Before I was published I worked at the University of California. The first twenty years, I spent working with graduate students, first in the admissions office and later as the Manager of Admissions & Enrollment for the Biological & Agricultural Sciences. I loved my job, but grew tired of being at the same place every day, doing the same thing. Actually, that's not true; I would have stayed there until I retired but a workmate decided to sue me and two other women for racial discrimination. I wasn't allowed to approach her to ask what it was I or the others did to her to cause her to take such drastic measures. I hadn't a clue. In my opinion, during the eight years we worked together, I assumed we were friends and colleagues. I evidently was wrong. Since I wasn't strong enough to stay and work shoulder-to-shoulder with some who accused me of being something I absolutely abhorred, I bolted.
I left Graduate Studies and moved to the Undergraduate College of Letters & Science which sort of completed the 'big picture' for me. I was an academic counselor for a year and spent most of my lunchtimes and breaks writing my first and second novel. Although I realized I would never make a substantial amount of money with small press, getting both manuscripts accepted for publishing was the impetus of bigger dreams of perhaps achieving mainstream publishing. Besides, the questions of why I'd left a job I loved for some many years kept creeping into conversations and I was forbidden to answer them. Retirement was my way to 'kill two birds with one stone'.
I carried around the rage at **** for years, but finally let it go, realizing the woman saw a way to make a quick buck and took it. Now, I feel sorry for her because one of the women she sued, and my best friend, was diagnosed with cancer and died during the whole ugly ordeal of depositions and stress. **** has to live with that for the rest of her life.
I've continued to achieve publishing, but not at the level I thought I wanted. I've recently resigned myself to finding happiness with what I've accomplished, realizing that the competition is far to keen and dependent upon two many things beyond my control. I can't count on writing the exactly correct and formatted query letter to the right agent on the right day of the week describing the book that perfectly fits what a publishing house is looking for, down to the word count. I've come far since I started and I'm proud of that.
E-Publishing allows me to write what I want to write and I don't have to stretch it with extra verbiage to meet requirements. The story line doesn't have to fit a script and there doesn't always have to be a happy ending. Internet publishing is my comfort zone and where I've found a fit. I'm tickled with the reviews I've received, my fans and my friends.
Don't discount e-pubbed authors as an untalented lot. The competition is so keen among the houses now, that rejection letters are getting to be more and more common place. I've read books by some of my peers and found talent surpassing that of the authors on the NY Best Sellers List. I feel like I'm in regal company.
For information on my backlist, you can visit my website at http://www.gingersimpson.com
My upcoming release, Sparta Rose, is due out in a few months from Enspiren Press and you most certainly will hear my screams on my blog at http://mizging.blogspot.com when I learn the exact date. Leave a comment so I know you've visited. I love meeting new people and greeting old friends.
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