• Home
    • About Us
  • Services
  • Portfolio
    • Ghostwriting
    • Editing
    • Critiques
    • Formatting
    • My Byline
    • Testimonials
  • Free Reads
  • Reviews
  • Events
  • Blog
  • Contact
HEN HOUSE PUBLISHING
  • Home
    • About Us
  • Services
  • Portfolio
    • Ghostwriting
    • Editing
    • Critiques
    • Formatting
    • My Byline
    • Testimonials
  • Free Reads
  • Reviews
  • Events
  • Blog
  • Contact

Hens Lay Eggs

food for thought

Living in a pinball machine

10/6/2020

 
A career in freelance can be compared to living in a pinball machine with the freelancer being the pinball. Every week, we launch ourselves from the weekend stupor into projects and client expectations. When the freelancer is also an author, another layer of expectations flings the writer hither and yon.

Lately, those "author expectations" have been disappointed. It's not going to change any time soon, I don't think.

Most of my client work lately has been focused on editing projects. Perhaps that's a good thing, as it doesn't strain my creativity all that much. The analytical side of my mind gets a lot more use that way and I can focus the creativity elsewhere: paintings, wood turning, another client's project.

Then there was the Northwestern Band Association Craft Fair, an experiment of sorts in piggybacking on an event unrelated to book fairs and author signings. My bestie, Cindra, graciously agreed to be my companion for the day. She brought six of her paintings to display and sell. The event was held outdoors (COVID, you know) and we brought masks (COVID, you know). The weather cooperated: comfortable temperatures and breezy, but no rain. Veterans of the annual event commented that attendance wasn't as strong as in past years, but I had nothing to complain about.

It was my best event yet. I sold a dozen books. I actually recouped the registration fee and then some. Since the event was held a mile from my home, I didn't have far to travel and there was no need for overnight accommodations. Sure, my husband bought a canopy to cover our tables and chairs--no, proceeds from sales did not cover that expense--but I still count the event as a solid win. I need to find and participate in more of these types of events.

Cindra sold three of her paintings. I think she was pretty chuffed, too. I mailed my registration for next year's event in the hope that success will be repeated or even improved upon. Fingers are crossed.

So, back to bouncing around the pinball machine.

In lieu of writing my own stuff, I'm enjoying the creativity of others. I'm enjoying reading books by other authors and lapsing into "reader" mode instead of "editor" or "author" mode. I've been binge-watching Lucifer with my husband. What a hoot! Will Tom Ellis (who plays Lucifer) reign over Henry Cavil or Chris Hemsworth as society's favored heartthrob? (I have to admit, Cavil, as Geralt in The Witcher, makes my heart go pitter-patter.)

Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's a little creepy for a woman of my age to ogle men young enough (almost) to be my sons.

Then life and work fling me elsewhere. Three weeks ago, my husband brought home a stray kitten, which now makes eight kitties residing in our small house. On October 3rd, my horses returned from training and are now my responsibility and chore to deal with. That's daunting. I attended a wood turning class with my husband, a date of sorts. We made pens. I'm not exactly proficient when it comes to power tools, but that was fun. My husband has a lathe and pen blanks and the other accoutrements needed to make pens.

Hm, perhaps there's a new hobby in the works?

Back to reading options. Have you read my books? Well, I'm not going to: I know those stories. I wrote them. There are over 20 books available for download, so there's no shortage of material to occupy your leisure hours.

And if we get really lucky, maybe I'll get my butt in gear to crank out another book before the year ends. Then again, maybe not. At this point, I'm not promising anything.

Comments are closed.

    Share!

    Picture

    Author

    Hard boiled, scrambled, over easy, and sunny side up: eggs are the musings of Holly Bargo, the pseudonym for the author.

    Follow
    Karen (Holly)

    Blog Swaps
    View Guest Author Posts
    Looking for a place to swap blogs? Holly Bargo at Hen House Publishing is happy to reciprocate Blog Swaps in 2019.
    For more information: 
    Email Us

    Get Your Copy of
    Hen House Publishing Blog via Email:

    Delivered by FeedBurner


    Categories

    All
    Books By Holly Bargo
    Egg Reviews
    Events
    Guest Author
    Interviews
    Mfrw
    Mfrwauthor
    #MFRWHooks
    Reviews
    #SpringfieldOHBookFair
    Status
    #WinterBookFair

    Share

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015

HOME | ABOUT US | SERVICES | PORTFOLIO | TESTIMONIALS | BOOK CATALOG | FREE READS | BLOG | EVENTS | CONTACT
Copyright © 2015 - 2023
  • Home
    • About Us
  • Services
  • Portfolio
    • Ghostwriting
    • Editing
    • Critiques
    • Formatting
    • My Byline
    • Testimonials
  • Free Reads
  • Reviews
  • Events
  • Blog
  • Contact