https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html
And there's no writers guild for indie authors who are putting in the TIME but haven't hit the requirements in sales.
https://authorsguild.org/membership/faq/
Okay, maybe there is. I just want to be able to have health insurance come January. AFFORDABLE health insurance. With affordable prescriptions.
Okay, maybe there is. I just want to be able to have health insurance come January. AFFORDABLE health insurance. With affordable prescriptions.
😔
It's exhausting fighting to live. Sorry.
Here's a writing punctuation meme instead:
Here's why indie can be equal to Big 5:
In June, my Facebook feed filled with posts of graduation 👨🎓 ceremonies. Several posts were by friends of mine who don't know each other, but had a family member (child, nephew, cousin, etc) who graduated from the same high school as I did.
The graduation robes this year were a combination of the school colors, blue and white.
 |
| The new blue& white robes! |
My senior year, back in the late '90s, there was a BIG DEAL. First, in homeroom, we were all given a survey asking if we wanted a blue or white robe for graduation. I didn't know there was a choice. White gets dirty so easily, and I'm ridiculously pale (though I had been trying to get a tan, because it was the '90s and people still did stupid crap like lay in the sun for hours with SPF 4 tanning oil on), so I picked blue.
Weeks later, I was issued a white robe.
🤔
The boys got blue, the girls got white. Period.
 |
| Me at graduation-- in all white |
We were friends. Not close, but friendly enough, so I'm kind of surprised I didn't know about the protest in advance.
As I scrolled on Facebook in June 2026, I saw young people who graduated from high my high school. The robe featured both colors. No segregation. And it seems that the solution didn't harm anyone. Didn't change the celebration of commencement.
Why the hell did it take so long to sew two different colors of fabric together?
See what happens when logic rules instead of hate?
There are currently three bills in the US Congress calling for book bans. (Including medical textbooks in college libraries. Should a doctor learn anatomy?)
And three bills that counter those with the statement that literacy matters and school libraries should be funded.
Not politically aiming for any message here. Just discussing with fellow writers that books are in danger. Classic books, non-fiction textbooks, new books, maybe your own books. If you decide you have feelings about the topic of books, and have Congressional Representatives, you may desire to research this yourself and contact them.
I know my WIP would be banned. I'm insecure about bothering to pitch it to agents right now because all three of the proposed bans would aim at my book. It has diverse characters, and a teen girl gets pregnant by her teen boyfriend. So MY BOOK would absolutely be banned. How do I put that in a query letter? "Here's a YA that'll be nearly impossible to sell because it's guaranteed to be banned."
I'm mentioning this not for political reasons, but as an author who is absolutely targeted by these bills. And the other WIPs? They all meet that criteria. Heck, I have a chunk of a YA story on this blog (April 2021) that would be banned. So I feel I have a duty to mention that there are 6 bills (3 for bans, 3 opposed) in the US Congress debate right now. Care or don't, that's up to you. But the bills aren't headline news, and writers ought to know, even if you don't do anything with the information.
In children's publishing, there is more of a push to publish diverse books, but I'm not sure about adult fiction. Not having affordable health insurance options is a big problem.
ReplyDeleteI see many agents asking for diverse books. Health insurance is another horrendous matter altogether. Have a good July.
ReplyDeleteAnonymously Esther O'Neill. Looking forward to Banned Books Week - When I was 14, a senior family member asked me to read a classic diverse novel. I think the book I'm trying to write now is her story.
ReplyDeleteLove the violin story! Yeah, health insurance is an awful business when you are chronically ill (no matter your country). I'm sure all of my books are banned somewhere, just like Margaret Atwood's (and isn't that good company to keep?). As for your book(s): if they are ready to be published, go and be confident when you query agents. You never know when the time for change is upon us...
ReplyDeleteThat is really dumb about the robes. Be thankful girls didn't get pink. Although would've been funny if they'd been switched.
ReplyDeleteHeard the one about the musician. Sad, huh?
I love the violin story, Jamie. It is so true. Location matters. It helps people recognize excellence. Even though, in your example, the people should have heard the excellence. My daughter is seeking health insurance as well. It's a tough battle. Stay strong!
ReplyDeleteI've heard the violin story before, but I love how you connected it to writing and publishing. I agree with Natalie that editors/agents in kidlit are actually seeking diverse books.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe in banning books, period. Thanks for the tips on the congressional bills, Jamie. I enjoyed the violin story, so true.
ReplyDeleteYes, context matters. Book banning is always wrong. I've seen graduations where girls and boys wore different colors, but my high school (late '80s) was all red. You could get a different color tassel, but only if you graduated with academic honors.
ReplyDeleteI see zero reason to have different color robes at graduation. Thank goodness my HS (and college) didn't have any such silly notions--but I graduated long enough ago that we were still in a more feminist era, and anyway, the green robes were bad enough, but NO ONE was going to be happy with "gold" (i.e. yellow), the other half of our HS school colors!
ReplyDeleteAs for banned books.... I feel like getting my books banned might actually help me reach my target audience :)