Beatrice Celebrates Her Birthday.

As many of you know, I’ve developed a tradition of giving back before I kick off my birthday celebrations.

Last year I met Donald as he rummaged through the trash looking for breakfast. It was my 3rd year going into the city and blessing someone living on the street.  My good deeds didn’t go in vain until this year. And I can’t wait to report how that happened.

As I mentioned in last year’s birthday blog, Donald left a lasting impression on me. Unfortunately this year I am left with another lasting impression. It’s the impression of a nameless man who sat on a park bench with his belongings next to him. He was young, near my age, and his appearance was still in tact. But before I could get two words out as to why I was there, he asked me to leave.

My fingers clinched my gift tightly as I thought to myself, “I have to bless someone before I celebrate my birthday.” It took creative thought, but eventually I found someone to share my gift with.

Well today is my special day. I’ve been with Baby D all week, and although we have been busy bots, I think today will be the laziest day of them all. I’m grateful to see another year. I’m 29 baby!!!

Publishing A Book: 101

Since the release of Diaries of an Emotional Prostitute, I’ve had requests from people asking for tips to getting their books published. I responded to some requests through e-mail, yet others still wait for my response. The truth of the matter is that there are far more questions than I have time to answer individually. Thus, I’ve drafted this response that will help almost EVERYONE in their journey to getting published.

1. Write. Edit. Rewrite. The first step to having your work published is to write. If you experience writers block, find ways to get through it without compromising the quality of your work. A lot of writers find it helpful to step away from the project for a few hours (or days) to gain fresh perspectives. However; this part can also be tricky. Be sure to remember that you are stepping away to gain clarity, not as a means to abandon your project. Set deadlines to stay on target.

You should also be sure to reread your work after a few days, just to make sure it flows the way you intend. Often times we get so caught up in our thoughts that we don’t realize our project is compromised. By stepping away, and returning to it later, you are placing yourself in the seat of the reader. Surprisingly, you may notice that your writing isn’t as clear as you intended. Thus, you will need to do edits to make sure that your message to the reader is clear. It also doesn’t hurt to have someone else read your work for editorial purposes. There’s no limit to how many times you reread your work. [Whenever I write a piece, I reread it an infinite amount of times before publishing. Even when it’s published I reread it again to make sure that I relayed the information in the manner in which I intended.]

Rewriting your work can be an ego bruiser. Especially if you really like how much of it is worded. My advice to you is to keep your ego at bay and remember that if you created two great lines, you can create hundreds more. Quality is not just in a sentence, but rather in the entire piece. Readers can tell when you sacrifice quality, and they will forever remember that. It’s better to rewrite your work in a way that is appeasing to you AND your readers. If you do this every time, you will master the art of leaving a lasting impression.

2. Create a Savvy Site. Since you’re about to be published, you might as well create a site for people to easily learn more about you. Your website doesn’t have to be only about your book. Be sure to showcase your author bio, past or current projects, beliefs, and links to your social networking sites. Sites aren’t generally free, but you can probably find some free hosting sites if you do a Google search. The sites I trust most are listed below.

1. GoDaddy.com
2. Yahoo.com
3. HomeStead.com
4. OfficeLive.com – Free but limited

If you aren’t tech savvy, you can probably pay someone to create a site for you. If you don’t know anyone, I would recommend a professional like Duane Davis. His e-mail is rotty120us@yahoo.com.  

3. Publishing Houses. If you are looking to be picked up by a publisher, you should know all that is involved in that process. You will need to draft query letters and contact dozens of literary agents. Literary agents work for a publishing company and decide which material gets passed along to the decision makers. If your query grasps their attention they will ask you to send more information, and possibly give you a book deal. If a publishing house gives you a book deal, they will provide you with an editor, book designer, and take care of getting your product on store shelves. However, it’s important to keep in mind that if you turn your work over to a publishing house, you may

1. Be asked to change the names of characters or scratch scenes from your book;
2. Not have an active voice in the marketing of your work;
3. Not have an active voice in the layout of your book design;
4. Have to market your book to local media outlets to gain attention; and
5. Only get 2% – 7% royalty on the number of books sold. 7% is a generous amount; most new authors get between 2% and 3%.

Self-publishing is guaranteed publishing, but it’s not without its hurdles. The benefit of self-publishing is that you keep much of your profit and you have control over how your book is marketed. The downside to self-publishing is that you pay upfront costs. These can include book printing, editorial fees, press releases, and posters. The benefit to self publishing is that reputable online companies are getting use to the idea of allowing authors to publish their work. Companies you can check out are listed below.

