #1: Self-publishing is okay for some, but I want writing to be my career.

Truth: The length of the mainstream author’s career is under the control of his or her publisher, and future prospects are only as good as the sales of the last book. If your book doesn’t earn back its advance, or sells only modestly beyond the advance, the publisher will not want to publish your next book. Only 1-2% of all books published become bestsellers. Take a look in any bookstore at the books that are not selling in huge numbers. Take a look at the remainder tables. It may be rare for a self-published book to become a bestseller, but for that matter, it’s rare for any book to become a bestseller. Most books make their money in the long tail of sales, which brings in as much income as the bestseller, the difference being that this money comes in over time rather than all at once. Those writers who persevere no matter what, who continue to write and to publish, who continue to add books to their product line and promote them, can succeed.

A self-published author’s career isn’t over until the author decides to stop publishing. The self-published author’s career makes it or doesn’t based on the author’s work and the author’s willingness to keep writing, publishing, and promoting. It’s not up to anyone else to decide if you’ll be an author; and it’s not up to anyone else to decide when you’ll quit.



*****Credits: Courtesy of PodPublishing.Org

Should Texting Be the Middle Man in Relationships? « Clutch Magazine

Should Texting Be the Middle Man in Relationships? « Clutch Magazine

I ran across this Clutch article and it resonated with me because of something I've been encountering the past few years, much to my frustration: people's inability (or refusal) to verbally communicate in an engaging, reciprocal manner. With these tech advancements we enjoy, we are also losing touch more and more with face-to-face and mouth-to-ear phone interactions. Everyday, I see everyone looking down at their phones for hours each day, scrolling their thumbs across screens, checking out what's happening in other people's lives, replying with what's happening in theirs. All through text and symbols. These same people may say they're not "phone people"; yet, their phones keep their hands company for many hours each day. What they really mean is that they aren't comfortable actually talking to others. When you're texting and emailing, you can create a persona—funny, tough, extremely busy, sassy, whatever you want. But to speak in person or let someone hear your voice is to remove your cloak of invisibility in a way. You expose your eyes, your facial expressions, your intelligence, your true personality. You're expected to deliver in real time. And some of us simply aren't "good" at it.

For those of us who still prefer to communicate verbally and who enjoy stimulating conversations where each participant is inquisitive and engaging, yet are forced to write character-limited messages instead. Or forced to feel like an interviewer on the phone when someone refuses to reciprocate the interest or keep the momentum going....You're Not Alone.

There's a lot of us who remain. I'm not sure what will become of us, but for now, we are here.

Here's to voice-to-voice. The most amazing resource we humans have.

The Artwork of Greg Slade

I met an artist last night at a networking event. His name is Greg Slade, a DC native, who was showcasing his work. It was such a pleasure to speak with him and exchange interests, among which was an appreciation of literary classics. However, the highlight of my evening was viewing his artwork. I hate to sound cliche, but the pieces I saw were unlike other artwork I've seen. His use of bold, vibrant color and detail; the emotion each piece exuded; the way he captures eyes....it was like watching a part of a fantasy; a spiritual journey; a dream.

I made this post to give Greg a shout out and to show my appreciation. I so admire creative spirits....whether they express themselves through pen and paper, the perfect combination of musical notes, molding and sculpting, or through strokes on canvass. I love beauty. I love to ponder. And I love to see and hear things that send me on a journey.

Here is Greg's website: The Artwork of Greg Slade. Check out his work. Show him some love on his guestbook. And most importantly, if you see something you like, I'm sure he'd appreciate your purchase or commission request.

All the best, everyone. I'll be back soon.

Calling All Hip-Hop Heads!!

Mainstream hip-hop is dead, at least to most of us over the age of 30. We hip-hop heads have fled to a thriving underground where, thanks to the internet and word of mouth, we are enjoying life and are listening to good beats and thought provoking lyrics—some actual meaning. I miss when this was the norm.

I haven't done a post like this in a while. It's just my little way of saying "thank you" to the folks who give us great music to reflect on, stir our creativity, mellow us out, hype us up, whatever we need it to do.

For today's homage, I'm taking it back, sharing three oldies (but goodies) that have made me wish that I was living in NYC in the 90s and able to travel locally to see these dudes perform these "joints" in person. Just wish I could have been in the crowd, soaking up that energy.

Jeru the Damaja



KRS-One



De La Soul

No Longer On the Outside Looking In

Well, gentle readers, Jennifer has found a graduate program she can call her own. After repeated graduate school rejections, I've finally found acceptance of my work experience and career interests. Starting in January, I'll begin work toward earning an MS in management with a public relations specialization. I'm pleased.

As I've shared with you, for years I've been dogged by the existence of my undergraduate transcript, which bears a low cumulative grade point average, and offers an inaccurate portrait of who I was back then. But as they are saying nowadays, "it is what it is." I'm tired of apologizing for it, which I had to do over and over again as part of my applications to graduate admissions committees. I was beginning to think that I'd never be forgiven for a undergraduate career that ended almost 10 years ago.

