We #lovethemidlist
Hello. Still around. Or maybe I should say, finally around. Presence is a tricky thing, isn't it? You're here, but not here. Even when you want to be here.
Anyway, I am here now. Determined (or at least convinced) that I should carve out some time to go back to writing. And to me, writing means blogging. Because that was most of the writing that I did for me. The other writing that I did for me would be Facebook status updates, but let's be honest: those disappear into the ether. And though you might get hundreds of engagements because of them, they're always tenuous at best.
Now blogging...is tenuous, too. But less so than Facebook status updates, so let's stick to this.
I have so many things that I've wanted to write about, that I've wanted to say. And because they are legion, I'm not going to touch them lest I freeze up again. Instead, let us begin from zero...
Imagine me as a new blogger. Eager to share books that I love with the world. Foisting my thoughts upon you because, well, I wouldn't want them to fester inside or just in the realms of Messenger. And because I don't know who you are. When I write to you, I imagine you as the void. Or perhaps a mirror of me. Which might be the same thing. (This does not worry me, strangely.) And what if not staring into the abyss is what actually makes you a monster? But I digress.
And so, me: a new book blogger. You: the void I am comfortable with, because sometimes you answer back. And now me, telling you about the new Instagram account that my friends and I have started less than a week ago. It's called @LovetheMidlist. We have an eponymous hashtag even. #lovethemidlist.
The funny thing is that I think our new IG is precisely because we--my friends and I--want to go beyond our happy bubble. Or maybe because we rage. Or perhaps we don't see what we want to see, so we figure we make it for ourselves. When you feel powerless, you create. Then you don't feel so powerless anymore.
So, Tarie, Felicia, and I created an account to celebrate midlist titles. Don't know what midlist means? We were thinking if we should explain or let it unfold for you in the way you deemed fit. We explained. There is still too much of the teacher in us.
And this is where I must, gently, break the illusion that I am a new blogger, unwise in the ways of the industry. Because we three work in the industry, to some extent. But this. This is for us. So it carries the usual caveat of "opinions here are our own and not our company's, etc., etc." Because this is friendship. And love. And books. And skincare.
Yes, sorry I forgot to lead up to the skincare. But there is no other explanation for it, and there it just is. It's about books and skincare. Why? (as a couple of people have asked). Why not? (we ask in return.) Not everyone has to like it. If everyone did, we would be off-message. We're fighting for the midlist after all.
We first posted on June 30, so as of this posting, the @lovethemidlist is six days old. We currently have 13 posts and 73 followers. We've posted 2 stories. I keep track of these things, because I like to.
We've posted about The Rook; The Long Way To A Small, Angry Planet; I Believe in a Thing Called Love; Chemistry; Beginner's Guide: Love and Other Chemical Reactions; The End We Start From. We've also posted about Mizon, Missha, mugwort as an actual facial mask ingredient, Neogen, Innisfree, CNP, and snail goo. If you follow, roll with it, please.
And it goes without saying we hope you do. Roll with it, I mean. We're not after bestseller status, but a decent follower number would do. How would we infect others with our midlist love otherwise?
And so, I have done it. I have come around, and I have stayed around. At least until the end of this post. I have a great many posts languishing in my drafts folder. There they will stay. But this, I finished. Or am about to. So this is a good day.
I check to see if I should add more hyperlinks (we're good), or if I should add another image (no, sorry). I preview, recheck the copy, decide to put labels later. And then, I drag the mouse on top of the Publish button, and I
Anyway, I am here now. Determined (or at least convinced) that I should carve out some time to go back to writing. And to me, writing means blogging. Because that was most of the writing that I did for me. The other writing that I did for me would be Facebook status updates, but let's be honest: those disappear into the ether. And though you might get hundreds of engagements because of them, they're always tenuous at best.
Now blogging...is tenuous, too. But less so than Facebook status updates, so let's stick to this.
I have so many things that I've wanted to write about, that I've wanted to say. And because they are legion, I'm not going to touch them lest I freeze up again. Instead, let us begin from zero...
Imagine me as a new blogger. Eager to share books that I love with the world. Foisting my thoughts upon you because, well, I wouldn't want them to fester inside or just in the realms of Messenger. And because I don't know who you are. When I write to you, I imagine you as the void. Or perhaps a mirror of me. Which might be the same thing. (This does not worry me, strangely.) And what if not staring into the abyss is what actually makes you a monster? But I digress.
And so, me: a new book blogger. You: the void I am comfortable with, because sometimes you answer back. And now me, telling you about the new Instagram account that my friends and I have started less than a week ago. It's called @LovetheMidlist. We have an eponymous hashtag even. #lovethemidlist.
The funny thing is that I think our new IG is precisely because we--my friends and I--want to go beyond our happy bubble. Or maybe because we rage. Or perhaps we don't see what we want to see, so we figure we make it for ourselves. When you feel powerless, you create. Then you don't feel so powerless anymore.
So, Tarie, Felicia, and I created an account to celebrate midlist titles. Don't know what midlist means? We were thinking if we should explain or let it unfold for you in the way you deemed fit. We explained. There is still too much of the teacher in us.
"Midlist is a term in the publishing industry which refers to books which are not bestsellers but are strong enough to economically justify their publication (and likely, further purchases of future books from the same author). The vast majority of total titles published are midlist titles, though they represent a much smaller fraction of total book sales, which are dominated by bestsellers and other very popular titles." (Source: Wikipedia. What? Don't tell me you don't use Wikipedia.)
And this is where I must, gently, break the illusion that I am a new blogger, unwise in the ways of the industry. Because we three work in the industry, to some extent. But this. This is for us. So it carries the usual caveat of "opinions here are our own and not our company's, etc., etc." Because this is friendship. And love. And books. And skincare.
Yes, sorry I forgot to lead up to the skincare. But there is no other explanation for it, and there it just is. It's about books and skincare. Why? (as a couple of people have asked). Why not? (we ask in return.) Not everyone has to like it. If everyone did, we would be off-message. We're fighting for the midlist after all.
We first posted on June 30, so as of this posting, the @lovethemidlist is six days old. We currently have 13 posts and 73 followers. We've posted 2 stories. I keep track of these things, because I like to.
We've posted about The Rook; The Long Way To A Small, Angry Planet; I Believe in a Thing Called Love; Chemistry; Beginner's Guide: Love and Other Chemical Reactions; The End We Start From. We've also posted about Mizon, Missha, mugwort as an actual facial mask ingredient, Neogen, Innisfree, CNP, and snail goo. If you follow, roll with it, please.
And it goes without saying we hope you do. Roll with it, I mean. We're not after bestseller status, but a decent follower number would do. How would we infect others with our midlist love otherwise?
And so, I have done it. I have come around, and I have stayed around. At least until the end of this post. I have a great many posts languishing in my drafts folder. There they will stay. But this, I finished. Or am about to. So this is a good day.
I check to see if I should add more hyperlinks (we're good), or if I should add another image (no, sorry). I preview, recheck the copy, decide to put labels later. And then, I drag the mouse on top of the Publish button, and I
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