Just a half-hour of peace and then it’s on to non-stop barking for 4-5 hours, so I’m doing the things that require a peaceful background right now.

The dolls not only sold, but they sold quite well! We made nearly $200 off the two of them. Amazingly, Nikita sold for $10 more than I paid for her and the American Model doll sold for just $15 less than I paid for her. Nikita’s going to Australia. I can’t believe they’d want to pay nearly $100 to ship her there!

My story has a rating of 4.18 stars and 1432 views.

As I mentioned in yesterday’s entry Paul D. E. Mitchell is a way awesome writer who could out-write me any day! He befriended me on Bookmania, and as I also said, it’s really flattering to have this writer/publisher/editor interested in helping me improve my own writing and then maybe – just maybe – yanking me through the door along with him as he continues to bust on through it himself. And his books are getting orders! You can find them at www.pdemitchell.com. He gave me permission to mention him and Wuggles Publishing. He also offered to post any downloadable links of my own on his site if I ever have any, though he is posting my journal link. He gives me constructive criticism and lets me know what he likes and dislikes. He’s even offered to “dissect” some chapters for me and likes the Nara and Lissi characters. Yeah, I like them, too! After all, I created them, LOL!

When he first contacted me on Bookmania I figured he may just be some pervert who was just another nobody like myself in the writing world. Yet he’s quite a gentleman, and of course when I found out who he is in the writing world since I’m not as familiar with UK writers, I was pretty wowed! It would be an honor to work together and to help each other get ahead, but I still do have some hesitations. I just don’t have the patience to write a full-length novel and to keep working and reworking the manuscript to marketable standards since there’s not usually much money in writing unless you make it big enough to have your books turned into movies. I think I’d still have a much better chance of getting a record contract! Maybe someday someone can buy my stories as they are and work them to their own tastes before selling them.

What’s funny is that I may get paid to write smut, LOL! My first thought, when I stumbled upon this site that pays its writers for erotica, was that I wasn’t sure I wanted to do it since I’m a romantic suspense writer and not an erotica writer. But it is just about the easiest form of writing, when you think about it, because it doesn’t require much of a plot.

Their payment guidelines are as follows: The “One Night Stand Writer” receives a $5 commission for each of their first 10 stories published. The “Casual Writer” receives a $7.50 commission for 11-25 published stories. The “Long Term Commitment Writer” receives a $10 commission for each additional story they publish after they’ve published 25 of your stories.

They also have monthly contests where the winner gets $200, second place gets $100, and third gets $75.

I submitted two short clips, then I checked out some of the other stories and was a bit discouraged. Unlike the other site where I’ve got a 4-star rating, these people’s standards seem pretty high. We’ll just have to wait and see, but I don’t think my stories will be accepted. I may be a good writer, and I know I’m a good writer, but there are always people better than me, and that’s what they seem to be looking for.

Later…

Now my story is on page one of the first site I submitted a story. As for the other site, I’m still awaiting word on whether or not they’re going to accept the mini manuscripts I submitted to them and pay me, but I have my doubts. The writers on their site are pretty top-notch as opposed to the other one. With the other one (where my story made page 1) there are tons of writers with poor spelling, grammar and punctuation. Not this one! The stories there are very well-written and they obviously don’t accept just anything from just anybody.

Meanwhile, I’ve made $14 so far today at work and that helps make up for the slow weekend. My grand total, counting pending jobs, is around $250.