My career goals have changed, and I've sought a degree that reflects that and speaks for who I am now. This school has been there all along, but I never gave it much consideration as I felt it didn't have the clout as some of the other more prestigious schools in the area. But after more research, I discovered that it indeed held its own as far as reputation and alumni and would be very welcoming to a student like me. Just a weary traveler who wants to continue her education, and has the skills to back up what she claims she can do.

So, here I am, preparing to embark on a new journey. As much as this means to me, I won't be neglecting that part of me that doesn't care about a degree or networking or resume building. The part of me that just wants me to finish writing my book. I haven't forgotten you.


Love,

Me

Happy Halloween!!

In honor of Halloween, I decided to actually celebrate it this year instead of just stuffing my face with ghost and witch shaped candy. I like Halloween but never buy a costume or go to a spooky party or haunted house. You know, have a scary good time. So a couple days ago I decided to change that for Hallows Eve 2011.

After work, I headed over to the Crime & Punishment museum for Fright Night, a haunted house which featured the actual retired electric chair from the Tennessee State Department of Corrections. Now, I'm a girly girl, but I'm not afraid of house of horror stuff like other females seem to be. While waiting in line outside (by myself mind you) the other ladies where clinging to each other in nervous anticipation. Asking one of the guys who was working the door for confirmation of what awaited us so they could shake in fear some more. I stood fearless and when it was time, walked in there like a boss. Two minutes later......the screaming I heard was coming from ME. Man, all manner of ghosts and ghouls were jumping out at us. One was even revving up a chainsaw. We had to crawl through a dark tunnel into an even darker room where at any moment, someone or something could leap at us.

Needless to say, I was relieved when at the end of the ordeal, a "corpse" laying on the floor pointed his hand toward the exit door. And there I stood on the sidewalk again, having escaped Fright Night.

But wait......there's more.

Feeling as though my Halloween had just started, I walked myself a couple blocks to the movie theater to see Paranormal Activity 3. Yes, I did this immediately after the haunted house (by myself mind you). Now, I'd seen the first installment and wasn't exactly impressed, as it was like watching Blair Witch Project all over again. But I figured what the heck it's Halloween.

During the movie I was creeped out a bit. There were a few jolts. But for the most part, I didn't consider myself scared. But the audience was a different story. The participation was incredible. They screamed, they jumped, they yelled, they cursed. It helped me get into it more. Afterward, I was pleased that I'd gotten out and enjoyed myself. I just knew that I'd left my frights where I'd found them and that I'd enjoy a good night's rest.

I was wrong.

I wasn't at home 20 minutes before I started to hear sounds that unnerved me. What was that?....a bump? What was that?...is there someone upstairs? What the hell?...did something just land on the roof?

Readers, I tell you this. I DID NOT SLEEP A WINK. As I lay in bed, worried that the Paranormal ghost had followed me home, I vowed that I would never again try to be all big and bad and go to a haunted house and scary movie back to back just because it was Halloween.

Some things just aren't worth it. And now I'm exhausted and have a lot of missed sleep to make up for.

Yep, next year it's back to candy corn and the SyFy channel.

Realizing My Potential

I realized about two years ago that a leadership role was in my future. It was just a feeling that began to take over me as I became more confident in my work role and my ability step outside of my comfort zone. I was coming into a sense of no longer being an apprentice, but a subject matter expert. I was being called on by the higher ups to make final editorial decisions, and was taking others under my wing and sharing my experiences and best practices with them. I saw the change happening and was amazed at who I was becoming.

I'm a nice, sweet, kind, gentle soul....I hate it sometimes, but it's who I am. But as nice as I am, there's a fierce leader inside of me. I often surprise myself when I have no reservations about expressing differing opinions in meetings; offering to do something a totally new way; asking for help when I need it to ensure I provide quality products. I never considered these to be leadership qualities. But they are.

I bought See Jane Lead a year ago, read the first two chapters, and put it down to tend to some of my more pressing life issues. Last week, I went to my bookshelf on a search for an unfinished good read and picked up where I left off. So much has changed in the past year, and this book is even more relevant to me now. I've been promoted and with that have received more responsibility and the designation by my peers as the "go-to" person for editing and writing related issues. I've come a long way. There are times when I beat myself up, thinking I'm unmotivated or that I'm too lazy for my own good. But when I sit back and think of the work I've done and the risks I've taken to get to this point.....I smile. Jennifer did it. And will continue to do so.

I don't think this book is just for women, the subjects Lois Frankel discusses can be applied to anyone in the workplace who desires to attain a leadership role. Check it out, you'll learn about the following topics:

The Feminization of Leadership

If You Can Run a Household, You Can Be Strategic

Taking Risks: No More Nice Girl <----This is the chapter I'm on now

Influencing With (and Without) Authority

From Cheerleader to Coach: Motivating People to Achieve Their Best

Leading Teams: From the PTA to the Boardroom

A Woman's Secret Weapons: Likability and Emotional Quotients

Women as Entrepreneurs: Leading Your Own Enterprise

Raising Our Daughters to Lead

Writer Beware™ Blogs!: How to Satisfy Your Reader without Being Predictable

Writer Beware™ Blogs!: How to Satisfy Your Reader without Being Predictable

I found this advice on creating a successful balance between predictability and reader satisfaction so interesting that I wanted to share it with you. Give it a read.

