Originally published at Elizabeth Genco. You can comment here or there.

Some of you know that I sit on the board of a non-profit that’s very near and dear to my heart, the Interstitial Arts Foundation.

What is interstitial art, you ask? Quite simply, it’s art that doesn’t fit neatly into categories. Art that crosses borders (and therefore often goes overlooked).

We do a lot over at the Interstitial Arts Foundation. One of our big projects is Interfictions 2 - the second anthology of interstitial fiction, edited by my friend Delia Sherman (or Lady Delia, as I like to call her when she’s not looking) and Christopher Barzak (a very talented writer whom I admire greatly and haven’t met in person yet but surely will Any Day Now).

Books to support artistic non-profits don’t simply manifest out of thin air. They are supported by amazing supporters of the arts such as…. you!

Straight up: we need your help to make this book possible. Read more over on Boing Boing. Or you can learn more and donate right here.

Thank you!

Originally published at Elizabeth Genco. You can comment here or there.

…. gleaned from the jaw-dropping, awe-inducing and otherwise dazzling Life After Black exhibit at the Society Of Illustrators:

1. He attended an est seminar in the late 70’s, drew the whole time and eventually walked out. (Can’t say that I blame him.)

2. There is a woman named Catherine. There is a woman named Petra. There is a woman named Kelly. There are a lot of women.

3. An AIDS scare in the late 80’s turned out to be syphilis.

4. Things that interrupt his workflow include: work preoccupation, lust during telephone conversations, inability to help lovers when they’re depressed.

5. Even the Barron’s car gets towed sometimes.

Lots of Barron’s journals on his blog, which is where I nipped the picture above. (Though it’s quite something else again to thumb through them in person. If you’re in New York, I highly, highly recommend zipping over there before the 31st. Perhaps more than once.)

Funny, I was just thinking about Orpheus and Eurydice about an hour ago.

Originally published at Elizabeth Genco. You can comment here or there.

It’s hard to say, but it might be the NYPL:

It’s been a while since I’ve been. Had two appointments in Manhattan today, back to back, so I made good use of the time in between, hanging in my favorite space, the Rose Reading Room, listening to my iPod here and there and just soaking up the library vibes.

2 other top New York Spaces:

1. The Met. Favorite sections include Arms & Armor (yes, really), European paintings, the Egyptian wing, Greek and Roman art. (Okay, yes, I admit my Westerner bias here.)

Recently, my assistant stopped by to help me with some things. It was our first time meeting in person. She walked into my office and her jaw dropped. “What?” I asked.

“You’ve got Joan on the wall,” she said.

That’s when I knew we’d get along famously.

2. The Cloisters. Technically, another part of the Met. Leland can’t deal with the Cloisters because medieval art is pretty stiff. And, yeah, I totally get that. But the Unicorn Tapestries, man! C’mon! Not to mention that bitchin’ herb garden they’ve got going on. And Fort Tryon Park, which is the bomb.

I do feel blessed to have spent so much of my life here. (And no, we’re not leaving super-soon. But still.)

(Photo credit alert: found here.)

Originally published at Elizabeth Genco. You can comment here or there.

My husband Leland likes to go on treasure hunts. He’ll stumble across something that speaks to him (usually a book, second most often art supplies) and try to track it down; first at his favorite haunts, then off the beaten path.

It goes without saying that New York City is great for treasure hunts. If there’s something you want, there’s a good chance you can get your hands on it, in person and within 24 hours… if you know where to look. six nonlectures by e.e. cummings, however, posed a bit of a problem. So finally we threw up our hands and ordered it on Amazon.

This morning he shared a quote from the book with me. “I am an Artisit, I am a Man, I am a Failure. An Artist, a Man and a Failure must proceed.”

cummings refers to making decisions and moving forward, even in the face of uncertainty. Got me to thinking.

