I have just received  good news from a writer friend in California, Kay Murphy, who lets me know in her annual greeting that her book, Tainted Legacy has been published, (www.PublishAmerica.com)  The book is excellent, well written and compelling–really a memoir about a murderous ancestor.

In her annual greeting, Kay, a high school teacher, opens with "How does one write a letter addressing all of the beloveds and significant others in a meaningful way?  My answer, finally, was simply to use my writer voice.  So here it is: I suppose my Mastercard summation of 2008 might go something like this:  Trip to Missouri for research, $3000; Postage on manuscript packages sent to 65 agents and publishers, $152.35;  Seeing Mom's face when I handed her the published book: Priceless. " (Underline is mine as it pertains to the title of this blog.)

ALSO (in December 2008) Kay sold a 400-word article (featuring a teaching experience) to a national-circulation journal that paid her $150.  She did not even have to pay postage as she submitted the essay on-line.  The moral to this story is what I "preach" constantly to my workshops:  Look at your career–whether in the public sector or as a housewife or house-husband.  You leaned things worth sharing in ALL of your life experiences–with animals, with husbands, with lovers, with children, with parents, with siblings.  Write about them in shorter formats.  Look in Writer's Digest for the guidlines for thousands of markets: what magazines and newspapers are lookiing for, what  they pay, and how to submit.  Countless on-line journals are seeing (and paying for) essays, articles, travel features, etc.

This is not to discourage you about writing books, but, for instance: In 2007, 400,000 books were publshed or distributed in the U.S. (up from 600,000 in 2006. )  One of the major self-publishing copanies reports that most of their self-publishing authors sell no more than 200 copies.

Get back to me with your suggestions or questions;  Happy (and lucrative) writing, Willma Gore