Not referring to the matrimonial union. That’s just fine. Sunshine and rainbows and all that crap. I’m talking about the union between me and my laptop. I’ve been a bit silent here and everywhere lately, which prompted a call from Cousin Lori inquiring as to my state of mind. I <3 her so hard. It’s good to know there’s someone out there who worries WHEN you shut up when most wish you WOULD shut up.
On the writing front, things are going well. I’ve written a few more shorts and subbed them to anthology calls, and I have a couple more I plan to submit to in the next month. God, do you ever need patience in this business. You hurry up and write something, send it off, then wait. And wait. And check your spam folder. And drink. And have people send you test emails to make sure it’s working properly. And wait some more. Despite the nerve-wracking response times, I find I’m really liking this short story gig. It gets your name out there and your foot in the door with writer/editors who produce well-received anthologies with high-quality publishers like Cleis Press.
Speaking of Cleis, and specifically Best Women’s Erotica 2013, holy shitballs, has my website been getting the hits off of that affiliation! For the past month, even without me posting any of my normal nonsense, “best women’s erotica” or the like has been the #1 most searched term that brings visitors here. We’re talking in the hundreds DAILY. And WordPress has a cool new stat page that shows which countries your visitors are from, so WELCOME to those of you from Norway, South Africa, Czech Republic, Greece, Moldova, and India, in addition to my friends from Canada, the UK, and of course the good ‘ol US of A. I think I’ll just tag every post from here on out with some sort of reference to women’s erotica, yes? It’s proof that sex writing sells too, although that goes without saying… but I said it anyway. Yesterday the search term “artichoke” brought someone here. Ha! I bet they were surprised, but hopefully they stayed to poke around and then bought Bite.
I’ve also finished up a novella that I’m getting ready to submit to an epublisher very soon. I shared an excerpt here a while ago. But first I have to tackle the dreaded synopsis. I think I’d rather be dipped in honey and dropped in an ant bed. -_-
I was going to talk a little about the past year and what I’ve learned as a rookie writer, but it would be a bit of a whine-fest and there’s no point, really. Suffice it to say the shine is off the penny. You learn through experiences, both good and bad, and I’ve been through the gamut. But I will say that I’ve made friends with some truly wonderful people along the way and I’m looking forward to what 2013 brings, albeit without the rose-colored shades.
xoxo
Jenny
P.S. The Robin’s are here! You know what that means, don’t you? *hint* It’s *supposedly* good news for those of us who hate cold weather. 
What a cool update. Congrats on getting your name out there! I love knowing where my readers are from; someday I hope to achieve a hit from every country.
It shocked me, all the different locations. There were more that I didn’t list. Thanks, Sopphey! You are one of those wonderful people I mentioned.
I love the new look of your website, Jenny! Your ‘dreaded synopsis’ feeling is shared, at least with me! I hate those things. Give me honey and ants any day. I love watching your writing career grow. Your successes this past year have been impressive. I can’t wait to see what you accomplish in 2013. Hugs!
Ditto, sweets!