Farewell Sir: Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address

Upon learning yesterday of the passing of Steve Jobs I felt the type of sadness I've experienced at the news of a work acquaintance's death. I didn't know him, yet I was familiar enough with him to understand how much he'd be missed. The last thing I'd heard of Mr. Jobs was his recent resignation as Apple's CEO, for undisclosed reasons I'd read. I knew however that it was the result of his lengthy battle with cancer.

As I watched a mini-tribute of his life, I felt my sadness dissipate a bit as I remembered that this man had achieved what so many work tirelessly each day to achieve---build a legacy. His "I was here" was chiseled in stone a long time ago. When I have this realization about people, I feel happy for them. Their deaths are no less emotional, but what's different is that I don't feel as though I should mourn what could have been if only they'd....

I celebrate their achievement, them having left a mark on the world. Mr. Jobs' influence in the technology world will last for many more decades. But for me, I think I'll be more affected by his 2005 address at Stanford University's commencement ceremony. I listened to a clip in which he spoke on the inevitability of death. His words were quite profound and I wasn't surprised that these were the words chosen for inclusion in his tribute. His insight blew me away. I thought about it throughout the day today, and decided to make a post in dedication to the address's full transcript. It's long, so I suppose I'll stop typing now and let you start reading it.
---------------------------------------------------

"I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories.

The first story is about connecting the dots.

I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out? It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: "We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?" They said: "Of course." My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college.

And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.

It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on.

Let me give you one example: Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating.

None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, it's likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.

Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.

My second story is about love and loss.

I was lucky — I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation — the Macintosh — a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.

I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down - that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me — I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.

I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.

During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I returned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple's current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.

I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.

My third story is about death.

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.

I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.
This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope it's the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:
No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.
Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.

Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Thank you all very much."

Something Different: The First Sentence

I decided to try something new with this post. I'm calling it first sentence. I got the idea from rereading some of the hundreds of emails I've sent to my friend, Melissa, this year alone. Sometimes we're corny; sometimes we're depressed; sometimes we're angry; and other times, we're just plain bored. I'm amazed at how I routinely suffer from writers' block when it comes to making any progress on my novel...yet I can write her a descriptive email that speaks of pain, yearning, love, desire and "unbridled enthusiasm" with relative ease. I'm just in one of those moods tonight I suppose, a mood to share my world. So here are the real first sentences from a few of the more interesting emails I've composed to my dear friend.

Something tells me I'm sitting on a gold mine with these opening liners. Think Jennifer, think. Why are your opening lines so darn good?

---------------

"I know this sounds terrible but I wish the male:female ratio here in the US was similar to China, where men are desperate to find wives."

"I have to face it, I'm not wanted in the dating pool."

"I wasn't feeling that self conscious when I walked into work this morning, but now I am."

"Remember the scene from Color Purple where Sofia came out of her comatose state after Celie finally stood up for herself?"

"OK, so I've been feeling a little down with all the evilness occurring in politics the past few years."

"I've changed so much in the past few years."

"When I woke up this morning I knew it was going to be a blah day."

"All the men in my fantasy life are falling into disfavor with you I see."

"I swear on my last good meal that I'm the butt of a mischievous fairy's joke."

"I give up, it's going to be far too hard to convince men that I am a normal adult woman."

"As you know, I find you very interesting."

"Is it possible to feel jealously on someone else's behalf?"

"I'm glad that you helped that guy reflect more on his friend's character and his feelings for her, rather than her condition."

"Life does indeed enjoy ultimate power in whether we have a good day or bad, a happy journey or miserable one."

My Latest Inspiration - A dancer and his pole

I've been mesmerized the past few days by a YouTube video of a very talented man. He's a pole dancer, and though he says he's not formally trained, to my lay eyes, he is very skilled and in total control of his form. His movements are so fluid and natural that I stare at the screen with my mouth open, dumbfounded as to how he does it.

The video has sparked a semi-controversial debate on his YouTube channel about his use of a pole—commonly associated with strippers, exotic dancers, and others who perform sexually oriented entertainment—to perform a Christian praise dance, also called a liturgical dance. He has received more support for his unique expression than not, thankfully. His dances are so beautiful that I cannot imagine even a staunch traditionalist not feeling somewhat moved by his expression.

Anyway, here he is, Jungle Cat, performing an Easter praise dance to "Don't Cry" by gospel singer Kirk Franklin. Let me say that this song has nearly brought me to tears, it's so beautiful and soothing. What a perfect coupling.

Movie Clichés

For today's post, I've decided to share with you a few of the overused scenarios I'm sick of seeing in movies.



1. The Fall. When running from the monster or killer or evil villain, some chick always falls down and either sprains her ankle or just falls, and for some reason find it's very difficult to get up without the faster runner having to come back and pull her up.