As a coach, one of my roles is to hold space and beliefs for my clients as they make clear decisions, so I’ve had the opportunity to observe decisions in action firsthand. Decisions weird us out, cause massive anxiety, or both. Why? Because all too often, until we’ve trained our minds to think otherwise, the energy behind decision-making is lack. “What will I have to give up?” and “Can I really do this?”.

I used to do this. After all, when I’m making a decision as to what to focus on next, my very life is at stake (as is yours, when you are in decision-making mode). No pressure or nothin’.

Truth is, as always, we have a choice to focus on what will open up as the result of a decision. A lack of clarity when making decisions means we’re usually focused on someone ELSE’s criteria (“What will other people think?”). Decisions, I’ve found, are a heck of a lot easier to make when I consciously reject lack-based thinking.

Leland is also a sharing kind of guy - as in, “This thing is really cool… here, let me share it with you.” A while ago he shared one of his favorite movies, Touching The Void.

“You have to keep making decisions, even if they’re the wrong ones,” says Joe Simpson in the movie. Indeed.

Me, I love New York City movies. While flicks like The Warriors and The Taking Of Pelham 1-2-3 (the original, of course - I can’t bring myself to see that remake, Denzel or no Denzel) will always hold a place in my heart, lately I’ve been more about… let’s say the poignant & cuddly:

New York City in the 80’s and early 90’s always reminds me of Terri.

Originally published at Elizabeth Genco. You can comment here or there.

Today I finished the 1st draft of my next graphic novel, THE KISS, which will be serialized over on Tor.com starting in 2010, most likely. Artist will be John Bivens (@John_Bivens), affectionately known around these parts (and my script) as Mr. B.

I daresay that finishing up this particular milestone (the book is far from finished; indeed, one might say we’re just getting started) brings with it a certain amount of reflection…

We make frequent trips to Portland (it being Leland’s stomping ground and all), and of course, when in Portland, we always hang at Periscope. I can’t remember how the discussion got started, but, during one visit, a bunch of us were sitting around, talking about, well, bad comics. (Now there’s a shocker.)

One of the artists (who shall go nameless) had been asked to draw a short story for a particular project (which shall go nameless). Said artist is Really Good. “Would you draw this story by so-and-so for thus-and-such?” s/he was asked.

Really Good Artist took a look at the story, then politely declined. This person was, shall we say, underwhelmed at the quality of the story and the writing.

“Some stuff just isn’t worth drawing.”

Harsh? I don’t think so.

Here’s the thing. You know that story you’re writing? That 2,000-page epic you’re in love with because it features drunken dinosaurs and Jack The Ripper and kickSPLODE and martians in tuxedos and in-jokes about monster movies from the 50’s and Jazzercize and a gummy bear factory and the dancing hamsters and a plague of locusts and Don Knotts and did I mention kickSPLODE! and gosh darn it all, you’re so clever… You know, that one?

In order to bring this dizzying vision of yours to life, some guy or gal out there, probably several, with things like pencils and brush pens and Wacom tablets and (if they’re old skool like my husband) Ames lettering guides and Photoshops (and perhaps really bad Mexican food and No-Doze) has to spend hours of his/her/their life illustrating the damn thing.

There’s a good chance it’s not worth their time.

I’m not hatin’, I’m just sayin’.

Luckily, my story does NOT have Don Knotts. That doesn’t mean I don’t think about these things. And if you’re a writer who wants to bring The Awesome into the world instead of The Suck, you will too.

Like I said, a time of reflection.

“Cranky old woman” moment over. ‘Night.

(C’mere, kid, let me tell you about my new[-ish] “no crap!” policy… it’s inspired by Frank Miller…)

Originally published at Elizabeth Genco. You can comment here or there.

… and ink under the fingers.
And kindness.
And tool confidence. (I’m talkin’ handyman instincts. Get yer mind outta the gutter.)
And a deep love and fascination for people and their stories and tribes.

And okay, maybe the sci-fi TV shows, too (even if I can’t always get behind them).

I love being married to you, baby. Happy anniversary.