1. Amazon.com
2. Lulu.com
3. Goodreads.com

Last, beware of vanity publishers (publishers that guarantee publishing for an upfront fee). Remember that it’s NOT okay for you to pay to get published…EVER; unless you are self publishing! If you are uncertain about a company, check the Better Business Bureau online. If the company has poor ratings, or no ratings, then don’t bother. In addition, if you do a Google search and there are too many complaints on a particular company, don’t entrust them with your valuable project. I mentioned before that you shouldn’t take short cuts in writing your project; the same goes for getting published. Do your homework. Vanity publishers will dig in your pockets before you have anything to give.

I hope these tips give you a clearer grasp on how you can meet your aspirations. If you need more help, feel free to contact me at Beatrice{at}beatricemcclearn.com

Happy Publishing!

-Beatrice McClearn

The Perfect Prayer

Lord,

Bear witness on my soul as I

Erase my wicked ways before you.

Alter my spirit in a way that is pleasing to your name; and

Teach me how to respond to all that lies before me.

Resurrect my talents; and

Ignite my passion.

Create new purpose in my life so that I may live and not  

Exist.

Marry my spirit; and

Continuously shape me.

Call me your child; and

Listen to my cries.

Ease the pain,

And keep me lifted.

Rejoice with me as I

Nestle in your bosom.

This is my prayer.

Amen.

Chain Smoker at Sixteen

I’m looking out of the window for a quick daydream getaway. But my travel is interrupted by a guy who sits in my line of sight and begins fiddling with a cigarette. He appears to be around 16, so I’m curious to watch his next move.

He begins flickering the lighter and holding it up to the cigarette which is located in front of him. I can tell it’s his first time. After a few moments of stalking him, I become frustrated that the cigarette is still not lit. I want to yell out of the window, “You have to puff on it!” But I don’t.

Finally, he puffs and the cigarette lights. I’m excited for him, but curious at the same time. “What is he going to do now? I need to go to him and tell him about the effects of smoking…”

Again, my attention is diverted to a coworker who walks over to my cube for small chit chat. After rambling on for a few moments, I look up and the young boy has left his post. The cigarette butt is on the sidewalk with smoke still coming from the tip. “Damn I missed him.”

About an hour later when while trying to drift in to another daydream, I notice the same young boy. He sits in the same spot and lights another cigarette. This time, he puffs the lung killer to light it.

“That’s it, I’m going outside to talk to him.” I think. Maybe I’ll start off with, What you doin out here?

And again, my attention is diverted. “Beatrice can I see you in my office?” My manager calls. “Sure thing,” I get up remorsefully.

Of course when I return the boy is gone. Another cigarette butt on the ground. Already a chain smoker…

Maybe he will come back tomorrow.

SoulJah Fever!

Three weeks ago God sent me a package with big bold letters on the front that read “Open Immediately!“

Shortly after, God whispered in my ear and told me that he sent an urban soul to wed my rural spirit. A soul mate! Thus I laughed when I truly realized I was interacting with my future.  And I laughed even harder when I realized that we grew up on opposite sides of the track. Baffled by such a beautiful package, I asked God the terms under which I can keep it. His response: “You can keep the package so long as you both forever acknowledge that it was ME who joined you.“  

A few days later God added the other disclaimer, “By the way, the package I sent is NOT fragile. It was bound perfectly by me, and thus will withstand any situation…so long as you keep ME in the forefront of your hearts and minds.“  I don’t shout often guys, but I can’t lie…I cried out Hallelujah!

Wikipedia defines soul mate as “a person with whom one has a feeling of deep or natural affinity, similarity, love, intimacy, sexuality, spirituality, or compatibility. A related concept is that of the twin flame or twin soul, which is thought to be the ultimate soul mate.”  I can dig it.

Now I have something more definitive for my situation.  This wonderfully created man is my SoulJah, which I created to mean, “connected souls by the grace of Jah.” 

Now, my dear readers, I’m inspired to write Calamity Part III; which isn’t such a calamity after all. But I haven’t honed in on the exact wording for it yet, so you all will have to wait a little longer for the finale. In fact, I think I will change the series name to Blessings.

Destiny’s Revenge

Girl talk, date nights and sleepovers harmoniously rotated in the background as I paved my future’s foundation.  I danced to this melody for years and labeled it Bea’s Greatest Hits.  But the music faded as my vision for my future became more defined.  Girl talk was replaced with business convo. The more brick I laid, the heavier the business convo.  Date nights were threatened by late projects and marketing.  And sleepovers - well I probably shouldn’t have had those anyway – but they were trampled upon by rising standards.

Just a year ago, I lived a parallel life with most of my close companions.  No one prepared me for the separation I sometimes feel as I continuing building.  Instead, familiar faces fade faster than I imagined.  I don’t feel as though these friends are against me, but rather cheering me on as I reach new heights. 

Think of a racetrack: If you are someone who sees at the glass half empty, you may believe that I’m racing ahead of them.  But in actuality, I’ve changed positions. We all use to be spectators in our own dreams. Then I started moving closer to the track, and eventually I was running my race.

