Congratulations! It's a book!
1. People you never expected to contact you will do so with kindness and enthusiasm, and sometimes with chocolate.
2. People you expected to contact you, will not.
3. Urgent Care Centers will be open in the middle of the night even when your book has launched just in case your 21-year-old cuts his finger on a broken glass at 1 am.
4. Photos will pour in from all over the country with sightings of the novel you wrote. Sometimes you won't even know the people who snapped and sent the photo.
5. Someone will criticize your story and then say she read it in one day because she couldn't put it down, making your head spin.
6. You will check Amazon rankings even though everyone has said the numbers don't matter.
7. Amazon rankings will delight and/or destroy you (sometimes in the same hour) even though everyone has said that the numbers don't matter.
8. Washing machines will leak. Because they can.
9. Sleep will elude you, except in the middle of the day.
10. Speaking to a group of high school creative writing students (daughter included) will be the highlight of the week.
11. You will receive many teacup gifts, and hope that your publisher puts jewelry on your next book cover (fingers crossed). Or a tropical island.
12. You will realize that this is the best job for you, just like you imagined.
Amy Sue Nathan is the author of THE GLASS WIVES, published by St. Martin's Griffin in May 2013. She lives and writes near Chicago where she hosts the popular blog, Women's Fiction Writers and has published articles in Huffington Post, Chicago Tribune and New York TimesOnline among many others. Amy is the proud mom of a son and a daughter in college, and a willing servant to two rambunctious rescued dogs.
First, Congratulations on The Glass Wives! It is fabulous. Second - so true! (Although no one ever gave me chocolate, sadly). Life goes on through a launch, which is probably a good thing - less time to check Amazon rankings!
ReplyDeleteHa! And yes, huge congrats on your bouncing book baby. I agree with Erin--it's fabulous!
ReplyDeleteCongrats, Amy! And as one who's baby launches today - it's timely advice! Let's hope I don't have to worry about the ER or the washer...
ReplyDeleteMazel Tov, Amy - I thought it was a fabulous read! I actually laughed out loud at #11 - will have to keep that in mind as I consult with the art department over my first cover! Enjoy all the ups and downs and loop-de-loops.
ReplyDeleteAmy, I love this post--makes me look forward to/dread/feel anxious about/feel calmer about my own book launch, argh! I have a feeling that it'll just be the storm before the calm...so hard to predict the next twists and turns, isn't it? All we can do is go on to write another story...
ReplyDeleteFun post! Congratulations on your book baby, Amy!
ReplyDelete