2. The Kiss. The sexual chemistry that exists between the male and female co-stars during what should be a frightening time. They kill or destroy the problem, they are bloodied and bruised, yet before they finish running to safety, they are so overcome with passion they have to kiss, bloody lips and all. Like who in the heck is trying to make love after having seen all their friends murdered, or defeating the aliens who were trying to destroy the human race?

3. The Old Wise Loon. In horror movies, there's always an old person who knows the background of said serial killer or monster. This person is usually the town drunk, or a recluse, or a homeless person who appears out of nowhere like "You kids trying to kill Metal Face, huh? Buy me a beer and I'll tell you the secret." So this old fool has watched people get slaughtered for years and never told anyone that to stop the bloodshed an ancient Mayan chant must be spoken at the stroke of midnight?

4. The Taming of the Shrew. The cold, city-loving, career woman has to come back to her small town in Pigeon Toe, MS, and rubs everyone the wrong way with her city ways until she meets the gentle farmer guy who doesn't get mad when she makes him feel inferior. He's not be educated like the big city guys she usually dates, but he's a good guy, and through several chance meetings (and him saving her life from a rabid raccoon), she comes to realize that living in the city isn't for her and that screw that corporate job, she wants to move home and ride horses into the sunset.



Like I said, there's more. Feel free to add others.

Adventures on the Journey: Being Seen By God

Note from Jennifer: A friend of mine sent me the link to a blog posting on the Adventures On The Journey blog. She told me that when she read it, she thought of me. That's all she said, leaving me curious as to why. So I clicked the link and read the entry, and was confronted with words that described feelings that I too have felt, situations I too have pondered.

I felt it only right to pass it along to someone else. Here you go.

P.S.---I'm now a follower.


Adventures on the Journey: Being Seen By God: "If you don't see God in all, you don't see God at all." (Yogi Bhajan)

I haven't been "seen" for a long time. To others I ...

A Father's Love (Emotional Thai Insurance Ad)

*Disclaimer*: This is a random post.

So I recently learned that an insurance company in Thailand has been producing extremely emotional commercials that, thanks to YouTube, are reaching a global audience. The commercials depict the joys and pain associated with the human experience, while reminding potential customers of the company's desire to be there in their time of need.

I've read comments that the commercials shouldn't pull at consumers' heart strings to get them to purchase products, while other commenters are simply overwhelmed at the ingenuity of the company's PR team.

This is the one that really stood out to me. I cry pretty easily at "sad" commercials, but I didn't with this one because it warmed my spirit more than creating a sense of melancholy.

I'm a sucker for most things that deal with family closeness and bonding, so I wanted to share this. No other reason for it.

I just find it stunning is all.

Football, The Basics for Women

Hello ladies and gents,

I've been a busy bee lately and wanted to share some good news that's come out of it. I edited a book titled Football, The Basics for Women, which is now available for purchase on Amazon.com. I'm super excited to be listed as the editor of this work! It's definitely rewarding to know that I played a role in the realization of a publishing dream. I learned so much about football while working on this book, and can actually watch a game now and understand most of the plays and what the commentators are talking about. I also edited another version of the book, American Football, The Basics, which was translated and published as Futbol Americano, Conocimientos Basicos.

Check out S. Green's Football, The Basics for Women here.

Workplace Mentors

In the past few months, two people I consider my workplace mentors have worked their way into management positions. I look up to them, even though they are younger than me. I admire their ambition, talents, personality, and work ethic. I came to meet them at different workplaces where as the new kid, they took me under their wings and schooled me. Interestingly, in both situations I was their replacement. They told me who's who and how the office politics worked; served as patient points of contact during my learning curve; encouraged me when I made a mistake or felt I was asking a dumb question; passed down any resources they felt could help me excel at my job (remember, they had been in my shoes); and quickly became examples of who I wanted to be and what I wanted to accomplish on the job.

Having people like this in your corner is so very crucial to workplace success and even happiness. No matter how old you are, it helps to have a good example to follow. I'm not saying someone to copy, but someone who possesses the qualities you admire and who uses those qualities and characteristics to excel. It's encouraging. And can serve as a reminder that you too can reach that level.

I'm a firm believer that success isn't achieved alone. We all can benefit from observing and learning from someone we respect, who is making all the right moves.

I wrote an article last year on workplace mentors that tells you what to consider when choosing a mentor and the advantages of the mentor-mentee relationship.

Read "The Benefits of a Workplace Mentor" here.

Attention Class: Today's Lesson Deals With Grammar

I recently taught an hour-long grammar refresher course at my job.

I volunteered for this assignment and came up with the topic nearly two months prior, but didn't find out the exact training date until a week before. Yikes! I've never been one of those people with a fear of public speaking, but because I'd never stood before an audience as an "expert," I was extremely nervous at the thought.