Originally published at Elizabeth Genco. You can comment here or there.

A wonderful event hosted by The Interstitial Arts Foundation, a non-profit devoted to art that crosses boundaries of all sorts. (I’m on the Board, y’alls.)

You are cordially invited to join us at the first NYC Interstitial Salon
– an evening devoted to the pleasures of conversation among
boundary-crossing artists, writers, musicians, and creators.

Also, please R.S.V.P. here:
http://tempest.fluidartist.com/contact/interstitial-salon-rsvp-form/

Organized by the wonderful K. Tempest Bradford, an appearance by my hero and writing buddy, Delia Sherman… it promises to be delightful all around. Unfortunately, Leland and I won’t be there, as we’ll be vacationing in the Outer Banks that week. BOO! And HISS!

However, you should still go if you’re so inclined.

Originally published at Elizabeth Genco. You can comment here or there.

As promised, here are a few snaps from The Readers Studio 2009.

With client, friend and Mermaid Joanna Powell Colbert:

Joanna’s amulets were the talk of the vendor area, and I was blessed to snap one up before they sold out. Gorgeous! We shared a post-session mini-circle of sorts with my dear friend Keri Bas and another glorious client of mine, Valentina Burton:

Can I just say that I heart my clients?

Later, a pleasant surprise:

Yes, the ducks were back. Confidential to those who don’t know what I’m talking about: see The RS 2006. (I had a picture there at one point but it appears to have disappeared.)

And as promised, here’s that picture of Bob Place and I:

Hrm. I just realized that I didn’t get one of Mary Greer, or Rachel, or James Wanless. Or Keri, for that matter. Boo.

Mary had her brand new, not-yet-released-to-those-of-us-who-are-not-Mary-Greer copy of that moment we’ve all been waiting for, The Pamela Coleman Smith Commemorative Tarot Set. I wept tears of joy and tried not to drool.

At one point I approached Mary about a project that is forming in my head that I know I’d love her feedback on. It’s still very much in feral kitten stage, and yet I found myself wanting to say something anyway. All I could manage was “Um… I’m going to tap you on the shoulder someday to talk about A Thing. Yeah. A Thing.”

Mary: “Sounds intriguing!”
Me: …
Me (thinking): “You’ll know what I’m talking about because I’ll say, ‘you know that thing?’”

Later, we talked about knitting, which was markedly easier.

Originally published at Elizabeth Genco. You can comment here or there.

Feeling a little shredded after The Readers Studio, which completed this afternoon. So here’s a picture of the latest beret, knit between sessions:

(Don’t worry - there’s a cute pic of Bob Place and I that I’ll post a little later. )

The Readers Studio marks my third weekend event in about a month. I think I may have hit my limit. (I hear you all going, “WellDUH.”) Nonetheless, it was one of the best RSes ever. Got to connect with a bunch of my clients, and, of course, nerd out over all the latest Tarotania. More on all that in a bit.

Next trip is our vacation in the Outer Banks next month; hence, the beret. Because everyone at the Outer Banks could use a summer beret in a nice cotton bamboo. The pattern is the Gwen Slouchy, with 2 extra repeats… because while admittedly my head is a snidge large, I can’t for the life of me comprehend how a ribbed brim of less than 88 stitches on a size 7 needle fits anyone older than, say, 12. (It was tight on my styrofoam model, too.)

(Also: size 9 needles with a DK weight yarn?! Can’t do it. So I used an 8.)

I’m sure all this technical stuff is fascinating to the non-knitters out there.

Here’s another picture:

When someone at The ‘Studio inquired about my hat, it occurred to me that I’ve been on this beret tear for almost 2 years. Yes, it baffles me.

Another recent beret, the Sprint Beret, is here.

Originally published at Elizabeth Genco. You can comment here or there.

