It could be that November is the new spring. Well, I’m going with it, because I’ve just made some big changes.
One is that I’ve updated the look of my website. It’s not perfect yet, but it’s pretty darn beautiful, wouldn’t you say? (The theme is actually called “Beautiful.”) I designed with the help of developer Barb Drozdowich. If you have feedback of any sort, go on, sling it at me like mashed potatoes in a school cafeteria food fight.
The second thing is that Barb helped me move my subscriber lists to MailChimp. The blog post notifications that go out will look different. If you got this post via email, it’s because at one time or another, you subscribed on my old site. And if you don’t want to get them (there will be between two and four per month), then there’s an Unsubscribe link at the bottom of the email for you.
You know how when you launch new things, there’s sometimes a glitch here and there? I hope we don’t have any, but if we do, let me know so I can fix it.
Not so much a change, more of an update here: I’ve started the agent search for my memoir manuscript. I’ve had three rejections so far, with the incredibly tough memoir market cited as the primary reason (as in: publishers aren’t buying them). But they were filled with encouragement: “you have a strong voice,” “the writing is just wonderful,” and “there is much to be appreciated here.” So, what I need is to find my lobster agent, just like Rachel found her lobster in Ross on Friends.
That’s all for now. Hope all is well with you. If you’ve got any news to share, let’s chat in the site’s comments section. And, as always, thanks for being here. You make this blogging stuff fun.
Josie says
Hi Laura,
You know how you get used to the look of something — like your old blog — and then shocked to see the new? Well, that just happened to me. (It’s a good thing though, so don’t worry!) But on the internet, we don’t have the luxury of seeing you day-by-day, wearing different clothes and having an occasional bad hair day, so the abrupt newness here is something to get used to!
It’s less travelly and more you, with this very grown-up photo — Brava!
You know I’ve always loved your voice and sense of humor, (and of the absurd.) In terms of your memoir, I’d love to read it and pass it along to my mentor’s reading group. (They read my novel, and the honest commenting was super-valuable). Please let me know what you think. My email is josie@housesittingtravel.com. Let’s talk!
Warm regards,
Josie
Laura Zera says
Hello Josie! Your feedback is always so open and so lovely. Thank you. I love the “less travelly and more you” — yes, I’m building the brand of Laura, ha! Actually what I’m trying to do is have it be less about the blog and more about my complete body of work. A Portfolio page will go up as soon as I have time!
Thank you for your offer of reading and sharing with additional beta readers. I just landed in Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday and won’t be home for a few weeks, so my plan will be to email you when I get home. And how is your novel coming along??!! xo
Josie says
Hey Laura,
Enjoy your travels — as we will enjoy ours here in Spain. We’ll be snug back home in the U.S. in mid-December, so I’ll look for news from you then.
Travel safe and well always and all ways,
Josie
Laura Zera says
Sounds good, and wish you all good things for the remainder of your time in Spain. xo
Willena says
I like the new website look.
Good luck finding your lobster. I read memoirs, so I have no idea why publishers aren’t buyin’! My reading tastes aren’t that far out of the mainstream!
Laura Zera says
Hello, Willena, nice to meet you here and thanks so much for the encouraging words. I read a lot of memoir too, so I’m equally confused!! Do you have a favorite, or maybe “Top Three?”
Kern Windwraith says
I’ve already mentioned in a previous comment how much I love your blog’s new look. Gorgeous style, beautifully accessorized!
Good luck with the agent hunt. You’re pretty darned fabulous every which way from Sunday, Laura, so my hunch is that it’s just a matter of time before you nail down (not literally, we hope) the perfect agent for your memoir.
Laura Zera says
Kern, your comment had me shoving my laptop in my husband’s face and saying, “Aw, what a sweet comment, hey? I’m so very lucky!” To which he turned a little green with envy because he’s a boy and he gets all the “way to go” type of comments. 😉
Thanks for the support, as always. The writing world is a tough one, and I’m so glad we have our awesome community of peeps so that we keep each other going. And one of these days, I’m coming to your office to give you and Jo-Anne big old hugs.
Jeri says
Lookin’ good Ms. Zera! Thanks for sharing Barb’s link. I’ll know where to look the next time I get the itch to work on my site again. As for submitting to agents, hang in there. I’ve got your back 😉
Laura Zera says
It feels so good to know that, Ms. W-B! And any lessons learned I shall be sure to share with you. To our success! xo
Belinda Pollard says
The new design is as gorgeous as you are, Laura. And by the way, it IS spring in Brisbane. That must be it. 😉
Your memoir is fab and your day is coming. Onwards!
Laura Zera says
Mercury moved out of retrograde in October, too!
Thank you, Belinda. I still refer back to your beta report when I need a little writerly boost. 🙂
Jodi from Heal Now and Forever says
Awesome! You are a lot of things. And this is beautiful. You are ready to take off! And take off big! Best of luck with your search for an agent. Patience is a virtue!
P.S. I always loved daisies!
Laura Zera says
Jodi, you have been such an inspiration, and a wonderful resource for these past few years. Seriously.
Daisies are my fave! There’s something about the openness of them, the way they look like they’re holding their arms open for a hug. My wedding bouquet was all daisies.
Kathy @ SMART Living 365.com says
Hi Laura! The new site looks AWESOME. I think it came out wonderful and hope all the bugs are tiny and easily resolved cuz from this viewpoint it all looks great. Looking forward to hearing about how you found your perfect lobster agent too! ~Kathy
Laura Zera says
Thanks, Kathy! The bug warning was mostly pre-emptive, because Barb did a great job and I don’t expect there to be many. As for my lobster agent, I’m going to do a little bit of meditative reflection on it while I’m over here in Asia! As soon as I get away from the horn honking of Ho Chi Minh City, that is!
Debbie Young says
I love the new look, Laura, and the header photo of daisies is good shorthand for the freshness and fun that is always to be found in your posts, even when your themes are serious, and your lightness of touch and sense of balance makes those tougher subjects easier to read about. You might want to look at making the colour of the body text a fraction darker, for better legibility, as it comes out very pale on my PC, and although I can read it, anyone slightly older or with less sharp vision might find it a bit tricky to read. Not that my vision is that sharp – as I type, I’m wearing my bifocals! But overall, your sit e looks fab, and I love your new author photo. That oval frame is reminiscent of miniature portraits, so fashionable centuries ago – a nice point of visual difference from the usual square or rectangular frames for headshots on websites.
Laura Zera says
Daisies are my absolute favorite flower, too. You know, I was thinking the same thing about the paleness of the font. Glad you brought that up! And I thought the oval frame was fun. I did the same thing in my living room — hung a big, round glass mirror to offset all the square furniture shapes. It somehow pleases the eye, I think, not that I’m a design expert.