tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198613692012-02-02T09:34:12.960+02:00The online journal of South African writers Damaria Senne and Pamela Moeng.Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.comBlogger10571100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-84617366220524479052012-02-02T09:31:00.002+02:002012-02-02T09:34:12.968+02:00

By Pamela Moeng What do you think of indie publishing? When a novel is rejected by a number of publishers, is it pandering to ego to self publish? I once read that one should never edit or rewrite any manuscript that hadn’t been accepted by a publisher. Do you think that is good advice? If you get a detailed critique from a reader via a publisher that compliments and criticises the manuscript,

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-14807362703657758482012-02-01T12:24:00.001+02:002012-02-01T12:26:43.469+02:00

I'm at that stage in the client publishing process where I basically need to wait - wait for author checks, wait for artwork changes to be made, wait for.... I don't like waiting. And it's so hot (max 31 degrees celcius) that I'm feeling lethargic. definitely not conducive to working. Add the fact that I'm actually working from my bed/the kitchen table/the diningroom table/the livingroom sofa,

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-18377265842674287902012-01-31T10:22:00.000+02:002012-01-31T10:22:41.187+02:00

By Pamela Moeng Check the Sunday Independent Book Review section (Sunday, 29 January) to read about locally written and published crime novels with female protagonists. I was surprised at the number of local writers writing crime thrillers, a genre out of my normal choice range for a number of reasons. What I read made me think I need to read more widely across genres I have never thought of

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-27651036295679277742012-01-30T08:38:00.000+02:002012-01-30T08:38:32.076+02:00

The weekend at Mma's was great. On Saturday I managed to inject her with insulin for the first time without shaking. ( I read the instructions here) She says she no longer feels like a pin cushion when I inject her, even though I had to take two tries before I got it right. I also hung out with my younger brother and nephews, who cleaned out the chicken coop to get it ready for the new batch of

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-12200040943344390492012-01-27T08:51:00.000+02:002012-01-27T08:51:25.782+02:00

I had a lovely day yesterday, albeit a busy one. And the reason is that I can finally see the results of the hard work I've put in  in the latter part of 2011, reviewing manuscripts, preparing artwork briefs etc.  I spent most of the morning and afternoon reviewing Book 1 typeset pages, and  it looks lovely, even if I do say so myself.  It's this stage of the process that makes the long,

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-5558355609381191392012-01-26T09:03:00.001+02:002012-01-27T08:37:33.132+02:00

My sleep was haunted by deadlines. The managing editor from a client was supposed to pick up hard copy files from me this morning and last night when I went to bed, I hadn't finished my assignment ( as I only received the files yesterday afternoon). I planned to get up very early today so I could finish the work in time for her 6.30 am pick-up. The deadline must have bugged me subconsciously

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-75109758499654878152012-01-24T13:00:00.000+02:002012-01-24T13:00:51.379+02:00

I am finding my feet incorporating Mma's care into my daily routine and have been fairly productive the past couple of days. This week I: 1. Submitted a novel and it was rejected. Yes, that fast, LOL! I take heart in that the commissioning editor gave me that kind of attention. Of course I adjusted a few things and sent it out the door again. 2. Reviewed the first design of my company brochure

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-45324425281930585632012-01-23T13:07:00.000+02:002012-01-23T13:07:12.417+02:00

It's been a hectic morning: hired a domestic to help Mma and a part time gardener to mow the lawn and keep yard clean. Making preparations to cook and pre-package meals for her. Spending the rest of the day reviewing manuscripts and artwork.

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-68001957003335389942012-01-19T15:20:00.003+02:002012-01-19T15:22:40.234+02:00

The great news is that Mma was released late yesterday afternoon from the hospital. Today was hectic, with one meeting after  another. I met with: 1. the tiler to measure  my kitchen floor  and give me a quote. 2. a plumber 3. a tenant who'll be moving in at the end of Jan into one of my places. 4. a graphic designer who finalised my company logo ( I approved it) and will now start designing

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-54946829206620177142012-01-18T13:09:00.000+02:002012-01-18T13:09:17.089+02:00

I spent most of the morning doing admin. Lots to do, as financial cycle I’m on ended at the end of December and I need to get ready to file with SARS. A couple of weeks ago I got an Amazon Kindle with 3G access. I’ve wanted one for a very long time. Printed books are very expensive and over the years I’ve had to be choosy about what I buy, instead of just getting a book because it looks

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-4853395465617272992012-01-16T10:52:00.001+02:002012-01-16T10:53:25.371+02:00

Happy Monday to you all. Things are looking up in my corner of the world: Mma looks and sounds better, though she's still in the hospital. Spent a lot of time with my siblings and we had a good time, despite the circumstances of our getting together. We were roudy, updating each other on our lives, debating politics, religion and everything we could think of (that's normal when we meet),

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-55550365609438693412012-01-13T13:08:00.000+02:002012-01-13T13:08:35.123+02:00

As you know, it's been a rough week in Damariaverse, but the week ends on a very good note. Mma is feeling much better. Looking better too. Laughed quite a lot during our visit. I'm starting to realise that while recovery will not be easy, there will be a recovery to worry about. Yay! I am going to spend a big chunk of the weekend working, to catch up with work I couldn't focus on earlier in the

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-55652167985803397762012-01-11T12:53:00.001+02:002012-01-11T12:53:40.898+02:00

