Thursday, April 1, 2010

Has It Been A Year Already?

DIAMONDS Final Cover

 

I'm usually not a very sentimental guy, but today is a special day for me. (And not because, as my kids might say, the day was named April FOOL'S Day in my honor).

Today is the one-year "blogiversary" of my first post here on InkSpot.

Today also is the official release date of DIAMONDS FOR THE DEAD.

 

Boy, have I learned a lot in the past year...

I used to think promotion was what happened when you did a good job and moved up a rank in your company. Now I know promotion is what you're doing when you should be writing (and when you're not procrastinating).

I used to think an author came up with his/her own titles. Luckily, I was wrong about that!

I used to think once you were done writing something, you were done. Now I know that once you're done writing something, you've barely begun.

I used to think writers were distant and unapproachable. I've come to realize that crime writers are the most generous bunch of twisted psychos around.

I used to think it would be hard to come up with topics to blog about. Now I know to pull out the ol' "what I learned over the past year" blog when I get stuck.

Over the past month or so, a lot of new InkSpotters have joined our merry (ok, motley) little crew. Welcome newbies, but buckle your seat belts. You're in for a wild year.

No Fooling!

 

Alan

13 comments:

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

HAS it been a year? WOW. Time is flying by...

I've learned some of the same things, too. :)

Elizabeth
Mystery Writing is Murder

Sue Ann Jaffarian said...

Happy 1st Birthday, Alan! And congraulations on the official release of Diamonds for the Dead. See you soon in Malice!

Lisa Bork said...

Hurray, hurray, hurray, it's Alan's release day!! Shout it from the rooftops, Alan. No foolin'.

Send all your friends to the bookstores and libraries to request your book. That's what I learned in the last year :) I'm doing my part locally.

Congratulations and see you at Malice!

G.M. Malliet said...

I vote we change our name to the Motley Inkers.

The first year is the worst, really. After the first year, your sanity comes back. Promise.

Congratulations on surviving it, Alan. Enjoy!!

Keith Raffel said...

Alan,next stop bestsellerdom! Mazel tov.

Jessica Lourey said...

Congratulations, Alan! And I'm also glad they didn't let you choose Dingleberries for the Deceased as a title, too. Those marketing people really earn their paychecks.

Alan Orloff said...

Thanks, everyone. You've all been incredibly supportive over the past year and I'm very appreciative. I'll be seeing a lot of you at Malice--I can't wait!

Deborah Sharp said...

A year gone by, and you're STILL a newbie! seriously, you were very smart to get a jump on the whole building a brand thing (Did you ever think we'd be talking, as authors, of building our brands???).
Here's wishing you much success on the book, Alan. You deserve it!

Alice Loweecey said...

Congrats, Alan!

Beth Groundwater said...

Congratulations on your release, Alan! I hope you sell out your first printing ASAP. :)

Alan Orloff said...

Thanks for the congrats! I plan to be a newbie for another few years :)

Sheila Deeth said...

Fun post and congratulations on the release. Great title by the way.

Darrell James said...

Alan- Congratualtions on the release of Diamonds For The Dead. Thanks for giving me an "old pro's" view of what lies ahead for me this next year. Sounds daunting... I can't wait!