Last week the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) added a bunch of new words to their august tome. What made news is that four of the words aren’t words at all but acronyms that have crept into our everyday communication via the Internet. “Words” like LOL, OMG, BFF, and IMHO.
In honor of this auspicious occasion I thought it would be fun to see if we can find other acronyms that should become part of our language, if for no other reason, because of their frequent use.
IHMM (I Hate My Manuscript) – A common cry of every writer while in the midst of the creative process. Self-doubt and lack of confidence create this acronym.
INMT (I Need More Time) – Deadlines should be carved in stone, but are often sketched in pencil. Ask any editor what frustrates them the most and missed deadlines will be in their top five.
GMMM (Get Me More Money) – A universal acronym for all who write for a living.
DQYDJ (Don’t Quit Your Day Job) – See the above acronym.
HOGR (Harbinger of Grim Reality) – Pronounced “ogre.” After hearing my presentation on the state of the publishing industry at a writers conference this acronym was conferred on me by Thomas Umstattd. Despite the appellation I hired his firm to redesign this web site.
ILMA (I Love My Agent) – Ah, sweet mystery of life. The rarest of acronyms. Much more desirable than the alternate…BSP (Blood-Sucking Parasite).
What acronym can you create to add to our version of the OED?
Oh, Steve. I’m ROFLOL. Surely you’re not the HOGR. You’re more the POPF (Prophet of Publishing Future, pronounced “popoff.”)
Thanks for sharing. I’ll be laughing the rest of the day.
IGT (In God’s Time) – This is a great DR (Discouragement Rebuttal). Discouragement is one of satan’s favorite tools, as it keeps many Christians from succeeding by convincing them that it is pointless to even try.
Thanks, Mr. Laube. Have a blessed and beautiful day!
~ Angela
Oh, Steve…you left out what Susie, Tosca and I call you: HP. LOLOLOLOLOL
Sorry, I can’t think of any acronyms to add to your list. I’m laughing too hard. Thanks for the smile!
How about:
GTMTWT—God Told Me To Write This
MMNNE—My Manuscript Needs No Editing
TWIRFMB—The World Isn’t Ready For My Book
Today I’m ISBWRSB – I Should Be Writing Not Reading Steve’s Blog! But laughter is good for the soul, right?
Thanks for cracking a smile on my face – only lit agents/pubs/authors are privy to these acronyms, eh?
The one I hear from many first-time authors: BUTTPW (But I Thought the Publisher Would ______________ )
The one I wish I’d known about almost any aspect of publishing: HUAW (Hurry Up and Wait).
The go-to quote when someone challenges our publishing-related actions: BSLS (But Steve Laube Says ________).
SLILY! (Steve Laube, I love you, – or at least your blog) Thanks for the laughter and the perspective.
MMIE – My Market Is Everyone
FSEAHS – This most dreaded acronym sends fear pulsing through the veins of every writer. It stands for Found Spelling Error After Hitting Send.
Thank you for the laugh this morning!
I am guilty of this one all the tim…
I almost fell victim to the opposite of DQYDJ: QYDJ
The one I would add is: SoTP. It stands for “Sick of This Project,” which is where I am right now.
It is often accompanied by WINE: “Will it Never End”
haha – very funny.
What about:
DRTBR: Don’t Respond To Bad Reviews
Watched an author swirlie their writing career by commenting on a blog review this month. Yikes.
I love it! You guys are very creative!
BTW & FYI I’ll BRB w/a new blog post L8R.
TTFN
ZZZZ