Neurologist's news was not good. It's not a major stroke but it affects parts of the brain that also controls breathing. So Mma was booked into hospital. Spent first part of the week trying to do as much as possible that needs me to be located in JHB, then going to see Mma. Not going to stay long as older siblings are there to care for her. Agreed to stay longer once she's home, though we will

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-66957931759188217382012-01-09T11:22:00.001+02:002012-01-09T11:24:05.097+02:00

The day began with a very loud bang with: 1. a batch of artworks for Book 6 to approve 2. edits for Book 3 and one chapter for book 6 to review 3. Two proposals to look through and send to potential clients Then I spoke to my mother and somehow she sounded off. Turns out she had a mild stroke and went to see a doctor today. I am not a happy camper. The stroke affected her speech ( in addition

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-85899518654119434932012-01-05T14:49:00.002+02:002012-01-05T14:50:56.999+02:00

The holidays with family in the North West province and then in Durban were great. I enjoyed the rest, slept a lot and acquired a new name. My two year old nephew calls me Lali. We couldn't figure out how he came to the name, until this morning when it dawned on me that my brother-in-law calls me Dami ( and no, you're not allowed to call me that:-) and I realised that Matthew is trying to imitate

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-70389311225112198062012-01-03T15:07:00.000+02:002012-01-03T15:07:55.628+02:00

I'm still on holiday but I had a minute to pop in to say happy new year. I did miss my online conversations with you and I hope 2012 brings you joy, good health, lots of moolah and a lot of fun.

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-51911498475168228302011-12-22T12:59:00.000+02:002011-12-22T12:59:48.061+02:00

Being able to take a completely completely deadline-free holiday break is starting to look possible. I only need to finalise artwork briefs for Book 6 and send to publisher ( hopefully tomorrow morning?), proof some client documents and send them through to them. Then I'm free to go celebrate Christmas with my family and then go on a short holiday. Yay!

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-48981724931646477062011-12-19T07:00:00.005+02:002011-12-19T07:00:08.944+02:00

It was a lovely long weekend. I slept longer hours at night and napped quite a bit during the day. I spent some time with friends. Went shopping for Christmas presents. Thank God my side of Johannesburg slowly becomes a ghost town after the 15th December, when peoplego away for holidays outside the city. It does feel creepy when I go for my regular walk and I can go around 10 minutes without a

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-7717986236275632362011-12-15T07:00:00.003+02:002011-12-15T07:00:00.401+02:00

It was raining and after an afternoon of tea and cookies, my neighbour Elaine Laverick Thorne took a photo of me laughing and she used it to do this painting. Now it hangs in my office. Nice, painting, yes? Thank you Elaine. Here are the writing life highlights for the past two days: 1. The ebook, How to get quoted in the media, brought me a retainer client. We had lunch and he's hiring my

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-54114024144852409822011-12-14T07:00:00.101+02:002011-12-14T07:00:01.573+02:00

For the past couple of days, I've been thinking about the information that we unwittingly communicate to our clients and readers. As an individual, friend, sister, writer, publisher, blogger, there are things that I communicate/have communicated directly. For example, most people who are in my life for any length of time know I don't like the phone and if you are a friend/family member calling

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-31896396355585454342011-12-13T07:00:00.018+02:002011-12-13T07:00:12.328+02:00

My morning email to an online business forum group I belong to was titled "I don't wanna!" And honestly, I didn't want to work at all. My body feels heavy/tired, the sun was bright and shining and all I wanted to do was hang out at my local Fournos Bakery with friends, drink unending cups of tea and watch people spend money they don't have on Christmas purchases they don't need. But I had to stay

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-26233192228695423072011-12-12T07:00:00.002+02:002011-12-12T08:55:05.456+02:00

Rebecca has posted a review of How to get quoted in the media over at Living the life of writing. Rebecca's review is especially aimed at book authors. Check it out. On Saturday Damaria Senne Media reached a big milestone: the sales of How to get quoted in the media actually reached a stage where I could pay out royalties to my co-author. No, it was not a boatload of cash, but it was definitely

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-12624968225939297392011-12-09T08:16:00.004+02:002011-12-09T08:25:00.795+02:00

In our book, How to get quoted in the media, my co-author Christelle Du Toit and I talk about the value of media coverage for your small business. There are many benefits - raising your company's profile, making people aware of a product etc- but the one we like best is that it can make you money. In view of that strong assertation, I thought it would be fair to do a post-moterm of yesterday's

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-53518262692624091922011-12-08T14:36:00.001+02:002011-12-08T15:16:52.724+02:00

Christelle Du Toit, my co-author on How to get quoted in the media is going to be interviewed on 5fm's Mind your business this afternoon. The show is a segment of DJ Fresh's Afternoon Drive. The interview is at 16h55 and 5fm's frequency is 98FM. Check it out if you have the chance. And if you're visiting this site as a result of the interview, please say hi in the comments section. And don't

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-38905367294302574042011-12-08T09:17:00.000+02:002011-12-08T09:17:14.049+02:00

Everywhere I look, people are talking about Christmas, the holiday season and wrapping up their work. I have to admit a part of me is envious because I'm nowhere near wrapping up. My schedule is still full and I'm still chasing deadlines. I'm probably going to work until the last week of Christmas, when most companies in South Africa will be shutting down for the festive season, unless they are