The good thing was that I had complete creative control of the presentation format. What caused me some stress though was that I only had an hour and didn't want to go over or take just 25 minutes. I had to also be sure to cover the grammar subtopics I had proposed (punctuation and eliminating redundancy and wordiness)

I consulted my favorite style manuals; put myself in the position of student and forecast what attendees might want to know; threw in a bit of my own creativity; and even relied on my previous blog postings on the subject to create Grammar and Eliminating Redundancy, a presentation that was met with resounding approval and positive feedback. The attendees' only suggestions were to make the training longer and offer it again and soon. I was astonished at how well I did, and how confident I felt. I actually knew what I was talking about up there and was able to give insight and answer the grammar and writing questions of my peers. It was such a wonderful feeling, and so very rewarding.

Yay for Jennifer!

Would you like to see my slide presentation? You didn't think I'd do all that bragging and not share did you?

You can view it on my website under the "Technical/Nonfiction Writing Samples" header.

What's So Special About a Plot?

I'm reading The Complete Handbook of Novel Writing and wanted to share a few pointers from my favorite chapter, "The Plot Thickens," written by Monica Wood.

A story needs a point of departure, a place from which the character can discover something, transform himself, realize a truth, reject a truth, right a wrong, make a mistake, come to terms. Departure is the story's complication because something has to happen. For example, Grandma Frances gets sick; Buddy the dog gets hit by a car; the boss's 15-year marriage is tested. You see where I'm going.

Don't mistake a "situation" for a "complication." A complication must illuminate, thwart, or alter what the character wants. A good complication puts emotional pressure on a character, prompting that character not only to act, but to act with a purpose.

Good complications are connected to the character, usually conjuring some kind of desire or regret, conscious or unconscious, in the character. A well chosen complication should give you choices. Having multiple choices for your characters makes fiction writing interesting.

If you're struggling more than you feel you should, you may have run out of interesting choices, or had too few to begin with. Go back to the complication, tweak it, and start all over.

It's okay, this is your baby. Take all the time you need to see that it grows into exactly what you want your readers to see.

You can learn more about developing your plot, breaking your writer's block, revising your manuscript, creating suspenseful page turners, marketing your work, and other helpful guidance, but I'll let you go pick up a copy of the book and read for yourself. The Complete Handbook of Novel Writing is now in its 2nd edition; however, I prefer the first (pictured above). So, have I whetted your literary appetite?

Now Blow Out The Candles

Salut,

I was a birthday girl last weekend. Yay for me, I made it another year and I'm still standing in good health and in a comfortable existence. I spent my birthday with my mother and we had a wonderful time. "Creating memories" is how she described it. My flight there and back was great as well. By some fluke I happened to get a straight flight, which has been impossible in the past. So used to having ridiculous layovers was I, that when she informed me that the itinerary I sent her appeared to be nonstop, I quickly told her that perhaps they had left my little detour out.

But anyway, I'm sure you're wondering what's the deal with the art in today's post. Striking, isn't she?

My mommy gave her to me as a birthday present. You can't see this detail from my pic, but the entire image is actually a series of numerals. Yes, an amazing configuration of 0s-9s. How intricate. The woman in this art piece is blowing out a candle. The same as I did on my birthday. I received her on that day. I realized the coincidence this evening.

I began to think about the tradition of making a wish before blowing out the candles on a birthday cake. And the superstition that you must keep your wish a secret or it won't come true. What I wished for was *&&$* $*$& &#*#*& $* $&#*$& (()) @@ !@^^$&*#(++)&#$@**((@

Now, you didn't think I'd actually reveal my wish, did you? Nope, this one is far too special and I want it to come true for the special person I wished it for.

When I look at this work, I see her as symbolically blowing away the past, whatever or whomever it may be. I can dig that. This next year of my life I will strive to do the same. Letting go of negative thoughts that have held me back. Working to end being a slave to the temptations that keep me from feeling good about who I see in the mirror. Blowing away the woulda, coulda, shouldas, and affirming that I can and I will.

Time is scary in the speed in which it passes. I was just 23; hell, I was just graduating high school. Such a pity to spend so many years unfulfilled. Not me. Not anymore. I gotta try, right?

Mom always said that when reaching for the moon, if you should fall, at least you'll land amongst the stars. Smart lady.

Wow, all that from an art piece.




Jennifer

OMG!: I found my first website!!

Back in 2001, I had to build a website as a class project for a Technical Writing class. Being a biology major, naturally, my first thought was to create something that relayed information about some interesting aspect of science. For me, it was human sexual attraction. What causes us to desire one another? What chemicals are responsible for the complex reactions that take place in our body when we feel "excited"? And what's the deal with those tingly butterflies in the pit of our stomach when we see someone we're attracted to? I set out to answer these questions and compiled all of my information (and these really cheesy graphics) onto separate web pages using Netscape Composer (is that still around?).

OMG, while "googling" myself this evening, I decided to find out if my old site was still up. And it is!! I'm so excited, I still remember picking out my background and staying in the computer lab late at night with floppy disks full of my stuff for my web pages. I learned so much from this assignment. My goodness, if I'd continued building web pages, I'd be so incredibly awesome right now. Instead of struggling with Yahoo Sitebuilder and relying on my limited knowledge of html.

