I apologize for being late. I blame the RWA conference! And now I’m behind on everything. I have copy edits sitting on my desk that I haven’t even opened yet. But I wanted to get this blog written before I open that envelope.

So let’s talk about the RWA Conference!

First off, I had a great time. I met tons of new people and that was fascinating, and I now have a new rule:

If you are unpublished, DO NOT APOLOGIZE FOR IT! I still love to hear what you are writing! People are interesting whether or not they are published. Two of my critique-partners are unpublished and I very much value their input. Being published is a goal but it doesn’t define us.

When do you apologize? Well for me, it was when I spilled coffee on my friend’s lovely purse. That was a bright shining moment for me, sigh.

Okay, let’s move on. I’m can’t possibly talk about the entire conference or I’ll have a twenty page blog! I’m going to just go with two quotes that really stood out for me at the conference. (And this will be a little bit of a ramble—I’m still tired!) The first quote is from the agent Steven Axelrod:

“If you want to succeed, double your failure rate.”

YES! Failure hurts and it’s scary as hell, but if it works, the payoff is amazing. Few people will rise to the top by staying safe and writing the same book over and over. Some will, of course, because there are always exceptions. But generally, if you aren’t taking risks, you aren’t trying hard enough. I loved this quote. He also said that failure is part of the business, and it is. Take risks!

The second quote came from Claire Zion of NAL Publishing:

“Work of mouth remains the engine of success in this business.”

The question and answer part of the NAL Spotlight became a bit of a chat, discussing electronic readers versus traditional paperbacks, and what readers will spend their dollars on in the shrinking economy. Many people repeatedly said, in one way or another, they will “risk” their money on books they’ve heard about. They trust friends first, but “hearing” also includes the Internet, and specifically, blogs. It was nice to get some specific ways to feed that “engine of success.”

There was so much more at the conference! I met with my new editor, who is as lovely in person as she is on the phone and e-mail. I went to parties, I hung out with friends, and I learned so much. Last night, I was in the Jacuzzi with my husband, chatting on and on about the conference, and it dawned on me that I was just as excited about my friend’s conference goals as I was about my goals. I want my friends to succeed! With all of RWA’s problems, that is one common theme I saw everywhere. Friends supporting and encouraging one another on their paths to their dreams.

How cool is that?

A pre-conference conversation with my husband:

My husband asked me, “Hey did you see the news story about the airplane that somehow had a hole blown in its side?”

I looked up from the book I was reading, “I’m ignoring new stories about airplane disasters.”

Perplexed, he said, “Why…oh. Yeah, you’re flying out in a few days.” He paused, then added helpfully, “The plane landed safely even with the hole in its side.”

“It had a gigantic hole in its side! I don’t define that as safely.” I have standards. I expect an airplane to land with all its sides attached. Not holes. Holes are unacceptable.

My evil husband said, “What kind of plane are you flying on again?”

“Shut up.” It’s one of those little prop thingies. I don’t even think it has a motor, they just wind up the propeller, point it in the right direction and let go. I didn’t even realize it when I booked the flight, but my husband did. He laughed then and now. My last experience with one of those airplanes had me turning an interesting shade of pale green and my friend saying, “Don’t worry, I could land this plane if I had too.” And me snarling back at her, “There is no scenario where you have to land this plane that is a good scenario!”

She laughed and it was then that I realized she was playing with me. Just as my husband was playing with me. I glared at him. “I’d better not see you checking the life insurance policy.”

He laughed. “Who me? How much is that policy again?”

Ha! “You’re worth more dead than I am.”

That made him frown. “Damn.”

Teach him to torment me, right? Now onto some tips that I’m planning to use at conference this year:

1) Listen. Listening is an important skill, and I learn a lot when I actually do it. But I don’t do it enough, I think. So I’m going to try to really listen this year. I want to hear what everyone (editors, agents, publishing professionals, the pubbed and unpubbed) are talking about. I want to know what others are writing or buying. I want to know what THEIR goals are. What worked for them this last year and what didn’t. I want to learn from their experiences, successes and failures. Just as I’m happy to share mine.

2) Ask the right questions. I don’t know what the right question will be until I listen to what somehow has to say. But I will ask it when I’m there. In a workshop, a bar, a party or a casual chat in the hallway. Asking questions can also get conversations started. People will talk about themselves if you ask them questions!

3) Set small goals. You are a professional, so you should know what you plan to get out of the conference. At my first conference, my goal was to succeed in my pitch session. I knew exactly what I meant by succeed—to pitch my book in as a professional manner as possible given my tremendous nerves (notice that I allowed myself to be nervous). It turned out really well. The editor requested the manuscript, although she eventually rejected it. That book never sold. But I was building small successes and those experiences kept me writing until I did sell a book. Set small reasonable goals that will make you feel successful.

4) Have fun! If you aren’t having fun, why are you doing this? If you are having fun, people will gravitate toward you. A smile will make you stand out more than anything else. I am naturally shy, and I often live inside my head. Much to my embarrassment, I walk by people I know all the time without realizing it. I once walked right by my husband in the airport. He was there to pick me up! At conference, I try to be more “in the moment” but I often drift in my head, especially when I’m tired. It’s part of being a writer, I think. But the more effort we make, the more it pays off. However, if I walk right by you without acknowledging you, I’m sorry! I truly don’t mean! And just imagine what my husband puts up with!