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-65797621309823047072011-12-07T14:50:00.000+02:002011-12-07T14:50:31.606+02:00

For the past couple of days I haven't been well. First, it was summer flu. Then I had a very bad toothache which resulted with me having an extraction yesterday morning. If you've ever had a wisdom tooth removed, then you know the kind of pain I was in yesterday. I took heavy painkillers, but while they numbed some of the pain, they also made me loopy. I slept a lot and when I was awake, my brain

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-8098552728867121842011-12-06T15:22:00.000+02:002011-12-06T15:22:36.416+02:00

Dr Bissoon extracted my right bottom wisdom tooth this morning. The operation itself was painless ( thanks doc), but later in the day I was extremely sore. Took more painkillers and napped, then tried to work some deadlined work. Taking is slow though...

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-32938250785626499822011-12-05T11:53:00.000+02:002011-12-05T11:53:32.894+02:00

No, not along the lines of the Chinua Achebe novel Things Fall Apart. But I'm feeling frail at the moment: just when I fix one part of my body, another starts having problems. Summer cold almost gone, except for the heavy cough that happens sporadically. Spent the whole weekend drugged to the gills on Myprodol (strong pain killers) though, because I had a bad toothache since Saturday afternoon.

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-63677576728207628122011-12-02T13:20:00.002+02:002011-12-02T13:38:11.870+02:00

Today I gave up on working with a friend. It's been coming, but I didn't want to see it. Basically, we have different work styles. For me, paying work is work I'm grateful for. Sometimes I enjoy the project. Other times, the assignment is a means to an end. For example, the project may open a door to more interesting projects or it could just be a job to pay bills. I also have a strong sense of

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-82365846080711974642011-12-01T12:33:00.000+02:002011-12-01T12:33:43.903+02:00

Yesterday I dosed myself with cold meds and slept on and off for most of the afternoon and night, drinking more meds every time I woke up. Also slept in this morning. So now it's official: this summer cold is not going to kill me. I know, I know, I'm being a baby and a cold doesn't kill. But sometimes it makes me feel so miserable I wish it would so the torture would end! On the work front,

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-26817740478857344622011-11-30T08:08:00.001+02:002011-11-30T08:09:22.388+02:00

Somehow I caught a summer cold and now my nose is stuffed and I'm coughing my lungs out. I'm not in the mood to work but stories don't write themselves and books don't publish themselves. So I had to drag myself out of bed and start work. Sucks!

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-63438625111219068512011-11-29T13:55:00.001+02:002011-11-29T13:56:44.162+02:00

Looks like I'm going to have a lazy time this festive season compared to last year, when I went on a road trip to East London with a friend. I'm going to go to a guesthouse in some kind of wilderness in December, chill for around a week or so, then go to Durban and stay at a friend's flat. My friend agreed to lend me her flat for a week at the beginning of January. A week by the sea in summer.

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-7475360404292960552011-11-28T19:29:00.002+02:002011-11-28T19:32:50.119+02:00

An “explosive device” was left outside a jewellery store at the Eastgate Mall today, police confirmed, media says. To say I'm stunned is an understatement. We may have lots of political disagreements in South Africa about any number of issues, but we're not at war with each other. As for localised war-fare in the city, I don't imagine there is a lot of mileage to be had from harming us. The

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-40665066982894043142011-11-28T09:47:00.000+02:002011-11-28T09:47:29.023+02:00

It's a lovely Monday morning and I'm well-rested after a quiet weekend spent with friends and puttering in my garden. I also coloured my hair black. I started going gray when I was 20 or so and now almost 50% of my hair is gray. I'm used to it and most times I just leave in it its natural state. But somehow this weekend my last drop of vanity kicked in and I decided to do something about it. It

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-91173534306954285272011-11-24T09:54:00.000+02:002011-11-24T09:54:59.026+02:00

It's been raining quite a bit, which makes me happy because my vegetables are finally getting as much water as they need. But the weeds! They just keep growing back. Anyhoo, here's an update: 1. Business is going well. Three clients are keeping me extremely busy, so I wake up each morning with a sense of purpose. Another writer sent book 5. I'm not going to get a chance to look at it for a while

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-5165731686636339932011-11-22T15:14:00.000+02:002011-11-22T15:14:08.198+02:00

I almost said happy Monday, because time has been flying by so quickly if I feel like it's still Monday. And not in a sad blue Monday context.I'm content. I  handed over Book 3 reviewed manuscript to client yesterday. Received edited version of book 2 for final look-see and draft copy of book 4 from an author today. So the train is moving along. And the reason I'm happy? It struck me that I'm

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-24661439941205979302011-11-16T14:13:00.000+02:002011-11-16T14:13:10.521+02:00

Still keeping my nose to the grindstone. Lots of progress on the publishing project, which is very encouraging. Emailed several steady clients and asked them to send me all the work that will be due January. It will be nice to do the assignments at a slow pace and I can go on leave confident that I have work for January. Thinking of buying one of my clients a Christmas present but I'm not sure

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-5431793646403656162011-11-09T07:48:00.001+02:002011-11-09T07:55:08.816+02:00