Oh my god, without further ado...here's my website from 10 years ago. Oh wait, I got an A on this assignment. Yay for me!

http://www.geocities.ws/deydreme78/

The Story of My Online Dating Life

I stumbled across this video and couldn't control my laughter. Oh my god, how can strangers know my life so well? You mean there are others? I know this is a "joke" vid, but I was somewhat relieved to know that there are enough of us out there that it warranted the Onion's attention. I suppose it's sad, but their delivery was spot on and hilarious. I wish we all could gather for a big group hug.

You mean, we aren't as smart as we think?

The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid!

Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

---------------------------------------------

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we don't read every letter when we read, our brains are merely recognizing the first and last letter of the word. It doesn't help that brains know what words should be there, thus influencing their "reading" of the correct word whether its missing or not.

This is why editors are needed. As long as our brains take shortcuts, another pair of eyes will have to do a few tricks of their own.

(Though if you don't have a second pair of eyes to review your work, the next best thing is to take a break from your writing for a few minutes to allow your eyes to focus on other things. When you look at your words again, you may find it easier to spot misspellings and missing words. Also, another trick someone taught me is to read a sentence backwards. It forces your brain to actually read each letter.)

I Must Be Out, Or I'd Pick Up the Phone......

I haven't forgotten about my blog. May and June were just very busy for me, and frankly it totally zapped a lot of my zest. But I'm renewing myself as I type this.

At the beginning of the year I wrote out a few goals I wanted to accomplish. I didn't call them "resolutions" as it would tack on extra guilt if I failed to follow through on any of them. One of my goals was to apply to the MA in Communication program at Johns Hopkins University. And I did! However, applying to graduate school takes a bigger emotional toll on me than other typical applicants because I have a low undergraduate GPA. I won't say how low, but it's low and is generally not considered competitive. Applying to graduate school, for me, entails explanation and a convincing argument. My argument is simple--consider my undergraduate performance of 10 years ago if you must, but look at all I've accomplished since then to advance myself in this field. This is what I asked the JHU committee to do. After careful consideration, they decided that I simply wouldn't be successful in their program. With so many applicants with higher GPAs, I understand that some sort of ranking and filtering was needed. It doesn't make me feel any better though. To know that once again, my present means nothing, only the past, which I've spent years trying to overcome. I was very disappointed and felt so exposed. I'd opened myself up to these strangers, presented painful records for their judgment, and asked two of my supervisors to complete lengthy recommendation forms. I told one supervisor the news, but I've been too embarrassed to tell the other. I will though.

During these past few weeks since getting rejected, I've done a lot of pondering about whether it was a sign that I don't need that type of validation to be successful in my career; or whether I'll be forever cursed to carry the albatross of my academic failure, forever judged by the poor choices of 19-year-old me when the present-day me has kicked ass in her professional life. I still don't know. But I do know that I have to move on.

I've scheduled an informational interview with a manager in the communications specialty I'm considering moving toward--public affairs. This is my first step to moving on. Learning which skills I currently possess that are valued, what experiences I'm lacking, things of that nature. Perhaps I have all I need right now. The key is to take the first step.

I'll let you know how it all goes.

Self Publishing "Keep in Minds"

Greetings, readers, I hope all is well.

While updating a few links on my website, I found my way to an article on things self publishers should know. David Carnoy, self published author of Knife Music, shared these 25 self publishing tips, or "keep in minds," and I've decided to serve as a messenger. I think many of his points are very valuable. I know a few self publishers and have considered this avenue myself. A lot has changed in the self publishing industry--good things--that have caused traditional, mainstream publishers to cast wider nets in terms of accepting talented authors. Self-published authors have more freedoms in terms of marketing and creative expression than traditionally published authors; however, the journey to success can be laborious and unfulfilling without proper guidance.

I won't list all of Carnoy's thoughts, just the ones that stand out to me. Read his full article here.

In addition to his lessons learned, readers have provided great feedback and their own experiences and words of wisdom to create a more unbiased discussion.


Creating a "professional" book is really hard.

Barrier to entry may be low, but creating a book that looks professional and is indistinguishable from a book published by a "real" publishing house is very difficult and requires a minimum investment of a few thousand dollars (when all was said and done, I'd put in around $7500, which included about $2,500 in marketing costs). You wonder why "real" books take 9 months to produce--and usually significantly longer. Well, I now know why. It's hard to get everything just right (if you're a novice at book formatting, Microsoft Word will become your worst enemy). And once you've finally received that final proof, you feel it could be slightly better.

Have a clear goal for your book.

This will help dictate what service you go with. For instance, if your objective is to create a book for posterity's sake (so your friends and family can read it for all eternity), you won't have to invest a lot of time or money to produce something that's quite acceptable. Lulu is probably your best bet. However, if yours is a commercial venture with big aspirations, things get pretty tricky

Even if it's great, there's a good chance your book won't sell.

If your book is really mediocre, don't expect it to take off. But even if it's a masterpiece, there's a good chance it won't fly off the shelves (and by shelves, I mean virtual shelves, because most self-published books don't make it into brick and mortar stores). In other words, quality isn't a guarantee of success. You'll be lucky to make your investment back, let alone have a "hit" that brings in some real income. Don't quit your day job yet.


Self-publishing is a contact sport.