It’s that time of year again, the time where New York City jumps straight from winter to summer with no spring in between. I’m fine with it. Husband can’t stand the heat. Still, he does look on the bright side…

Leland: Y’know what we’re entering into, don’t you?
Me: Summer?
Leland: Bubble tea season.

Seriouslytho, can it be that we’re almost in MAY of 2009 already? It hardly seems possible. Being that it’s almost May, that means one thing: The Readers Studio is almost here! I’ll be sharing the fundamentals of my 8-step marketing & business-building system for spirited solo professionals again this year, and I’ll also share details of a very special teleclass series that I’m putting together for Readers Studio peeps ONLY.

I’m looking forward to immersing myself in Tarot for three days straight; between my business exploding and typing this script as fast as I can, the in-depth rolling-the-bones that’s a usual part of my daily life has fallen out of my daily life somewhat. (Must shift that.) It’s also significant as The Readers Studio marks the 1-year anniversary of Marketing Goddess. Someone pinch me!

Speaking of goddesses, caught the Worshiping Women exhibition at the Onassis Cultural Center over on 51st & 5th. Stunning. Story mind racing. (Not a bad thing, as the Tor.com script is due, like, now.)

I know this is a short one. Artemis is a-callin’.

Originally published at Elizabeth Genco. You can comment here or there.

Okay, so now it’s been almost 3 weeks since my last update. A client of mine (or actually, maybe a colleague of mine… I’ve been on the phone a lot lately) recently said, “You know, Facebook and Twitter really cut into blogging time.” Yeah, they really, really do.

Let’s see…

1. Things have been quite whirlwind-y since returning from Experience The Reality Of Success in Vegas. Lots of clients and cool opportunities popping up everywhere. Trying to hold on with both hands, as I have a number of my own projects in the Marketing Goddess pipeline that are coming up, like, immediately.

The seminar was mind-blowing, and I don’t say that lightly. I’ve posted lots of take-aways, stories and pictures over on MarketingGoddessBlog.com, so check them out if you’re curious. One of the coolest moments was meeting Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com. Wow, that guy is smart, smart, smart.

There’s so much I could say about what I learned at the seminar, and truth be told, most of it is either too personal or still in the “feral kitten” stages (and thus easily scared away if one talks too loudly), but I will say this: I am now hyper-crystal-clear on exactly how my writerly self and entrepreneurial self will dovetail and it is incredible. Yes, call me a woman on a mission.

2. My favorite new music as of late is a young lass by the name of Amanda Bloom. You can download her album on eMusic and listen to clips on her MySpace page. We’d probably not do well in any 4-beer conversations, as I’ve found her empassionately tooling around atheist talk radio and I’m, you know, an unapologetic Goddess girl, as Pagan as they come. That’s ok - lots of other things to talk about.

Pandora.com remains the best place to find new music. Leland and I created The Purvis Family Channel. Seeded it with Elliot Smith and Kristin Hersh. Then we added Waits and it all went to hell.

3. Speaking of music, I’ve discovered that my former fiddle teacher, the lovely Patrick Ourceau, is everywhere on the Internets. Including YouTube, where, if you listen close before the magic starts, you can hear snatches of that dreamy Irish-infused French accent he’s got going on. I miss him! (That’s Paddy O’Brien & Daithi Sproule with him, two more amazing musicians.)

4. I’ve been writing a lot. (Liz is waiting for the script, what can I say?)

Also, I have my to every writer’s not-favorite question (”Where do you get your ideas?”) sketched out on a piece of paper here, which I shall turn into a post, which I shall illustrate with a piece of recently completed art from Mr. B.

Last but not least: bonus points if you know which high school Brit music crush the subject line refers to. It’s not hard…

Originally published at Elizabeth Genco. You can comment here or there.

So I just realized that it’s been about 2 weeks since I’ve updated. Not fresh! (Like the rest of the world, I’m on Twitter much more often.)

Been in motion getting ready for a trip to Vegas this week for a seminar. Lots of scripting (deadline looms!), coaching and business planning. And a new laptop. Cleaned the office. Saw CORALINE. Returned 2 Netflix movies I just haven’t had time to watch so Leland can get more movies while I’m away.