Today is the birthday of one of my closest friends. Like Pamela, she's like a sister from another mother, and the three of us have been like Musketeers since the early nineties. Spent the afternoon with this friend yesterday, both to celebrate her birthday and for me to reassure myself about her state.  You see, my friend has cancer. We don't know to what extent yet. The surgery to find out is

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-22012994128976141082011-11-07T12:59:00.001+02:002011-11-07T14:05:18.762+02:00

My friend Michelle brought me more plants, which I have now potted. My cache of plants I'm going to use for my back garden is growing steadily and I'm happy. Soon I'll clear out the area and actually start the garden. Meanwhile, I really do need to weed my front garden. It's starting to look cluttered. Much like my work scheduler, which had a lot of assignments pending and there didn't seem to

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-65201483731455465072011-11-03T21:20:00.001+02:002011-11-03T21:21:31.132+02:00

My hectic schedule has not let up, and I'm usually at my desk around 5am in the morning and stay there until the evening. Except yesterday, when a friend talked me into going out for high tea at a spa. We got horribly lost - how many Alexander and Alexadra streets can there be in one city? Quite a few as we found. Still, it was a nice break away from the deadlines - the atmosphere was very

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-78855132764248739432011-11-02T16:05:00.001+02:002011-11-02T16:08:54.299+02:00

When I began my writing career, researching an article or book was harder (due to lack of Internet and connectivity, among many reasons). Let me explain. In those days, I lived in the small town of Mafikeng, birthplace of the Boy Scouts movement. Every month I would go to CNA to pick up my monthly issue of Writer's Digest. Yes, they special ordered it for me. And I read it from cover to cover,

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-28438653974210381202011-10-28T12:48:00.002+02:002011-10-28T12:52:51.538+02:00

Warning: this post is rambling:-) The more I practice, the luckier I get. I'm not sure who first said this, Gary Player or Arnold Palmer, but whoever it was, was right. When you work in the public eye, most times people see the results when you were successful, not the failures, and certainly not the tasks that you had to do to get from the beginning to the end of the successful venture. We

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-30107324712104395852011-10-27T15:55:00.002+02:002011-10-27T15:59:58.775+02:00

Right now I can't think of any perks of being a workaholic but I do need to try to convince myself there are some, because I'm buried in work ( a good thing for the self-employed) but it's also exhausting. I'm still fielding editorial queries ( 7 chapters done, one more to go on one book) and preparing for another manuscript handover, for which I'm ridiculously late in terms of finishing the

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-70308446977233872382011-10-26T09:15:00.000+02:002011-10-26T09:15:34.067+02:00

Had breakfast with Tebogo Khaas of the SMME Forum at Melrose Arch. I haven't seen Tebogo for years - not since I worked fulltime as a journalist. So it was great catching up with him and finding out what he's got planned for the forum. It's going to take time to implement some of his ids, but I am looking forward to it, because the resources and services that he plans to provide are very

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-28654171342862795812011-10-24T11:35:00.001+02:002011-10-24T11:36:21.472+02:00

A side-view of the portion of the garden where I'm planting for summer. I was awake around 5am as usual, and instead of toddling off to my office (another room in the house), I decided to sleep in a bit. That's the great thing about working from home - you can start work as early/late as you need to without having to fight traffic to get there. Today's post is pictures from my garden.

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-37996032696916398522011-10-23T12:27:00.001+02:002011-10-23T12:28:57.506+02:00

A warm welcome to everyone who found us by way of media@safm. Thank you for coming over to my site and I do hope that you found our ebook - How to get quoted in the media- helpful for generating publicity for your small business or non-profit organisation. If you want to buy the book, please click on the cover of the book on the right. The interview on with Ashraf on SAFM went well, though I

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-64240916000204769512011-10-21T13:53:00.000+02:002011-10-21T13:53:20.504+02:00

Where did October go? It feels to me like only yesterday the month was starting out, and now it's almost over. Gah! I want more days in a year, more hours in a day. Enough to do the tasks I need to do and still have time to sleep, socialise and have some fun. Anyhoo, today s going went. Was at my desk at 5.30, reading and editing. I'm going slower than I like, especially considering client

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-3812785118261554692011-10-19T07:57:00.000+02:002011-10-19T07:57:11.811+02:00

A warm welcome to everyone who's visiting this blog by way of Biz-Community, SN-Announce or http://allafrica.com/. Thank you for your interest in my ebook, How to get quoted in the media. I hope that some of the tips in there help you generate a lot of publicity for your organisation or company. Meanwhile, today I'm sharing my coping strategies when I'm overloaded with work. And yes, as I run a

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-26862866275674020302011-10-18T10:46:00.000+02:002011-10-18T10:46:22.087+02:00

Many thanks to all the people who have ordered copies of How to get quoted in the media. I hope that you find the book useful and that it will help you to get a lot of publicity for your organisation or business. Also received an order for print copies of the book. And while it was not a bulk order, it was not for one copy either. Yay! Yesterday was hectic and I had an unexpected client meeting

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-9790660446703407072011-10-14T06:00:00.002+02:002011-10-14T06:00:09.126+02:00

How to get quoted in the media has brought us our first client. The organsation was involved in a big fundraising event and had trouble getting media coverage for it. Christelle and I are placing a feature article with a national newspaper (editor already agreed when I queried and piece was completed last night) and a short news story, which is also going into a national daily newspaper. Now to

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-82367149462693291802011-10-13T18:41:00.003+02:002011-10-13T21:26:53.573+02:00

Photo taken by O. Senne The hollyhocks in my front garden were growing too tall, so I cut some and stuffed them in a vase. Lovely, isn't it? The day's routine went well. Did a lot of creative writing this morning (on my UNNAMED WIP), proofed a client document and sent it through, reviewed 3 chapters of a client manuscript. I'll probably finish that job tomorrow. Two other clients sent work

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-3379130966218154432011-10-12T07:01:00.000+02:002011-10-12T07:01:17.555+02:00

Kelly Mathee, a South African writer, interviewed me about my writing process for "How to get quoted in the media" and other issues. Check out the post.