The biggest mistake people make when it comes to self-publishing is that they expect to just put out a book and have it magically sell. They might even hire a publicist and expect something to happen. It's just not so. You have to be a relentless self-promoter. Unfortunately, a lot people just don't have the stomach or time for it.

What's the secret to marketing your book successfully? Well, the first thing I advise--and I'm not alone here--is to come up with a marketing plan well before you publish your book. The plan should have at least five avenues for you to pursue because chances are you're going to strike out on a couple of lines of attack. It's easy to get discouraged, so you have to be ready to move on to plan c, d, and e (and the rest of the alphabet) pretty quickly.

Negotiate everything.

CreateSpace and other self-publishing companies are always offering special deals on their various services. There isn't whole lot of leeway, but it doesn't hurt to ask for deal sweeteners--like more free copies of your book (they often throw in free copies of your book). It also doesn't hurt to ask about deals that have technically expired. In sales, everything is negotiable. Remember, these people have quotas and bonuses at stake. (For their sake, I hope they do anyway).

Niche books do best.

This seems to be the mantra of self-publishing. Nonfiction books with a well-defined topic and a nice hook to them can do well, especially if they have a target audience that you can focus on. Religious books are a perfect case in point. And fiction? Well, it's next to impossible. But then again, the majority of fiction books--even ones from "real" publishers--struggle in the marketplace. That's why traditional publishers stick with tried-and-true authors with loyal followings.


Buy your own ISBN - and create your own publishing house.

If you have market aspirations for your book, buy your own ISBN (International Standard Book Number) and create your own publishing company. Even if you go with one of the subsidy presses for convenience sake, there's no reason to have Lulu, BookSurge, CreateSpace, iUniverse, Xlibris, Author House, Outskirts, or whomever listed as your publisher. For $99 (what a single ISBN costs) and a little added paperwork, you can go toe-to-toe with any small publisher.

Create a unique title.

Your book should be easy to find in a search on Amazon and Google. It should come up in the first couple of search results. Unfortunately, many authors make the mistake of using a title that has too many other products associated it with it--and it gets buried in search results. Not good. Basically, you want to get the maximum SEO (search engine optimization) for your title, so if and when somebody's actually looking to buy it they'll find the link for your book--not an older one with an identical title.

If you're selling online, make the most out of your Amazon page.

I'm a little bit surprised by how neglectful some self-published authors are when it comes to their Amazon product pages. I've talked to self-published authors who spend a few thousand dollars on a publicist and their Amazon product page looks woeful--and they've barely even looked at it. I ask, "Where are people going to buy your book?" They don't seem to realize how important Amazon is. True, some people market through a Web site or buy Google keywords to drive traffic there. But you need to have your Amazon page look as good as possible and take advantage of the "tools" Amazon has to help you surface your book ("Tags," Listmania, reader reviews, etc.). It may not have a major impact, but it's better than doing nothing.

Getting your book in bookstores sounds good, but that shouldn't be a real concern.

You may have always wanted to see your book in a bookstore but bookstores aren't keen on carrying self-published books and it's extremely difficult to get good placement in the store for your book so chances are no one will see the three copies the store has on hand anyway. Furthermore, your royalty drops to 10% on in-store sales. Some of the self-publishing outfits offer distribution through Ingram. BookSurge/CreateSpace offers it through Baker & Taylor. BookSurge/CreateSpace says: "Your trade paperback book will be available for order through Baker & Taylor on a non-returnable basis. For an additional yearly fee, your book can be made available through Baker & Taylor on a returnable basis with our Baker & Taylor Returnable Program. You'll receive a 10% royalty on all wholesale book orders purchased through Baker & Taylor."

Again, read his full article here. (repeating it to ensure I give Mr. Carnoy his due credit.)

Good luck to all my self publishers out there!

Midnight: A Gangster Love Story

I am not who you think I am. If you love me, you love me for the wrong reasons.
Females tell me they love me because I'm tall. They love when I stand over them and look down. They love when I lay them down and my height and body weight dominates them.
Females tell me they love me because I'm pure black. They say they never seen a black man so masculine, so pretty, so beautiful before.
Females say they love my eyes. They're jet black too. Women claim they find a passion in them so forceful that they'll do anything I say.
Females tell me they love my body. They beg me for a hug even when there's nothing between me and them. They want to be captured in my embrace, and press their breasts again my chest.


These are the opening words that drew me in to Sister Souljah's novel Midnight, the 2008 prequel to her first book Coldest Winter Ever, a classic, lauded street life tale that ushered in a new era of "street lit" books, also known as "urban literature," for my generation. I specify my generation because urban fiction is certainly not new. I still remember the first time I skimmed through my mother's copy of Iceberg Slim's Pimp: The Story of My Life written in 1969; and many feel the genre goes back even further with Richard Wright's Native Son written in 1940. After Coldest Winter Ever became hugely popular, other authors found an eager underground market hungry to devour their tales of high rolling drug dealers; young girls caught up in the fast life of sex and the pursuit of material things; thugs seeking redemption; players winning and losing in the dope game; pimping not being easy; and just surviving on the inner city streets any way possible. I think I had just passed the phase where I would have become fascinated by these books enough to line my bookshelves with them. While I appreciated (and still do) how people who previously hadn't found anything in the literary world that moved them were now whipping out their library cards every other week, these offerings just didn't interest me. I found them predictable and way too vulgar and violent, more so providing shock value than the crucial pieces to a gripping and believable storyline.