(I’ve never been to Vegas. Not my kind of scene, really, but now that I’m going, the people-watching will be in full effect. Bringing a new notebook with me.)

As usual, I have lots of notes about what I’ve been meaning to tell you. Above all, the following anecdote keeps coming to mind… it’s something I shared on a teleseminar I gave about a week ago.

People are always surprised when I tell them that I got into small business marketing by accident. (Nobody was more surprised than me, let me tell you.) Here’s how it happened.

A friend of a friend (comics peeps, in fact) approached me at a party at Rocketship one night. She worked for a company that specialized in “new age” products: astrology reports, jewelry, etc. They were looking for writers.

I was still at my soul-sucking job at the time, and was looking for a way out. She told me to expect a call from a charming British guy and some samples of what they were looking for in my in-box.

“I know you’ve written for Llewellyn before,” she said. “This writing is a bit… different.”

“Different how?” I asked.

“You’ll see.”

The samples arrived before the call. They were for an email campaign. I took one look at them and almost choked. Oh my gosh, I thought. This is… like those crazy letters trying to sell you magazine subscriptions and book clubs. This is like an infomercial in print.

This is… this is… sales writing. !!!

Truth be told, I thought it was hysterical. As in, funny ha-ha. I created a new folder on my hard drive and named it “spam”.

(It should go without saying that I’m really laying my former ignorance out on the table here. And that I have since evolved quite a bit since then. :))

The charming British guy called and we chatted for a while. Despite his reserve, he was indeed charming, and friendly, and we hit it off right away. He began to rattle off details of the jobs. They were paying $1000 for each 10-page letter.

That sounds like good money, and it IS good money. I would come to find out that for copywriting, it’s incredibly low. Nonetheless, it’s quite something to process that number in a job interview when you’re used to the idea of struggling for 2-3 cents a word for most freelance writing jobs.

I hoped he couldn’t hear the choke on the other end of the phone. This was serious. And then he asked The Question:

“So have you ever written anything this before?”

Without thinking, let alone flinching, I said, “Nope. But it absolutely, positively won’t be a problem. I can deliver this. No problem.”

There was silence for a few seconds on the other end. Then, “Okay.” Moving on.

No drama. No second-guessing, no “oh geez I’m not sure I think so.”

Just a straightforward yes. Because I knew it was true. I’m not the best writer ever in the history of anything, but I can write circles around, say, 98% of the population, and I have a voice that is uniquely, distinctly my own. I never doubt these things. Ever.

(Of course, those first letters tanked, because copy that sells is something ELSE again. )

That kind of self-assurance and confidence is positively magnetic, and will make up for a lot. Only if you can back it up, of course. But then, you know you can… right?

Right.

Next stop, Vegas.

Originally published at Elizabeth Genco. You can comment here or there.

I really, really want to go to this, as we haven’t seen Charles in a while, and Charles is wonderful. Plus he’s bringing a slide show, and if you’ve ever seen Charles’ slide shows, you know what a treat we’re talking about. Also in the treats column: cupcakes (bakery’s right next door, y’alls).

Alas, Books of Wonder is small. And there will be a Throng, which can be fun at age 23 but not always so much at age 36, especially if, say, though one might call you a “cuddler” and not be wrong, you value your personal space. So we shall see.

Please join us for a very special launch event for _Blueberry Girl_, a new picture book by New York Times best-selling author and 2009 Newbery Medalist NEIL GAIMAN and Will Eisner and World Fantasy Award winning artist CHARLES VESS. Having collaborated on the World Fantasy Award-winning Sandman comic and the World Fantasy Award-winning graphic novel, _Stardust_, Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess have once again collaborated to create their first picture book together, a stunning, poetic journey, _Blueberry Girl_.