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-31009616250481667272011-10-11T07:37:00.004+02:002011-10-11T07:42:08.919+02:00

Today I'm at Riehlife, talking about the balance between doing projects that pay the bills and projects I love and find creatively fulfilling. In the interview with Janet Riehl, I also chat about the ebook, of course! Check out the post. I'm tired and I know why: I'm getting very little sleep. I'm handling my normal workload and I'm spending a lot of time with baby.  Since Sunday, we have

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-57608824095148590522011-10-10T05:44:00.000+02:002011-10-10T05:44:42.780+02:00

Happy Monday! Hop on to NY Mafia, where I'm sharing about the 6 Lessons We Learnt Wehen Developing A Media Plan for Our Book, How To Get Quoted In The Media. Also don't forget to read Part 2 of My Journey To Self-Publishing, where I chat about our decisions whether to just publish an ebook or include a print edition, setting up an online store, the launch and some of our promotional activities.

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-25679140346162733402011-10-07T11:00:00.000+02:002011-10-07T11:00:28.338+02:00

Hop onto Rebecca Emrich's blog, Living The Life of Writing, to check out my guest post telling the story of my Journey to self-publishing. The story is told in two-parts, with the second part to be published tomorrow. Rebecca and I would be happy to answer whatever question you have or engage in further dialogue on the issue. Thanks Rebecca for hosting me. And have a great weekend everyone!

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-89125924188492823712011-10-06T15:41:00.001+02:002011-10-06T15:42:46.182+02:00

I've just finished one of the most frustrating assignments I've done in memory. The client is a really nice person, I think. But between the "scope creep,"  and my inability to grasp what the client wants ( not sure who's fault was that:-), I wasted a lot of time , and my potential to earn, trying to get the assignment done. And all I can say is, I'm never doing an assignment from this client

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-9894955952419427522011-10-05T11:21:00.002+02:002011-10-05T11:25:40.557+02:00

Today I'm keeping a low profile, writing my fingers off on client projects and guest-posts to promote the ebook. Thanks Rebecca for agreeing to to host me as a guest-blogger. BTW, Rebecca is currently asking her readers: Should you self-publish your book?  Please hop over there and share your views with her and her readers. Self-publishing is not for losers:-) My answer is: self-publish when

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-41095137993334393642011-10-04T12:15:00.001+02:002011-10-04T12:22:05.615+02:00

The launch of How to get quoted in the media went well. There were no reports of technical problems and I received a few enquiries and a number of phone calls from friends offering their good wishes. Now the hard work begins, uploading the ebook to various ebook distributor outlets and promoting the book on various online forums. My plan is to do at least one marketing activity a day. I’ve

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-90874385062727864612011-10-03T15:40:00.001+02:002011-10-02T20:39:58.797+02:00

Businesses in general, SMMEs, and non-profit organisations in particular, often face the challenge of getting their organisation, cause or product profiled in the media without paying for expensive advertorial or advertisement space. While buying space will guarantee you a platform to get your message across the way you want to, editorial space in news articles/reports is generally more

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-16745378646652141542011-09-27T12:19:00.000+02:002011-09-27T12:19:36.815+02:00

It's been a hectic couple of days: 1. Selling my old romance novels - Attended the local fair and sold more second-hand books. The interesting thing about selling second-hand romance novels is that the majority of people feel compelled to tell you that they DON'T read them...but when the fans come, they lots and lots of them. Sold enough books to buy week's groceries and I left around mid-day.

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-68080092163586910712011-09-23T15:18:00.000+02:002011-09-23T15:18:42.445+02:00

So what do you think of the draft cover of our ebook? Do you like it? co-author Christelle du Toit took photographs of old newspapers. Cover design was done by Ofentse Mokgethi, a multi-disciplinary artist friend whose bag of skills include graphic design.  And yes, he does take on freelance graphic design and typesetting assignments. Feel free to email him if you need his services.

