Friday, October 18, 2013

Day 285 of the 365 Days of Blogging

The author/publisher,
Dane F. Baylis

FITTING IT ALL IN

OR

YOU SAY DEADLINES JUST ADD SPICE TO THE WHOLE THING? (GO AHEAD, TELL ME YOU ACTUALLY BELIEVE THAT!)

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Last night was the official announcement of my appearance as a featured poet at the Readings at the Foster Library in Ventura, California on November 7th. I also announced the forthcoming release of my chapbook, SELF INFLICTED, which garnered a good reaction from the crowd in attendance. It always surprises me when I get any kind of recognition or acclaim. There was a time I would have thought it my due as a writer/artist, but I seem to have tamed my ego. I spend so much time concentrating on the creation and refinement of my work that I almost forget it's intended for public consumption.
 
Phase two of Good News Friday is that my poem, SYNCOPATION, has been accepted for publication in ASKEW POETRY JOURNAL #15. Things are coming back around in no small way, I guess. I'm hoping to tie in the publication, reading, and release of the chapbook with further appearances in Southern, California and elsewhere.
 
How goes the work on the chapbook, you ask? (I don't care if you didn't, you should have!) I have three images I'm considering for conversion to a line drawing for the cover. Any one would do, but I'm going to run all three of them out before I make up my mind. I checked with the Ventura County Clerk/Recorders Office today by phone about the need for a DBA (Doing Business As) filing, which is known to them as a FBN (Fictitious Business Name) filing. That resulted in the lifting of another monkey from my back - for the moment. The person I talked to said that, as long as I was doing business under my surname, the filing wasn't required by the county. Notice, though, I said, "for the moment". She also informed me that a bank might require the filing if I apply for a business account. That is a possibility down the line, but for now it's on the back burner.
 
This weekend is a medley off domestic and artistic things to accomplish. On the artistic side, I have to dig back into my research on copyright. I need a refresher on what's changed since I went on prolonged sabbatical. Then there's the continued editing of the work I'm actually going to present in the chapbook. I have a thematic template which helps to narrow things down, but there are always flow considerations, rewrites, order, and assembling the whole thing so I can complete my Table of Contents.
 
Lastly, I need to gin something up for a back cover biography. It's the old reliable third person piece that can't sound inflated, overly egotistical, or stuffy. I'm thinking of approaching a couple of locals for some kind of blurbs, but it would have to happen fast. More than likely I'll stick with a simple bio and short list of previous publication credits.
 
There you have it. Days are too short, minutes escape too easily, and I can feel the clock ticking. The reading is twenty days away. Everything needs to be sent to the printer by the 29th or 30th of October to get it turned around (I'm hoping for a few days sooner), and I need to decide on the evening's program for my reading. Hey, no pressure there, right? WHERE'S THE GOD-DAMNED VALIUM?!
 
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Meanwhile...live, love, write, write, write.
 
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page. You can leave comments in the form below. I can be reached directly at dbaylis805@gmail.com . You can also find links to some of the sites I visit from time to time on the right. I'm also looking for submissions to the Your Work/Your Love page. Authors retain all rights.
 
Tomorrow,
 
Dane F. Baylis
Author/Publisher.
 


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