Beginning at 1pm, Gaiman will read _Blueberry Girl_, after which Vess will give a slide show presentation on the creation of the artwork for this gorgeous picture book. Then, both author and artist will answer questions from the audience. Following this, they will both sign copies of _Blueberry Girl_ and all their other wonderful books. A portion of all sales of _Blueberry Girl_ made at the event will go to RAINN, the nation’s largest organization devoted to preventing violence against women and assisting the victims of such attacks.

Oh!! I remember when we saw Charles last: when his art was on display at MoCCA a couple of years ago. Awesome show, that.

Back when Tor released a beautiful, souped-up version of BALLADS a few years ago, I wanted to make something for Charles, so Leland helped me with this…

If that looks like my handwriting, that’s because it is. But blown up and traced by Leland with a lightbox, if I recall correctly. So it’s like his handwriting on top of mine.

I started to write another story for Charles shortly thereafter, but it was awful!

Anyway. Maybe I’ll see you there.

Originally published at Elizabeth Genco. You can comment here or there.

I wrote the following in a comment on a friend’s blog a few weeks ago. It’s one of my defining moments, those forks in the road, the kind you look back on 20 years later and write “and nothing was the same after that” in your journal or whatever.

Can’t seem to keep it out of my head. Similarly, songs from that time “just happen” to start playing on the ‘ol iTunes. So here we go.

During my Saturn return year (age 29), the year I had my “Oh sh** - what the hell am I doing - WTF do I do now?” moment… I spent a weekend with this man to get my mind off another man.

I think this journey called becoming-what-I-am-becoming officially started right then.

Not surprisingly, one of my characters in THE KISS keeps saying, “So what’s it going to be?” (Whether she keeps saying that is something else again, but y’know.)

I would love to hear about some of your defining moments.

Originally published at Elizabeth Genco. You can comment here or there.

So much to blog about and so many other things taking priority over blogging. Alas and alack, as my favorite folk singers might say.

And the list of links I’ve been saving up for you grows long. That I can handle, so…

1. If you’re a creative person and you haven’t yet watched Elizabeth Gilbert’s TED talk, please do.

2. Everyone asks about my favorite necklace these days. It was created by Deb Steinhart, in honor of her friend Hope (who recently suffered a stoke). You can get one at MyInfiniteWishes.com. (Yes, the thing is magical. Not kidding.)

(I’d also like to add that I met Deb at a networking event and when I said, “Let me go to the ATM” she said, “Just take it and send me a check.”)

3. I just discovered (courtesy of Publishers Weekly Children’s edition) that one of my favorite childhood book friends, Ramona Quimby, is getting her own movie.

4. Then I discovered (courtesy of Newsweek) that Beverly Cleary has sold over 91 million books as of 2006. (Compare: Harry P, 121 million as of the same time.)

5. Muse songstress S.J. Tucker is coming to New York next week. I really hope I can make it.

6. I’ve been pouring over my two treasures from New York Comic-Con, Eddy Current & Transit. While we were there, we learned that Ted McKeever’s lady, Maria D’Agostino, has a website with some of her treasures on display, including the doll that’s pictured on the back of Toxic Gumbo.

7. By way of Mary Greer, who posted about it a little while back: some beautiful soul has donned the mantle of Pamela Coleman Smith and has created a very detailed MySpace page. I have to say, I think the written voice is spot on (i.e., just as I’d imagine it).

8. This is just awesome.

Originally published at Elizabeth Genco. You can comment here or there.

Blame Kleid for this one. He tagged me in a note on Facebook and I’d meant to write an NYCC post anyway. The list format is always easier.

I’ll post this as a note as well and tag people over there.

1. That 7′3″ tall guy in the Chewbacca outfit, who was running around on the floor, snapping pix with fans and honking in that Chewbacca way, really WAS Chewbacca.

Apparently, I am the only one who did not know this.

2. Apparently, that guy from Greatest American Hero is not fond of being photographed by husbands stalking behind pillars strategically located a short distance away, and will hold his hand up to his face to thwart such efforts.

