Well, it's official...
Jan. 28th, 2009 05:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ht_murrayI got the contract from Torquere Press in the mail today. All I have to do is sign it and send it back, and I'm e-published... I think. I've been kinda keeping the news at arm's length since I got it, didn't want to jinx it by going on and on until I at least had the contract. So, one credential have I. I'm pleased with that.
Now, I'm not naive. The contract pays on royalties and the story will sell for about twice the cost of a song downloaded off iTunes. So yeah, between the royalties and the two ten dollar Sonic gift cards Tracer sent me for my birthday and Christmas, I might be able to afford to take my hubby out to Sonic to celebrate.
And I did check out some of the other things Torquere has available online, and I know it's definitely not the shining hub of literary quality.
But now I have something to put in a query letter other than... "no credentials to note, as yet unpublished."
It's something.
So that's all I have to say about that. More info when I have it if anyone is interested.
I have a bunch of new friends, and I plan to do an official welcome post this weekend when I'm off work and not sleeping through the day. For now, Welcome!
And I haven't posted anything other than my long rambling reflections post since the news of Kim Manners' death. I'd be lying if I said that post wasn't a direct result of the mood I was in as a result of hearing that news, but I feel really awkward doing a post about his death when I doubt I've ever mentioned him in life. That being said, the more I "reflect" the more I think I need to say something about how he's affected me without my ever knowing. And so that post may also be coming this weekend.
On a work related note, I had a six a.m. meeting this morning with the Quality department. I was hoping that ice storm would come through as predicted so I wouldn't have to go, but no such luck.
It was actually a pretty run of the mill meeting. I even made a couple of funnies which is saying something at six a.m. when I've been up all night. But then, things got awkward.
Our supervisor has been doing evaluations. He already told me a week or so ago that my numbers were the highest and that I was at the top of the list, so I really hadn't given any thoughts to the evaluations at all. But apparently, he just old the other auditors how they rated yesterday. And one of them was NOT happy. She came right out in the meeting and said the evaluation process was favoritism and discrimination.
Now, not only was this awkward for me, knowing I had rated well, but you need to understand... I'm a white girl. I could be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure I'm the only white girl in the whole factory who doesn't work in the front office. I've always been fine with this. But my supervisor and the lead auditor are also white. Everyone else in the department is black. And most of the workers in the factory are Mexican.
So, I can totally see how the remark about discrimination could be totally blown out of proportion. And I really didn't want to go where I thought she might be going.
To make a long story short, I spoke up, without being asked, and said that, having worked both day shift and night shift, there was no correlation at all between numbers on day shift and numbers on night shift, because they're totally different atmospheres. And luckily one of the other (black) auditors took offense to her calling it discrimination, so I didn't have to. All in all, I think it got ironed out the best it was going to.
But here's the thing. I've been at the plant ten years now, and I'm well aware that I always get advanced when something comes available, even if I don't particularly care to be advanced. I'm well aware it's probably interpreted as discrimination, but no one says anything, because we do get along well, and I consider my coworkers friends. But I just want to say that I work damned hard, and I'm a freaking perfectionist, and I have always been uber competitive. I'd like to think that every advancement I get is based on performance and not my skin color. And I'd like to think I do my job well enough that I'd hire me even if I was purple with green polka dots.
It's just... man, this has been a weird day.
*hugs to all*
And if you have a thread on that love meme and I didn't comment, it's because my comp hates those things and takes ten years to load a page and eventually freezes up. It's not cuz I don't love you.
*GROUP HUG*
Now, I'm not naive. The contract pays on royalties and the story will sell for about twice the cost of a song downloaded off iTunes. So yeah, between the royalties and the two ten dollar Sonic gift cards Tracer sent me for my birthday and Christmas, I might be able to afford to take my hubby out to Sonic to celebrate.
And I did check out some of the other things Torquere has available online, and I know it's definitely not the shining hub of literary quality.
But now I have something to put in a query letter other than... "no credentials to note, as yet unpublished."
It's something.
So that's all I have to say about that. More info when I have it if anyone is interested.
I have a bunch of new friends, and I plan to do an official welcome post this weekend when I'm off work and not sleeping through the day. For now, Welcome!
And I haven't posted anything other than my long rambling reflections post since the news of Kim Manners' death. I'd be lying if I said that post wasn't a direct result of the mood I was in as a result of hearing that news, but I feel really awkward doing a post about his death when I doubt I've ever mentioned him in life. That being said, the more I "reflect" the more I think I need to say something about how he's affected me without my ever knowing. And so that post may also be coming this weekend.
On a work related note, I had a six a.m. meeting this morning with the Quality department. I was hoping that ice storm would come through as predicted so I wouldn't have to go, but no such luck.
It was actually a pretty run of the mill meeting. I even made a couple of funnies which is saying something at six a.m. when I've been up all night. But then, things got awkward.