After Coldest Winter Ever, I never looked back. So moved by Sister Souljah's writing style and storytelling that I simply refused to taint my memory with what I saw had become an overly saturated market. The other day, however, while in the bookstore on my lunch break, I perused a fiction display and saw the striking, glossy blue cover of a paperback. A book written by Sister Soulja.

Midnight? That's the guy from Coldest Winter Ever.

When I saw that Midnight was a prequel, I thumbed to the first page and became charmed by the words I used to introduce this post. Excited at my find, I marched myself to the register and made him mine.

I didn't notice the book's length until I was on the train headed home. 496 pages. Whew. Right now I'm on page 17. I figure by this time next year I'll be finished. Just kidding. I'm very excited about reading this. I thoroughly enjoyed her first work and want to see what she's done with this one. Unfortunately, I have heard a few reviews about the book that give me pause. But I shall proceed. Sometimes readers don't want to grow with an author. Sometimes they don't have an open mind. Sometimes they forget an author is merely telling a character's story, and not necessarily confessing a personal belief.

Knowing this, I think my journey with Midnight will be fine. It's going to be a long ride though.

Peace,

Jennifer

One Event: Two Stories

I found another writing exercise from the fiction writing techniques course. This time I remember what the instructor asked of us. She wanted us to recall an event from our early childhood and write down what we remembered and how we felt about it, all from our perspective as children. We were asked to then write about that same event from our adult perspective. I chose to write about a man I remember seeing at the bottom of a flight of stairs one night when I couldn't have been any older than four years old. Years later, I asked my mother about that night and the gaps she filled in for me blew my mind.
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According to a child:

There was loud knocking on the door one night. Mama got up from the table where she read her books and opened up the door. A nice lady that came by the house all the time started laughing and pulled on Mama’s arm to come outside with her. Mama told me to stay there in the living room and then she left with the lady. I was so scared because I heard noise outside, people were opening up their doors and coming outside like Mama had done. I waited a little while then opened the door anyway and went outside too. Our apartment was right next to the stairs that went down to where the big tree was. People stood at the top of the stairs and looked down. There was a dead man laying down there. He looked like the dead people that were on tv and had some leaves in his hair. He had on some jeans and was laying on his back. There was a man standing over the dead man pushing him but he wouldn’t move. The lights on the side of the building were shining down on him and I saw that his eyes were closed and his mouth was open. He had a lot of hair on his face. More people came up behind me to look. People just stood around looking at him. Mama and the woman were still talking like nothing was wrong. I was so scared. Mama saw me and started yelling at me to go back into the apartment. Mama stayed gone for a long time and I sat on the couch watching the flashing lights on the curtain. I was so scared because Mama was still out there with the dead man. When she finally came back in she told me to go to bed, but I kept asking her what had happened. But she just kept saying that I was too young to know. I had a nightmare about that man because he was so close to our front door and he was dead.

According to an adult:

My mother was up late studying at her desk in the living room of our off-campus apartment. I was sitting on the couch doing whatever it is that only children do to occupy themselves. I heard a commotion outside and then a frantic knock at the front door. My mother rushed to open it and there stood her friend and neighbor who always came by to visit us. She was laughing and practically pulled my mother outside; it made my mother laugh too. My mother told me to stay put, and I really did try, but I was such an anxious child and rarely listened to her warnings. I stood at the closed door for a few moments while listening to the hurried footsteps and excited verbal exchanges on the other side. Finally I couldn’t take it anymore and opened the door, peeked my head outside, and looked to my left where the stairway and the people were. We were on the top level of the two-level building. Being such a small child, everyone seemed like giants. I didn’t spot my mother right away. I made my way between the denim clad legs until I made it to the top of the stairs and was able to look down to see what held everyone’s gaze. It was a man in a contorted pose, mouth agape, with leaves and debris in his hair. I remember being very frightened at the sight of this man. At my young age, I thought that he was dead, what child wouldn’t think it, he was lying there motionless with someone standing over him poking him. It took years for the memory of this night to return to me and for me to ask my mother if I was finally old enough to know what happened that night, and for her to tell me exactly who that man was. She laughed and told me that she couldn’t believe that I remembered that, I couldn’t have been any older than two and a half years old she said. My mother said his name was Smitty, a university police officer that had actually just left our apartment along with her friend and neighbor. I’m amazed that I didn’t remember my mother having company, only she and I having a quiet evening at home. Smitty, who had a tendency to drink in excess, and the neighbor left leaving my mother to continue her studies. Some time later, as he walked down the stairs, he tripped and fell to the ground below, and during the tumbling, picked up some debris. It wasn’t a dead man that I remembered, just a man who had passed out from an over indulgence in alcohol.