Those are my tips, what are yours?

Over the weekend, I finished reading Stephanie Meyer’s book THE HOST. It was fantastic! A little bit slow to get into, but overall, really great. It was a body snatchers plot with a theme of what being human means.

Awesome book!

The book was a hardback and this got me to thinking. A friend loaned me this book.

Would I have bought it on my own? I don’t know. There’s a good chance I would have because a friend recommended it, which puts a book to the absolute top of my list, but if I just saw it sitting on the shelf in a bookstore as a hardback?

I’d probably go find paperbacks.

It has to be a pretty special book for me to buy the hardback.

A little backstory on me for those who don’t know, I did the whole publishing thing backwards. I started out in hardback, went to trade and am now coming out in mass market paperback. I have WORKED for come out in paperback.

I do a lot of things backwards like that.

Everyone kept telling me that it was great that I was in hardback. I’d say why? Because you get the reviews! People notice! The prestige gets you taken more seriously. Some of that was true. But it also trained my readers they could always find my books in a library. I have a lot of library readers that email me and ask me to writer more Samantha Shaw books. Libraries are great, I use them myself! But unfortunately books that are read from the library don’t show up as sales, and this is a business.

I learned that building a readership FIRST is important before going into hardback.

But this weekend, I started thinking that two more things are changing the whole hardback part of publishing. It used to be such a big deal when an author went into hardback.

Now we’re dealing with an economic hard times. Readers will want to stretch their book buying dollars, and they can buy a three or four paperbacks for the price of one hardback.

But even more interesting is that the book industry is changing. E-books are starting to come into their own. Kindle is becoming a household name at least in the homes of readers. People love their Kindles, and in a Kindle reader (or any reader) there is no distinction between paperback, trade or hardback.

On one of my lists, I saw some traditionally published authors discussing out to get released in e-book formats.

So here’s my Question of the Day: Do you all think hardback books are losing their prestige and relevance, or do you think hardback will always be the “gold standard?”

I’ve been shopping all day and am exhausted. I hate shopping. I loathe it. To make matters worse I can’t wear most shoes.

Anyone going to RWA National, you can recognized me because I will be hobbling.

Sad, very sad. And I’m taking TOO many pairs of shoes, all of which will hurt.

Maybe I will find some shoes in the next two weeks that I will be able to walk in. It could happen, right?

Forget the shoes, I have something better (I hope!) So here’s the cover to Blood Magic!

The on sale date is February 24, 2009. It’s available for pre-sale at Amazon

I have had some good covers, but this one just took my breath away. From my point of view as the author–they captured the book. I am so pleased!

As readers, what do you all think? Do you like it?

Last week, I got my cover! YAY! I am so excited. I’ll show it here soon.

But I get one comment about this new series a LOT.

Let’s start with my husband. I sent him the cover at work. He emails back, “Jen, love the cover, but they spelled your name wrong. It’s A-P-O-D-A-C-A not L-Y-O-N.”

I’m married to a comedian; an account-comedian. For example, my husband is not a paranormal fan. He just doesn’t get it. When I sent him the cover copy on the book, he emailed back, “I don’t quite understand the blurb because I read or speak ‘witch’.”

I laughed until I cried. (It’s only funny because my husband is hugely supportive of my writing.) Then I emailed back that it’s a shame he’s not bilingual like me. I read, speak and WRITE witch.

On the other hand, he and my oldest son speak an Account/Tax language that I frankly find terrifying.

Anyway, back to my point—my husband is thrilled for me because I am writing what I love. He gets that, he’s happy for me. But he’s not as happy about my using a pen name. And I’m getting similar questions or comments from other people. Not everyone gets why I took a pen name for this series, so I thought I’d list my top ten reasons to write under the name Jennifer Lyon:

10) I bought a new red formal dress for the RITA awards at the RWA Conference. The dress might be a tad…uh…risqué. When I get teased or bashed, I can blame Jen Lyon’s questionable taste.

9) If I have a wardrobe accident with that dress, like if I gain a pound and can’t zip it, it’s because Jen Lyon eats like a…well…lion.

If I have a drink or two at conference, I can blame that lush Jen Lyon.

7) If I’m late getting my book into my editor, well we all know it’s that lazy Jen Lyon’s fault.

6) If I do a book signing and it turns out to be a bust? It’s Jen Lyon’s fault!

5) If I forget to blog on MSW? It’s because Jen Lyon has a hangover! (Jen Apodaca knows better than to get a hangover.)

4) If some nasty reviewer calls Jen Lyon’s book “…trite dribble with no plot, stupid characters and gratuitous, bad sex,” Jen Apodaca can stick her nose up in the air and say, “I told Lyon it was bad!” Or she can say, “Who the hell is Jen Lyon? Glad it’s not MY book or I’d feel like shit right now!”

3) If I burn dinner…never mind, I won’t burn dinner because I have a new, awesome stove, and no one in their right mind would let Jen Lyon cook. Seriously, she thinks everything tastes better with a shot of gin. Gin and eggs is her specialty. She cracks a raw egg into the gin and calls it breakfast!

2) If I get caught talking to myself, and I talk to myself all the time, I can blame Jen Lyon!

And the number one reason for me to take the pen name Jennifer Lyon?

1) It’s fun! Blaming Jen Lyon is a blast!

Okay, guys, what do you want to blame on Jen Lyon? Go wild—she can take it!