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-68609843685917061302011-09-21T21:42:00.000+02:002011-09-21T21:45:54.730+02:00

By Pamela Moeng   Read an interesting article the other day about marketing your book in The Book Designer newsletter. I particularly liked the section below and all credit to The Book Designer for the quote:     "Why Books Sell : There is no replacement for a good book...we can point to a few clear reasons why some books sell better than others: It has unique information that’s in demand,

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-54564489073341374772011-09-20T11:31:00.001+02:002011-09-20T12:34:40.406+02:00

Yesterday was very hectic so I didn't get a chance to blog.  I was very productive though, as I managed to attend 3 meetings before 11am and people were quick and efficient. I'm almost ready to hand over the first book to the client with quality control, artwork briefs and all references done.  I'm still doing quality control and review for the second book, which I'm handing over to the client

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-13822074063252648942011-09-16T11:13:00.005+02:002011-09-16T11:13:47.345+02:00

Yesterday was rough day which ended with a pounding headache with a touch of nausea. And I know it was stress doing this to me. But there were good bits. I finished a client document that had been driving dilly for weeks and am starting a fresh leg of the client publishing project. I also wrote quite a bit on my nameless WIP. It’s still a very rough draft, but at this stage, all I want is to

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-33952606118223463502011-09-15T09:38:00.002+02:002011-09-16T11:06:29.296+02:00

Pam’s article on her 12-hour tour of London is live on the Independent Online Travel. Check it out. I also want to point you to my writing friend Tam, who has posted a rant about the writing life. I could so relate to Tam's view, because a lot of the writing that I do to pay bills is not exciting. I don't hate it and I'm grateful for the work, but it's not exactly what little girls think of

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-10685910734070854202011-09-14T09:52:00.001+02:002011-09-14T09:52:50.055+02:00

By Pamela Moeng One of my small luxuries is a subscription to the Sunday Times taken up mainly because it was accompanied by Monday through Friday delivery of The Times. Often I only read my morning paper in the evening, lounging in bed after a trying eternity at the day job. Yesterday was no exception, and I read Megan Hall's piece on language - mother tongue (any African mother tongue) -

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-65075699396696772972011-09-13T11:52:00.004+02:002011-09-13T12:03:45.629+02:00

'What are you doing here?" was my first words to my helper, Thobile when I got up this morning. "I work here," she said, as if she was talking to a not-very-bright child.. "Not today you don't. Go away! Go home!" Ok, I admit it: I was feeling seriously lousy. I had a lot of work on my plate and was feeling a bit stressed. But she looked flushed (like she had a fever) and was coughing hard enough

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-19298952448192343122011-09-12T11:50:00.002+02:002011-09-12T11:50:40.564+02:00

Woke up to an email from the Independent Online Travel notifying me that Pam's article, Boston or burst, was live online. The piece relates part of her journey while she was visiting family in the US. Check it out. I also received an email from one of the writers I'm working with on the client publishing project, sending me the full manuscript of his next book. Gosh, I love this author! He

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-82103515628287541262011-09-09T11:41:00.000+02:002011-09-09T11:41:07.163+02:00

1. I started the morning drinking another 440ml of Play. Yes I know the caffeine content on that thing is scary and I should find another way to boost my energy levels. But it works and for now, so it'll do. 2. Sometimes it's nice to work with company in my home office. There's someone to bounce ideas against and just having another person working nearby is enough to motivate me to stay on the

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-75495580302539291702011-09-08T13:56:00.001+02:002011-09-08T13:56:48.270+02:00

I woke up to an email from the Independent Online Travel accepted two travel articles Pam wrote about her trip through London and Boston. Really great tonic. I'm not sure when the articles will be published but I'll provide the links when they go live. This morning I was also feeling a bit tired, so I drank a can of Playa. Not very healthy move, but my body is now buzzing with energy and

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-14177883332089900402011-09-07T13:10:00.001+02:002011-09-07T13:11:04.345+02:00

For the past couple of months I've been struggling with a project. I was editing something and the content and structure of the document were not compatible with what it was supposed to be.  The problem was, I started out from the viewpoint that the writer was right (because he's very experienced) and since I was the newbie on the block, I was the one who was making some kind of mistake. I felt

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-11912400348120171242011-09-06T10:54:00.000+02:002011-09-06T11:24:13.203+02:00

Spring Fair on Sunday was fabulous. My stall, which specialised with romance novels only ( I was selling my romance novel collection from childhood, so it was A LOT of books,) was set up by 08h30 in the morning, though the fair was only scheduled to start at 09h30. So I was able to get business from some early birds, which helped put me in a positive mood. Business was brisk for the rest of the

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-86998906572886245212011-09-05T13:18:00.000+02:002011-09-05T13:25:39.480+02:00

By Pamela Moeng National Book Week will run from 05 to 10 September. According to the Sunday Independent, we can thank the South African Book Development Council (SABDC) and the Department of Arts and Culture for the joint initiative. Yesterday's article claims that only 14% of the population read books and only 5% read to their children. For me that statistic is like saying only 14% of the

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-2643938390607321952011-09-02T12:35:00.000+02:002011-09-02T13:03:08.087+02:00

It's been an emotionally tough week, with lots of ups and downs. 1. Computer went funny and started using up more bandwidth than I'm used to. Some of the projects I've worked on in the past have involved videos and high resolution pictures, so I have a pretty good idea of my consumption rates. Turned out I had a lot of automatic software updates (thumbs down to Microsoft). 2. Was invited to bid

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-79145068190667944762011-09-01T13:16:00.001+02:002011-09-01T14:50:03.904+02:00

Today I got a call from an old client I like, wanting information about a project I worked on approximately 2 years ago. The person who contacted me was not my old liaison contact; just someone I was aware of in the project but I didn't have anything to do with him directly. I was able to fill in the blanks he had about the project and how it ended, and what my recommendations were at the time.

