I did my necessary work, then applied to two new-to-me writing places–Demand Studios, and Experts 1,2,3.  As I grow tired this evening, I realized that I had spent the day subconsciously singing a chorus or six of the old Janis Joplin number, “Oh, Lord, Won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz”.

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Those long years ago, she prefaced the song with the announcement that she was about to sing a song of “great social and political import”.  Tonight, as I read Walter Holstad’s poem, “Bills Nightmare“, I think the song may be of greater import than we gave it back in the early ’70’s.

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In the second verse of the song, the she sings, “Dialin’for dollars is tryin’to find me–I pray for delivery, each day until three…”  In this season of tightened budgetary belts, and no “bail out” options for the working lower middle-class, I think all of us are wishing for a rich relative (without harm to the relative, of course) to send us a no-harm, no-foul bequest of impressive munificence.  Failing that, we wouldn’t mind happening upon a winning lottery ticket, or even discovering that there’s some spare change we missed in the couch.

As I read through writing blogs and sent applications, I saw many references to “not paying as well as last year”. 

In spite of this common thread, I found some good news.  I have two completed novels that need a little polishing and a destination, and another in the works.  Today, I found a list of epublishers that deal in more traditional book formats.  The listing is at Book Crossroads, a website that has a variety of writing-centered resources, including a directory of royalty-paying epublishers.  Book Crossroads has a nice little disclaimer to the effect that they do not endorse any of the publishers listed there; the page is for information purposes only.

Like Book Crossroads, I don’t necessarily endorse any of the publishers/information sites I’m passing along to you, my Triond friends.  But maybe if we keep trading this stuff around, we can avoid singing the last verse of Joplin’s ditty which runs, “Oh, Lord, won’t you buy me, a night on the town…”  While a person’s diety should certainly be the first, best friend, I don’t think that’s exactly the relationship of one’s dreams–nor do I think God is in the business of buying drinks or making loans.

So, my friends, I pass along what I learned today.  I hope it may benefit someone; I hope that I may be able to profit from it, as well.  For it seems that this tongue-in-cheek ditty may, indeed, be of social and political import.

Image by rochelle, et. al. via Flickr