Dear Daniel

Dear Daniel,

Sometimes you wonder if your career will ever take the jump that people dream of it making. Well, I feel like I’m doing my best to make that happen. Last night I signed the paperwork that made Alicia Justice of Jitterbug PR my first block in the business side of my writing career. I met her at Fandom Fest and she was ebullient and full of energy and seemed excited at the prospect of working with me.

She plans on adding publicist and literary agent to her name so I look forward to perhaps growing my career with her as time goes by.  Still no word on the film festival. Although I feel like I’m good enough to win I wonder if me being vocal about my dissatisfaction with my launch party and how it went. But like I said, I had some really cool shit come out of Fandom Fest.

I’m already planning for next year. Mysticon is on the horizon and I’d like to launch my Bella Morte series there. Right down to wearing a costume, ala Comic Con as a character from the book. I just wish I had some guy friends to dress up as the male characters Shane and Sam. Shane is the long lost parent who mentors Bella in book 1. And Sam is her friend turned romantic interest as the series progresses.

I have to admit, Fandom was such clusterfuck in some regards that I’m glad hell didn’t freeze over, you would’ve had no place to hide and I would’ve been embarrassed at the way my launch turned out for someone I admired so much to see firsthand.

But here’s the thing, I’m working on a novel I hope to take to the Big 5 in New York should they still be standing via an agent. And I need to send the query letters out that I have for my screenplays with Missy. All signs are telling me it’s time to take the next step up. And I have to admit, I’m a little scared to do so.

I have to wonder was it like this for you when your career was budding and you had to start getting people to do certain things for you as opposed to doing everything yourself? I recently landed on the front of the local newspaper because I arranged it. The interview went fantastic and it was a wonderful experience. I know one day I won’t want that attention. But it’s one of those things that I want people to know about my books, and let’s face it, authors are not afforded the same attention by the media that rock stars and actors and movie people are. And I’ll be honest, part of me is grateful for that.

The anonymity it affords me is wonderful. I’m allowed to kind of develop at my own rate and the success, hard won, is sweet. Perhaps one day we will get the opportunity to work together. Although I’ll be honest, there’s a part of me that fears true social interaction. And you’re just a person I know but your work has been influential on my career. And I can’t really overstate that enough.

I have a question, one I don’t really expect an answer too, but it’s more rhetorical than anything else. What do you do when someone you know, or even a fan takes a dangerous turn and you start to wonder about their sanity and your safety?

Sincerely,

Amy McCorkle