Happy New Year?

No, I did not get a publishing job and forget to tell you. In case you thought that was why I stopped writing. Fact is, I’m running out of ideas to write about. I mean, I have some… but they aren’t fleshed out enough. I have one planned about the library here in NYC, another on a generalized view of critique groups and their importance, and one about social media and reading. But the topics are really all I have here. And this was never meant to be a diary of my job search. Although if you’d like I can list the places I’ve applied to and how many applications I’ve placed in daily. But not even I want to read that. A review site wouldn’t be horrible, but there are so many other sites better suited for book reviews. Goodreads.com is one of them and I think it’s grand, now if only I found the time to enter in reviews!  

Still, two months is too long. 

Even if I were to count out how many resumes I put out there, December almost wouldn’t count. Everyone knows companies are waiting on the New Year to start new employees. It’s when they get their fancy new budgets and gleaming hope for bigger business. 

I’m happy to say that I share that hope. 

So I guess this my time now. Although, my year is starting out very much like last year. I’ve already paid for my ticket to this year’s SCBWI winter conference here in NYC. A hefty amount, but absolutely worth it. Now, I need to brush up on my elevator speech. 

Hi, I’m Lisa, I’m looking for a job in your company. And quite honestly, you couldn’t have a better employee. Here’s my list of references. Do make the paychecks out to my student loans company. Thank you so much!

Hmm. Not quite there yet. Maybe it’s a little too honest…

I’m also planning to return to the BEA this year but that’s not for several month yet and I hope to have a job by then so that I can strictly take advantage of the free books. I have my priorities straight, can’t you tell? 

I also have several more contacts in the business this year than I did last year,  so keeping up with them is another part of the plan. Other than that, I’m still hopeful that one of the MANY companies that I’ve sent resumes out to will reply this month.  And I’m going to keep at it. 

What is different about this year is that I’ve joined Figment.com, so the first chapter is up online for all to see if anyone is interested. I joined this site to see if my story could become popular, but it’s a tough site to deal with. Not user wise. It’s very user friendly. But followers wise. I have a very low number of followers and I want those who are following to actually read what I put up. I figure the best way, to not only practice my editing skills, but to also gain quality followers is to critique other writers’ stuff. A few other users have already come across my lengthy critiques and want some of their own. So things are looking up there. 

It not much in terms of new plans and of course I’m up for suggestions of any kind. I just know that this is the industry in which I belong and I’m 100% committed to being in it. I moved to New York in pursuit of this career for gosh sakes!

 Still, as a friend wrote on FaceBook recently “Hope springs eternal. But it does go into hibernation from time to time.”  Well hope, no sleeping on the job now. We’ve got work to do. 

There’s that darn persistence streak in me.