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-69309769995388201892011-08-31T08:29:00.001+02:002011-08-31T08:32:37.545+02:00

By Pamela Moeng Which comes first - the chicken or the egg? And which comes first in a story - the story idea or the character? Robert Sawyer, in his online article "Constructing Characters," says it's easier to start with a premise and build the perfect character - like a purpose-built robot - for that premise. Sayer, winner of 25 awards for fiction and teacher at several universities, says

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-31899926454041066302011-08-29T13:24:00.002+02:002011-08-29T13:26:15.461+02:00

1. Met one of the authors I'm working with on the client publishing project. He's very inspiring : in the years he's been writing part-time, he saved most of his royalty earnings and now has enough socked away to write fulltime the next couple of months and then go back to study at university fulltime for the next four years. He says his secret to financial stability was to live on his teacher's

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-3029866865152098252011-08-26T11:59:00.004+02:002011-08-26T12:09:05.550+02:00

The weather keeps getting warmer and I feel like my toes are finally defrosting. The plum tree is flowering, there's a lot of green in the front garden and the plants I potted last week still look healthy. This morning was hectic - I finished an urgent project from a client, finished another client report and emailed and invoiced for them both. I also booked a stand at the local Spring Fair

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-7684090742483768742011-08-25T09:31:00.000+02:002011-08-25T09:31:03.680+02:00

The 12th edition of South Africa's bestselling guide to starting a business is now on sale. Updated in 2010 and published in August, the book is made up of 3 main sections: Planning, Getting started and Scaling up. The book is published by USA Oxford University Press and is available from Kalahari.net for R211.95.Exclusive Books is also offering the book at a very special web site price of

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-57628861059100451362011-08-24T17:45:00.002+02:002011-08-24T17:46:54.305+02:00

For most of my career I've worked as a writer and while I did edit my work, other people were responsible for the final product. They gave me suggestions to improve the text, edited the content and the language and proof-read and generally made my words shine. I'm not married to my words, so usually I'd just move on to the next story and the next one, noting that the final product reads and

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-11651284582958701122011-08-23T10:50:00.000+02:002011-08-23T10:50:04.221+02:00

Yesterday Pam's article about her stay in New York made the lead on the Independent Online Travel. She says: "A long planned holiday from South Africa to the USA led my partner and I to various destinations, most notably New York City. After visiting family and friends in Pennsylvania, we caught an Amtrak train from the quaint Victorian Station in Lewistown, Pennsylvania." Check it out.

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-66407143418753695342011-08-22T15:07:00.001+02:002011-08-22T15:08:49.795+02:00

Had a great weekend. On Saturday I attended our monthly writers' meeting at the home of Michelle Nel, who's an environmental journalist and neighbour. It was a lovely meeting and I met another writer, Roy McGregor, who has self-published a humour book. Roy was very happy to share info about his self-publishing experiences. Michelle had previously offered me indigenous plants to plant up in my

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-39070507041618354492011-08-17T11:31:00.000+02:002011-08-17T11:31:03.434+02:00

By Pamela Moeng My previous research on plot and planning your book only whet my appetite for more, so back I went to the Internet and I found more helpful tips for plotting my next book. Continuing with Randy Ingermanson I found his four pillars of fiction enlightening: Story World (the setting, know it inside and out); Characters (the players, capable of rational thought and feelings; know

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-60299170853655787942011-08-16T12:17:00.000+02:002011-08-16T12:17:54.358+02:00

Apparently some Joburg residents were disappointed that it didn't snow yesterday ( rain, hail and sleet fell) but I think they're just nuts. Our homes are not equipped for such extreme weather. Add to the fact that when you work from home, you don't have a company paying for air-conditioned room and using the heater means a higher electricity bill. Old Man Winter has really outstayed his welcome.

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-54255578814555285502011-08-15T07:00:00.003+02:002011-08-15T07:00:09.528+02:00

By Pamela Moeng Daydreaming about writing a book is one thing. Actually sitting in front of a keyboard to bleed, as Hemingway suggested, is another thing. When I was in the midst of writing my first romance novel, I asked a writer friend about her method of writing - she had recently sold her own novel to a prestigious publisher in the UK. I was horrified to hear about her chock-a-block

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-62732986368377072242011-08-12T07:00:00.001+02:002011-08-12T07:00:05.562+02:00

Pam is on a streak, I tell you. Her second novel, which we entered for the 2011 Citizen Book Prize, made the long list, which was announced this week. Ten books make the long list and Pam is so excited, because being part of the top 10 is a big deal. It's now up to the public to vote for the book they like. Here is the synopsis of the novel entitled, NO PERFECT PEOPLE ALLOWED NANDI Mhkize is a

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-53128399203024816432011-08-11T14:59:00.000+02:002011-08-11T14:59:19.059+02:00

This week I'm reminded of one of my former bosses' favourite sayings: " How do you eat an elephant?" she'd ask, then answer. "One bite at a time." I was an account executive at the time, and the hundreds of thousands of Rands that I was supposed to generate each month was scary, because there was always that concern of where I was going to find the clients who would spend that much money. But to

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-82717943609928369772011-08-10T10:59:00.000+02:002011-08-10T10:59:13.476+02:00

Women's Day was great. I spent the morning in the garden, doing more planting for Spring (cucumber, sweet corn, bush beans and peas). My current pea harvest is really great. The peas are sweet and soft and I actually don't have to cook them. Just throw them into  hot dish just before I turn the stove off and they're as good as done. Also prepared more plots, mixing the soil with compost. Managed