3. J.M. DeMatteis has a really good memory for women who gushed and threw their handmade comics at him some four years previous. (Who knew?)

4. Peter Milligan doesn’t look a day older than he did when we had that earnest conversation in a Barcelona cafe in 2004. (Okay, so there’s some obnoxious name-dropping going on right here. So sue me!)

No, he didn’t remember me. Probably because I was too chicken to go up to him.

Yeah.

5. Celebrity sightings: Chewie, that guy from Greatest American Hero, Robert Culp, and….?

In other news, I might be the most celebrity-blind New Yorker ever in the history of anything.

6. How to get a woman who is dead-set against hauling any extra crap around to part with $15 for your book: tell her earnestly and sincerely how much you really and truly liked it, and knew it was going to be a hit when the author sent it to you, and oh yeah, it made you laugh harder than anything else you’ve read in decades.

Yes, this is how I ended up with a copy of Ghosts/Aliens. (Has it made me laugh harder than anything else I’ve read in decades? Not exactly. But I remember the day that WorkPalNick turned me on to RealUltimatePower.net for the first time, so there you go.)

7. As a marketer, I have pondered the question of alternatives to the cardinal sin of behind-the-table “BUY MY BOOK!” behavior for some time now, with no real solutions. Conclusion: that whole “being earnest” thing really has some legs. Especially when it’s coming from someone other than the book’s creator. Hrm.

Edited to add: Come to think of it, that’s exactly how I ended up with my very first copies of Leland’s work, back at APE in 2002. (Read: A guy standing next to me at his table who said, “OMG YOU HAVE TO PICK THAT UP OMG”.) And see how that turned out!

Edited to add: This is Social Proof 101, by the by.

8. The 2 books that will make me do infinite table fly-bys as I patiently wait for their creator to return so that I may buy them from HIM so that HE gets my money personally?!?

Ted McKeever’s Eddy Current and Transit. Duh.

9. OMG TED MCKEEVER SQUEE

(Yes, that was me between Ted & Tori on the Comic Book Tattoo panel in July at San Diego. No, I’m still not over it. So sue me.)

10. Dang, that Simon & Schuster puts out a ton of YA fantasy, eh? I mean, I knew that and everything. But it’s different when you see the books laid out on the table all together-like.

11. Given the choice of being behind a table and walking around, I’ll choose behind the table every time.

12. Web to book is the new model if you want to break in on your own terms and not spend 7 years building a platform.

13. Given the choice of a zillion meetings with a zillion editors and 2 meetings with the 2 editors I really want to work with, I’ll take the latter. I’m not sure if this is a good thing, but it’s the truth.

14. I know it’s kind of ridiculous, but “I appreciate the fact that your 10-pager had a beginning, middle and an end” remains one of my all-time favorite compliments.

15. That goes double when it’s coming from an editor I really respect.

16. Parties with the too-cool-for-school are great and all, but nothing beats a yummy Italian dinner with a dear friend, a new friend and the Husband.

17. Missing out on the Tony Lee bums me out. Not only does he give great hugs, he’s one of the few people/things at a con who/that consistently smells good.

18. When a skilled writer is crashing on our floor, I will happily stay up late to talk story, even when I’m kind of exhausted.

19. I like Kevin Colden more all the time and am thrilled that he’s doing so well with all his projects. Missed Miss, tho!

20. Mark Waid is a hard man to find at a con, especially when I completely miss the one panel he’s supposedly on (read: listed in the program guide, which listed next-to-nobody, panel-wise). DOH!

Okay yeah so I knew this already. Still.

21. There are some really wonderful ladies working in comics these days. (That’s Ming Doyle and I in the picture off to the right.)

22. My patience for high-school style “I’m cooler than you” comics industry shenanigans wanes with each passing minute, especially at a con.

