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Blog Entry 61 of 194 Dial 'T' for Tabitha
I'm a bicycling poet who lived in Parker for several years and worked at YourHub.com, covering Parker and Franktown for two years.

I am studying poetry at CSU in the Master of Fine Arts program ...

I hope you can post a comment or two and that you will enjoy my blogs.

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Blog Url: http://denver.yourhub.com/~MusingsOfTabithaDial

Girl trades in Jeep for book deal

Contributed by: Tabitha Dial, YourHub.com   on 7/12/2006

My boyfriend Alex and I and his parents caught a segment on World News Tonight last month about Kyle MacDonald and his ambition to trade one red paperclip for a house.

As I watched how Kyle traded the paper clip for a fish pen, then a door knob, then a coleman stove, then a generator, and after seven more trades, an afternoon with Alice Cooper, I wondered what I could trade my car for. The current retail value of my 2002 Jeep Liberty is $15,185. Not too shabby.

But what's my goal?

Not a house. But a three-book deal with a big publisher. I know I am the resident poet of the YourHub.com staff,and Iaccepted this job a year ago with six humorous fiction novels under my skin.

One is in need of revision. Its sequel is about a third underway.

Athird book will be based on a figure in classical mythology who ties in nicely with the first two novels. The other three books will make light of the western novel, the fantasy, and the fairy tale, respectively.

Who knows if I can cut some hours at the officeto work on fiction? I will have to ask.

I think that if I get the first "trilogy" sold to a big enough publisher, then I have a very good chance (I hope!) of a nicely developed national audience by the third book and I will certainly not be a novice in the book industry when I work to publish the other three books.

Also, I hope to prove the dream of the lucky publisher who would take on my three-book deal: I would love to promote my books on the road-- really, try just about anything they suggest. Maybe they'd ask for more books from me.

However, the Jeep-to-published-novelist trade could prove rather difficult. A friend of mine pointed out that I would be trying to trade something of physical value for something of intrinsic value. I've tried 26 publishers and agents and writers are commonly advised to try 100 before they give up. Why can't I just behave and try 100?

Well, that's a little boring... But I'm not opposed to the idea.

What have I got to lose, if I live somewhere where all I need is a bike?

Well, OK. Kyle, of the one red paper clip fame, has been working to trade up to a house since July 12, 2005. About nine and a half months later, he's still trading.

If my car depreciates at a rate of $1,000 a year, and it costs me about $180 for gas, parking and insurance each month, then if I hang on to my Jeep, waiting for the right trade, for one year (wouldn't that bore the Internet lurkers!) I will have lost about $3,120. If I trade it in the first three months, then I lose about $540 before depreciation. If I change my driving habits and use my car less, I could save $30-40 a month in gas and parking.

The key, I think, is trading it in for something that could be traded in for something else, negotiated for something else, swapped out for something else, etc...

Yes, I am crazy. And young and childless. As a unique means of attracting the attention of publishers and literary agents, this endeavor could be worth undertaking.

Please tell me what you think by logging in and posting your comments in the comments box below. You can also post your thoughts as a story.

Editor's note: You can read an update to this entry here.


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Showing 1-7 of 7 comments
Submitted By: Stephanie Blake
posted on 6/27/2006 @ 2:48:48 PM
Rated Blog Entry
Don't listen to the dreamstealers of the world. Keep writing and start submitting to the houses which accept slush. Steph
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Submitted By: Bryan Roth
posted on 6/25/2006 @ 12:45:02 PM
(Not Rated)
That was a great idea for a humorous article. However, on the serious side, book publishers rarely, if ever, accept manuscripts from "over the transom" (meaning unsolicited). You pretty much have to have an agent. And while you might get an agent to read a manuscript by bribing him (or even, if the bribe is large enough, get one to send it to a publisher), but the bottom line is that no publisher will publish a book that isn't well-written and saleable. And no agent who worries about his relationship with publishers or his professional credibility will send an unworthy manuscript to a publisher in the first place. There is no writing equivalent of "get rich quick scheme" to getting published. You have to do the work: which means learning your craft, practicing it, and putting in the time writing.
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Submitted By: Rob Guthrie
posted on 6/22/2006 @ 7:41:45 AM
Rated Blog Entry
Tabitha...great idea! Perhaps, however, you could trade the Liberty up for an agent? I realize the idea is to trade up several times, but if you found an agent who really needed a Jeep?...in any case, love the plan. And keep writing!
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Submitted By: Andi Houdek
posted on 5/7/2006 @ 12:33:42 PM
Rated Blog Entry
Tabitha, I have heard that along with a marketable manuscript, publishers also look to see if you already have a following. This increases your chances of larger book sales when you do get published. While the larger publishers will market your book for you, you still have alot of foot work to do. Keep writing, keep submitting and keep hoping. As far as trading your car for a book deal, who knows? Andi
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Submitted By: John Brandstetter
posted on 5/5/2006 @ 2:52:02 PM
Rated Blog Entry
Tabitha, I think your idea is sufficiently brilliant. I might try it, too. I have a priceless collection of lint in my pocket as we speak. Think I could trade a seven-figure book deal for it?
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Submitted By: Joe McDaniel
posted on 5/5/2006 @ 9:52:24 AM
Rated Blog Entry
Tabitha & Stephanie: Have you considered self-publishing? I am looking into that as an option. I understand you can publish for less money, print less in an initial run, and print to order. And you can target your own market via the internet. Your thoughts?
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Submitted By: Tabitha Dial
posted on 5/5/2006 @ 9:48:34 AM
Rated Blog Entry
Stephanie, I didn't know you have been submitting books for publication! That's awesome. Without a literary agent, my understanding is that it is very difficult to publish a book. Hopefully my wild ideas-- and my talent-- will please an agent who is a good match for me. And of COURSE it can still happen, Stephanie. If I was an agent, I'd certainly give your work a careful once-over, since I know you from your contributions here. Thanks for the comments, Joe and Stephanie. I hope you post a blog about what you get to trade your Camry for... And Stephanie, can you post a blog about your experience working to publish your books?
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Showing 1-7 of 7 comments
CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Tabitha Dial

Denver , CO

Tabitha Dial has posted 194 blog entries and 816 comments since joining on 9/14/2005. Tabitha Dial's average blog rating is 4.96.
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