Our supervisor has been doing evaluations. He already told me a week or so ago that my numbers were the highest and that I was at the top of the list, so I really hadn't given any thoughts to the evaluations at all. But apparently, he just old the other auditors how they rated yesterday. And one of them was NOT happy. She came right out in the meeting and said the evaluation process was favoritism and discrimination.
Now, not only was this awkward for me, knowing I had rated well, but you need to understand... I'm a white girl. I could be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure I'm the only white girl in the whole factory who doesn't work in the front office. I've always been fine with this. But my supervisor and the lead auditor are also white. Everyone else in the department is black. And most of the workers in the factory are Mexican.
So, I can totally see how the remark about discrimination could be totally blown out of proportion. And I really didn't want to go where I thought she might be going.
To make a long story short, I spoke up, without being asked, and said that, having worked both day shift and night shift, there was no correlation at all between numbers on day shift and numbers on night shift, because they're totally different atmospheres. And luckily one of the other (black) auditors took offense to her calling it discrimination, so I didn't have to. All in all, I think it got ironed out the best it was going to.
But here's the thing. I've been at the plant ten years now, and I'm well aware that I always get advanced when something comes available, even if I don't particularly care to be advanced. I'm well aware it's probably interpreted as discrimination, but no one says anything, because we do get along well, and I consider my coworkers friends. But I just want to say that I work damned hard, and I'm a freaking perfectionist, and I have always been uber competitive. I'd like to think that every advancement I get is based on performance and not my skin color. And I'd like to think I do my job well enough that I'd hire me even if I was purple with green polka dots.
It's just... man, this has been a weird day.
*hugs to all*
And if you have a thread on that love meme and I didn't comment, it's because my comp hates those things and takes ten years to load a page and eventually freezes up. It's not cuz I don't love you.
*GROUP HUG*
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2009-01-29 12:09 am (UTC)Congrats on the publishing. I'm hoping it leads to bigger and better things so I can gloat to my friends how I knew you way back when...
*snaps fingers* now go finish my story xoxo
no subject
Date: 2009-01-29 12:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-29 12:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-29 12:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-29 12:29 am (UTC)Love you!
no subject
Date: 2009-01-29 12:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-29 12:48 am (UTC)As for the work thing ... hmmm ... damn, I may sound like a complete bitch here but, well, half my family is black so here goes. Sometimes, not often, but sometimes, I've known people have this huge chip on their shoulder and cry discrimination because its easier than accepting you may not be as good as someone else. Not because of the color of your skin but because of your skills, talents, work ethic - or lack of them. It's easier to see the fault as someone elses - and, I guess this works all ways. Not just with race, but with gender, age, hell - even looks. The pretty ones always get away with murder don't you know? *g*
Now what was the point I was trying to make????
Hmmm ... no idea. My brain is fried today ...
no subject
Date: 2009-01-29 01:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-29 01:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-29 01:31 am (UTC)Congrats on the publishing. Hopefully it leads to even bigger and better things.
And wow, great all around in your work. I feel bad though, with the whole discrimination thing. But clearly, if you do your job well then who cares what a couple co-workers think. Besides isn't that whole discrimination word so 2008. Its a new year, time to get rid of old words. Especially one so long that is a bitch to spell.
*hugz back*
no subject
Date: 2009-01-29 01:36 am (UTC)Yay for contracts!
*tosses confetti and watches Jensen roll around in it with his assless chaps*
O.o
LOVE YOU BB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
♥
no subject
Date: 2009-01-29 01:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-29 02:15 am (UTC)*twirls you*
:D
no subject
Date: 2009-01-29 02:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-29 03:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-29 03:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-29 04:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-29 05:18 am (UTC)*hugs*
no subject
Date: 2009-01-29 05:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-29 05:42 am (UTC)And thank you for friending me back.
no subject
Date: 2009-01-29 08:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-29 09:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-29 03:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-29 04:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-29 06:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-30 05:03 am (UTC)And the work thing? It's all in the numbers darlin'. When that shit would come up when I ran the office for the greenhouse, I'd be the one to pull the records and
shove them down their throatsshow them the proof.You probably have a nearly spotless work record. I bet your attendance is up there at 100%. You're not the kind to abuse break time or screw around on the clock, not counting when you check your email and lj *wink wink*. I bet if you measured your record against theirs, yours would a shining example of a devoted employee.
In other words, don't let those bitches get you down.
no subject
Date: 2009-01-31 02:28 am (UTC)And HUGE, HEARTY congratulations on the publication, sweetie. Where can I buy a copy? And can I get you to autograph it if we're ever at a Con together?
*hugs you tight*
no subject
Date: 2009-01-31 05:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-31 08:06 pm (UTC)*huggles*
no subject
Date: 2009-02-02 06:25 am (UTC)It's a start right? Everyone has to have a start.