Friday Done List

 Well, I haven't been blogging this week. Have I done anything at all?  

Goal 1. Write and Publish Adult Short Stories, Essays, and Humor

• I worked on some of the pieces I started during December.
• I made two submissions.
• Received a rejection.
• Resubmitted the rejected piece.
• It was rejected within a couple of hours. If you have been following things here, yes, it has been a rough few months.
• I worked on revising my last annotated reading post, since I've published a couple of those at Medium, directly myself, not to a publication.
• Instead of publishing the most recent Random Reader article to Medium on Monday (I've read that's a good day to publish), I queried a publication to see if it would be interested in that type of work. I received a reply that the editor had added me to the pub's writer list, meaning I could submit.
• I did some more work on revising it, making it appropriate for a publication and submitted it. A few hours later, I received a response telling me it wasn't appropriate for the publication. I would have thought he would have said that when I queried him, saving us both some effort. I'm guessing he doesn't read queries, adds everyone who contacts him, or has some kind of automated response set up that, again, accepts everyone as a writer. Doesn't that mean inappropriate stuff is submitted that he then has to read and not use? We're about managing time here, folks! That doesn't seem like a good use of it.   
• I have also been wading through essays and short stories that I've bookmarked.
• God help me, I was thinking of starting a Substack project. The little bit of research I've done suggests that that place is far more complex than Medium, and I found the learning curve there a little steep.
• To end this on a positive note, I have an objective this year of making 2 submissions a month. I've made 7 this month, with one resulting in publication. Not an acceptance to submission ratio I'm crazy about, but it's there, nonetheless.

Goal 2. Build Community/Market Work/Brand Myself and My Work

• Followed a few new people on BlueSky and Medium and got a few new followers in each place, as well. Not necessarily the same people I followed.
• Got the side bar of this blog updated with BlueSky link. And, what's more, I believe I can do that myself now, and I have some things I want to do there.
• Got started on some reading for Black History Month and did some research on other books I want to read this year to support heritage months.
• Got started on an updating the website with work I've had published the last few months.

Goal 3. Submit Book Length Work to Agents and Editors

• Took part in my first BlueSky pitch. While no agents or editors noticed (I don't know if many are there), I did get more shares than I used to get on X. So that is both gratifying and helps build connections with people on BlueSky.
• Submitted 143 Canterbury Road to an agent.

Goal 4. Play With 19th Century Novel Idea, Which Does Have a Name Now, But is Mainly a Fun Think Piece

• Did a little outlining. Named a couple of secondary characters. Continue to read a history book dealing with my setting and characters. Think maybe religion should become involved, because everyone likes to read about that.