Saturday, May 9, 2009

Update

As longtime readers of Murphblog know, it is my stated aim to one day take over the Webosphere. I strive to achieve Oprah Winfrey-like influence. (Although I have to say that if I gain that kind of power I'll use it for something other than ruining perfectly good fast food promotional giveaways.) I was beginning to doubt the likelihood of this happening. Until this week.

Egads, people! Have you seen the skyrocketing number of followers? Just last Friday I was strutting around the Murphblog corporate office saying, "Twenty-five! Twenty-five, everybody!" I even let the staff leave an hour early. But holey fonts, Batman! Just 24 hours later this blog has 31 followers! Thirty-one! (Yeah, I know it's a prime number, but I'm just too excited to care right now.) The lesson I have learned? Well, there's two. First, blogging about your followers is a good way to attract more of them. Second, total Webospheric domination is still a possibility.
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Contest entrants will be happy to know that Mr. James Kennedy, author of The Order of Odd-Fish, emailed me today and sent me his top five. I also have a top five. I will be using a points system based loosely on the algorithm the BCS uses to determine a national champion to pick a winner. James has already written a response to each and every entry and so I'll be coordinating with him before the winner is revealed, but it should be soon. I'm guessing Wednesday.
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I spoke (by phone) with Agent Guy (and if someone can come up with a cleverer (ererer) monicker then please, by all means) this past Thursday. Spoke for about 45 minutes, mostly about the book. Long story short: I took out some stuff that I shouldn't have, and I still need to work on making the novel feel like one cohesive narrative. He's going to be sending me a detailed revision letter so for the next couple of months I'll be working on that. Wish me success. Or don't. Whatever. Be that way if you want.
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As is customary (and because I actually, sincerely, for reals appreciate it), thank yous are in order to the new followers:

  • Jambuku, who's been an infrequent lurker in the past, but has decided to commit to the relationship.
  • My good friend from high school, Sarah and her husband, Matty. I am one hundred percent sure that Sarah is the only reader I have in Ukraine.
  • Myra, who appreciates potty humor and admits it (unlike Debra who suppresses her natural inclination to titter at anything with the word poop in it) and who is the best query writer I know. Girl sent out five queries and got three requests for fulls.
  • Jodi, a girl who I grew up playing pickle with (that sounds wrong) at our fathers' softball games and who probably still has a deadly jump shot.
  • Steve, who I don't know at all, but he's published books and has a new one coming out in July.
  • And Shirley Harazin, author of Blood Brothers, the book I am currently reading.
Thanks for coming aboard, all!

14 comments:

Anita said...

Have you seen Myra's query?! It rocks!

Trisha Pearson said...

I wish you the best of luck on your revision (and dominating the webosphere, of course). And congrats on your growing number of followers!

Paul Michael Murphy said...

Anita--I commented just before you.
Trisha--new picture?

Trisha Pearson said...

Yep, I got a new hair cut for the SCBWI Western Wa. conference next weekend so I decided to take some new pics. Now I need to work on my nerves! It's my first conference and I'm getting a little nervous.

James Kennedy said...

I realize now that it's not enough to have you in my RSS reader. Perhaps I should do something similar at my blog . . .

Angela said...

I wish you success with your revisions!!!

And congratulations!

Debra Lynn Shelton said...

Paul, I knew you were planning on taking over the Earth and its Webosphere. I just never imagined it would happen so soon. And, your 31 is already 32. And, although I hate to admit it, I'm sure you partially owe your obscene success to those icky poems of yours.

Keep up the great work, Murph!;-)

Unknown said...

I'll be in the sidecar, ready to pounce on villains who try to stop us (I mean you) from sacking the world wide weboshpere.

(squirms)

(grimaces)

I feel something rumbling in my stomach.

Must go.

Myra McEntire said...

Anita and Paul - thank you! I mean, thank you thank you thank you!

Hi Trisha - We haven't met, but I attended my first SCBWI conference this past fall and it was MADE of AWESOME. There's not a more generous group out there. I came away encouraged and refreshed and ready to go...I hope you will, too. And I love your hair!

Kelly Polark said...

Who knew Runny Poo could rack up the followers?! Congrats!
Good luck with the revisions, Agent Guy must really have an interest if he is spending so much time with it!

Sarah said...

I can jump your follow-er-ship up a bit by signing up myself instead of tagging onto Matt's. I think your boom came after signing up on facebook, but we can blame it on the poo if it makes you feel better. ;)

Paul Michael Murphy said...

Sarah--a good poo always makes me feel better.

Sarah said...

touche

Monica said...

so...results, already? god.. i'm on tenterhooks, here, .....