Now, back to my building… I am not much of a builder, and no one close to me built something similar before. So this space is sometimes uncomfortable, and I panic or make rookie mistakes.  At times, I want to tear down this building and restart anew. Just so I can play my favorite tunes over and over. But I realize that if I do, I will never be able to move from dancing in the same space. And I won’t ever truly feel accomplished.

My reassurance from God is what gets me through. He promised me a life of bountiful blessings, and  I stand on his word. It gives me strength to build a more meaningful relationship with Him in the meanwhile.  And it keeps me sane. It keeps me optimistic, and overall it makes me more appreciative to be in this place of separation. 

It is said, “as one grows deeper and more spiritual we began to look at life with a fresh set of eyes.”  This is happening to me. I see things differently, and am learning to embrace the new tunes that play. I think I’ll call them God’s Melody Synced Specifically for Bea. 

I call this Destiny’s Revenge because my destiny was revealed to me long before I started pursuing it. I always knew that God’s gift would mean changes in my life, but I never realized it would force a feeling of isolation in the midst. So during this trying time, I hold firm to God’s promise, and I see changes in my life that I never would’ve seen playing those old tunes. It’s nerve wrecking – yet rewarding, and I’m loving God’s Melody better when I think of how much I’ve accomplished just by changing the music.

I guess Destiny’s Revenge isn’t so bad after all.

Mid-Year Update

The year is flying and my time machine isn’t working!  Damn, I have to remember to get it fixed.  But while I’m here I might as well provide everyone with an update since my Jan post.

Let me start by saying I feel accomplished. I truly feel as though the hard work I put into this long time dream is paying off. And my breakthrough is happening. I’m embracing the challenges that I’m overcoming; in that way I learn new things for my future.

In case you haven’t heard, I’m thinking of adding Diaries of an Emotional Prostitute to book store shelves. The recent bankruptcy at Borders scared me for a minute, but I think it’s a good move. The set back prior to that was getting past my pride. Do you know they steal 55% from my profit? LOL  I just couldn’t fathom that I did all of this work to only receive 45% gain. But there’s very little that I can do about it in this already established market. I have come to grips with finding a work around to compensate for my efforts.

Last, if you haven’t seen my new show Uncover 2 Discover with my long time friend, Journei the poet, you must tune in. We premier on Youtube right now but that’s just because we haven’t had the dedication to set up broadcast on any other network. We will do Ustream consistently in the future, so look for that.  Speaking of our show, I’m about to jump in the editing room in a few to add final touches to next week’s show. I look forward to catching up soon.

Chapter One

I entitled this piece Chapter One because it really is the beginning of Chapter One in my professional career. Oh doesn’t it feel so good to nearly close the door of the past. Not that it was a horrible past, I actually made a pretty good name for myself there. But it just wasn’t what God put in me to do. This new career is so much more rewarding and my spirit rejoices each time I am reminded of how close I am to Chapter Two.

So how are the book sales coming? That seems to be the hot topic these days. And I must admit that they are going. I just wish that I hadn’t deleted my previous Facebook Fan Page. I’m sure that it would’ve been much easier to build a steady stream of income if I still had thousands of supporters routing for me in the background. I’ve gotten word that many believe they are already fans, or think that my new page is a dummy page created by a spammer. lol Boy I really screwed up but I’m thankful that I get to start over and connect with fresh faces.

One last thing. Beatrice McClearn’s Second Annual College Bound Outreach ends in a few days. If you know a high school student with at least a 2.5 GPA who wants to go to college, send them to my website for official rules.

Cheers!

Beatrice Celebrates Her Birthday

Today panned out exactly how I visioned in January. This morning I had the opportunity to meet with Donald, a man scavenging the trash of D.C.  We spoke for nearly 20 minutes in the cold, and ironically it was me without a hat. As I explained to him that he was the recipient of my monetary gift giveaway for this year, he quickly looked surprised and wished great blessing upon me. I returned those same blessings and went about my way. Donald left an impression on me; just as I’m sure I did him. I’m thankful for that and I look forward to meeting another homeless person next year.

Also the novel officially released today. Sixth Sense Publishing confirmed that nearly 10% of the inventory has shipped! Wow! Keep the momentum going because I truly believe that we can make a difference in many young people’s lives.

I’m getting ready for an interview with a member of the woman’s group K.I.S.S. so until next time…

Closing 2010 with a BANG!

Exactly one year ago, I set a goal to publish Diaries of an Emotional Prostitute. That goal was met! The release is this Friday, but the preorders have been overwhelming. Last week the first shipment of preorders mailed and I’ve gotten several responses from readers they loved the book enough to buy copies for friends!

I’m very thankful for all that has happened this year. I set goals and I stuck to them. And in between that time, I fasted from July to November to help me stay focused on my purpose. This is the beginning of my destiny and I thank you for riding it with me!

Night.