My thoughts and ideas regarding my new project are growing, as I think about the enormity of what I’ve done. I am not a publisher, as such, I am a writer and poet who has self-published my own work … They’re two things, two different things. Or are they?
To some extent yes, when I’m publishing my own books, I can just do whatever I want, and if it goes well, great, if it sinks, oh well, I’ve lost a bit of my own money, and I grin and bear it. But this new project is something else, something big, and involving many others, who are trusting me with their words, their thoughts. It is humbling, and it is a little bit scary.
I tell myself, yes, I can do this. And step by step, I am doing it. It’s only been a couple of days, but there is already some interest, with some pieces of relevant writing already with me. I will do this, because I have to. I’ve made an offer, accepted work, and now must put the words together, into an a book.
So what is this project? Briefly, I am going to publish an anthology of written responses to the Covid-19 problem that is causing illness and deaths throughout the world, as long as having many, many people suffering from having to remain ‘locked down’, staying in their homes, instead of going to work, or school, unless they have jobs classed as ‘essential’.
I put out this call for submissions on this blog a few days ago, and have been exploring ways to keep on getting more interest in what I’m doing. I will be contacting local press, I’ve been putting the information out on Social Media.
What more can I do? Keep on doing what I’m already doing, and remain open to any other ideas and options that may come along.
I am also in Locked Down. I have a chronic illness, that possibly makes me more vulnerable to getting this illness, it I am exposed to it, apparently. So I’ve been staying at home. I know all about staying at home. I’ve lived through being a stay at home mum, without a car, and now public transport ( a long time ago, my son is now 26). And I’ve lived through having a broken ankle, last year, when I spent almost all of my time during the day on this sofa I’m currently sitting on, unable to walk.
So being in lock down mode seems quite commonplace to me, really. When I had that broken ankle, I saw it as a great chance to get some writing done, and I wrote poems about my broken ankle, and I connected with a publisher I know, and they published the poems I wrote. I came up with a good title that attracted interest (“Angles on Ankles“), and bang, a new book appeared.
I hope the title I have for this Covid-19 Lock Down project has the same effect, plenty of interest and a book that attracts a lot of interest. My proposed title for this anthology is “Plague Invasion” and it certainly feels to me that this virus is a plague that has invaded our lives and our homes, even as we work hard to keep it away from us, by staying home and washing our hands.
If you’d like to be involved in this anthology, leave a comment and we can discuss it! Or send me an email: kittycordo@gmail.com
Thanks, yours in words,
Carolyn Cordon, writer, poet, blogger, dreamer, believer!
Carolyn Cordon - Creative 