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-8656614261814903012011-08-08T09:36:00.000+02:002011-08-08T09:36:46.703+02:00

Yes I'm excited! Publisher I sent Pam's second novel to has made an offer to publish it and will send a contract soon.  The ebook would come out in November, by their reckoning. Congratulations Pam. I'm so excited for you and hope  you will pen and publish many more books. The icing on the cake would be if the other publisher I sent Pam's third novel also said Yes. But I can wait a bit. I'm not

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-41985561559491001622011-08-05T07:00:00.001+02:002011-08-05T07:00:02.010+02:00

I'm putting together another batch/box of books that I'm going to donate throug READ SA, so if you have books you don't read/want, please send them to me? Inbox me for the address. Also note that I can collect from your house if you're in Johannesburg. My new tenant was mugged early yesterday and they took her bag, which had  her wallet with cash and cards, the housekeys, cellphone and her

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-45292557087726688212011-08-04T09:39:00.000+02:002011-08-04T09:39:34.322+02:00

By Pamela Moeng As a materials developer for several educational publishers, I had to learn to write good artwork briefs. Why bother, you might ask. Isn’t that what the illustrator is for? Learn how to develop a good artwork brief and you’ll be the darling of the artists the publisher contracts to illustrate your manuscript. The biggest tip I can offer for beginners is learn to think in

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-13665647937662689612011-08-03T08:51:00.003+02:002011-08-03T09:16:35.433+02:00

 The house is similar to this one  Some women have an obsession with shoes. Others with purses or jewellery or even handbags. Mine is houses. Old houses.If I had money, I'd probably be shopping for houses the same way some people shop for clothes. Potentially expensive hobby, I know, especially because old houses always need to be fixed up and maintained. But damn, what a way to go broke:-)

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-18096480773519356292011-08-02T11:25:00.001+02:002011-08-02T11:27:00.354+02:00

By Pamela Moeng Journal keeping was part of the work I was expected to do at varsity for my English Education degree. A working mother and a student, time was limited, so that journal – please forgive me, Prof! – was often done hurriedly in retrospect. I’m sure my mark reflected that too! As a teen I kept a diary sporadically but the responsibilities of being the eldest of all the children and

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-75778780702281728562011-08-01T09:18:00.001+02:002011-08-01T10:42:53.421+02:00

 Taking a break from digging soil prep in  Brendon and Neville's  kitchen garden.  The renovation group spent 2 weekends tiling and painting and planting herbs. Neville is a chef.  Friday was a very productive day. I woke up to an email from a commissioning editor from a publishing house asking for a full manuscript of Pam's third novel, which I sent.  As Pam so aptly put it,

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-1621201602969413622011-07-29T10:57:00.000+02:002011-07-29T10:57:51.974+02:00

By Pamela Moeng One of the first books I bought as a fledging writer was a book on self editing - it was invaluable for a writer who lacked confidence. That was more than 30 years ago and I still bolster my confidence with a bookshelf lined with Swan's grammar book, Harraps English punctuation and the Oxford English Dictionary, among others. Self editing will make you the darling of editors.

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-13139469593031635992011-07-28T11:09:00.000+02:002011-07-28T11:09:04.711+02:00

My article on Advertising to Children is up Marketingweb. Didn't know that it was published until I did a Google search. Check it out. Spending the rest of the day editng a manuscript and doing some long-procrastinated admin work, then I'm going to do some Spring planting. A friend of mine bought me Clare Reid's Reel Gardening vegetable and herb seeds from Builder's Warehouse as a birthday

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-6578134043616362162011-07-27T11:25:00.002+02:002011-07-27T11:26:38.364+02:00

Spent most of the evening yesterday sending thank you messages to people who wished me a happy birthday. I know it takes time to respond to every message, but some of them want to hook up for coffee, and it's a lovely way to initiate contact with people I haven't spoken to, or seen in a long time. Had a long interview this morning. A friend of mine used me as a personal reference for a

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-46049637444540094332011-07-26T12:32:00.001+02:002011-07-26T17:01:25.883+02:00

Power was off from 10am this morning, so I couldn't follow my normal morning routine. But I was fortunate to have a potential tenant come over to see the cottage that used to be my office. I hadn't even advertised but apparently she rented the next street over and the owners are selling, so she has to move. She took the cottage. Which is nice, cos it turns out she's a freelance journo, and we had

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-86173547859983791882011-07-25T11:58:00.003+02:002011-07-25T11:59:13.976+02:00

By Pamela Moeng Opportunity knocks but once, some say. I disagree. The same opportunity may not knock in the very same way again, but variations of the same possibility will continue knocking until your potential is realised or your dream comes true. This is especially true for writers. Job changes or you move cities? It's an opportunity to meet new people, forge new connections and experience

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19861369.post-84830538324613380702011-07-21T11:23:00.000+02:002011-07-21T11:23:50.863+02:00

I thought I was going to drown. I was excited about my new publishing assignment, but the work seemed massive and the deadlines really tight. I was briefed near the end of June and went home wondering how I was going to manage the project and my existing workload. It wasn’t easy, and it wouldn’t have been possible if it were not for the contributions of a number of people, whom I owe a big

Damaria Sennehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16933949808230808200noreply@blogger.com4