23. Chocolate-covered strawberries are some dang classy publisher party food. But nothing beats sharing an order of potato skins in the pub with your man after a hard day of hauling a 40-pound bag of crap around.

24. Seeing James Sime in person still always makes me smile.

25. It really touches me when people seek me out to sign things for them.

Originally published at Elizabeth Genco. You can comment here or there.

Yeah, yeah, so the cool kids have already mentioned this… better late than never.

The Interstitial Arts Foundation is seeking cover art for the Interfictions 2 anthology. We have a Flickr pool going and things are getting a little wild. More deets from the IAF blog:

The Interstitial Arts Foundation is searching for cover art for our second literary anthology, Interfictions II. All visual artists are invited to submit images for possible use as the cover art of the anthology.

From February 2 - 16, artists are invited to post images on our Flickr group at http://www.flickr.com/groups/interstitialarts for all to enjoy. At the end of that time, the editors of Interfictions II, Delia Sherman and Christopher Barzak, along with Small Beer Press publisher Gavin Grant and Interfictions I cover artist Connie Toebe, will choose an image for the cover of this exciting original anthology, to be published in November, 2009.

Technical spex are here.

Deadline is February 16. Please spread the word!

There are some amazing pieces posted in the Flickr pool already, so… go swoon.

Originally published at Elizabeth Genco. You can comment here or there.

So, New York Comic-Con was fabulous, as expected.

Just as fabulous: the brand-new MarketingGoddess.com is live!

Spirited entrepreneurs, start your engines…

Design by the faboo Victoria Potts Keale of Lynn Rae Designs.

Soon to follow: a revamped blog with lots of goodies, fun joint venture partnerships, and more.

And then there’s my 4-part teleclass series on authentic client attraction…

To stay in the loop, be sure to visit the new digs and sign up for the free 7-part audio course (actually 8 parts, because I love to over-deliver).

Con news a-comin’.

Originally published at Elizabeth Genco. You can comment here or there.

The circus is in town this weekend. Hooray!

I’ll be at the Image booth signing copies of COMIC BOOK TATTOO at the following times:

Friday, 2-3 pm
Saturday, 4-5 pm
Sunday, 11-12 am

I’ll also probably be stalking Editor-Of-Awesomeness Liz at the Tor booth, though the schedule for such stalking is undetermined as of this time.

Do come on by and say hello if you’re around.

In other news, looks like Jeff Parker will be hanging with us for an evening. Whee!

Originally published at Elizabeth Genco. You can comment here or there.

So, Liz and Gina, my lovely editors from Tor and First Second Books, respectively, said, “Go ahead and talk about it!” when we met a couple of weeks ago… but… while I am indeed a talker (I’m a marketer, we like to talk), I hadn’t planned on having out with it until it was “really” official. Because that’s just how I roll.

“We’re doing it,” said Liz. “Period.”

Well, okay then. From PW Comics Week:

The new Tor.com imprint is simply a comics expansion of one of the publisher’s better ideas: publishing online-only science fiction and fantasy prose stories that give creators access to a broader market without costing the publishers much of anything to distribute them. With the expansion from prose fiction into sequential art, Tor hasn’t simply gone fishing for new talent like Elizabeth Genco (who’s set to create a comics strip about the Greek gods with a teen focus), they’ve also picked up established webcomics as well. The Tor.com site features strips like Emily Horne and Joey Comeau’s “A Softer World,” which has gotten more SF-centric since its migration to the website.

My story is called THE KISS, and it’s been something near and dear to me for a while now. This bit from the proposal sums up the spirit of the project quite well:

“What would happen if Aphrodite came back to earth as a teenager?” That’s the question that sparked THE KISS.

THE KISS is a coming-of-age tale of sensuality, darkness and healing.

I courted (no pun intended) dear artist Mr. Bivens at San Diego last year.

“It’s got a lot of 2 pretty girls making out,” I said. “Can you handle it?”

“Yeah, I can handle it,” he said.

So there you have it.

Now I have to finish the script.