It’s Celebrate The Small Things Day. Something I’ve achieved each week, no matter how small. If you’re interested in doing the same thing sign up here at Vicki’s blog. The idea is to post the blog on a Friday, but I’m doing it today, Thursday, because I’m taking off for the weekend.
What I’m celebrating is completing yet another couple of steps in getting my memoir, Loveyoubye, ready for its March 2014 publication. All of a sudden there were deadlines. I had proofs to finish, photos to copy and convert, and I also had to indicate where I wanted them in the manuscript. Then I had to come up with “comps”–books/authors that are similar to mine in some way–for booksellers to figure out what shelf it would go on. I truly didn’t have a clue. So, I threw it out to my publicist (Gawd, that sounds hot, doesn’t it? Yes, I hired a publicist, one of the best decisions I’ve made) and bless her brilliant little heart, she came up with some doozies, in like half a day. Check ’em out:
- Follow My Lead: What Training My Dogs Taught Me About Life, Love, and Happiness–Carol Quinn (July 2011)
- The Wrong Dog Dream: A True Romance–Jan Vandenburgh (April 13)
- When A Crocodile Eats The Sun: A Memoir of Africa–Peter Godwin (April 08)
- Falling: The Story of A Marriage–Alexandra Fuller (March 12)
Next step was to send letters to famous authors asking them to please blurb my book, you know, Loveyoubye is brilliant, honest, painful, funny and real, that type of thing, which will go on the back cover. It’s a long shot. That took coming up with tweaking the synopsis of Loveyoubye, a different angle. Those summaries are killer.
Oh. And then there’s the cover. I just got the final version back. Drum roll, please . . . I LOVE IT! Be prepared, it’s kinda wild.
Wishing you all the best for the whole shebangcaboodle!
Thanks friend!
Writing and publishing a memoir sounds like a lot of work, but impressive.
It was the best of times and the worst of times, but hey, I did it! Thanks.
Best of luck! And it’s okay to do a dance and shout out loud – you’re getting your baby published!
Thanks Linda. It’s been such a push pull, Yikes! what am I doing kinda journey, I hope the dancing and shouting out loud comes soon.
Congratulations on the book 🙂
Thanks Bames!
I get insanely happy reading about Loveyoubye’s gestation. The cover….shoe me the cover!!!
You make me insanely happy reading that! How do I create a little heart here?
No, no, no, please don’t shoe me the cover…
Funny girl!!!
Hope you get an awesome blurb!
All the best with preparing your book for release. 🙂
Thanks Misha!
Did any of the famous authors write back!?
I hope soooooo! Xx
Yes, actually. A rejection. But a nice one from Abigail Thomas (A Three Dog Life). “I wish I could be helpful but I’m buried in work of my own as well as that of my students. I wish you well with the book–and congratulations on being published by the She Writes Press. Also, what a great title. Thank you for thinking of me.”
I’m still waiting on the other two.
It does seem to be the hardest thing to know where your particular book goes or what it’s like in compared to others. But I’m glad the your publicist is helping. I had gotten a publicist, but think she wasn’t quite the right fit I needed, as she didn’t work only with authors. The interviews I did didn’t result in many sells. But I did enjoy the interviews a lot and felt they were great experience. Still have a few to go. Writer’s Mark
Soo sorry I’ve taken so long to respond to you. I’m a** deep in publishing stuff, and easily distracted. Thanks for the visit. Will pop over and visit, see how you’re doing.
Congratulations on your book! Wow! you has so many things to do already. Best wishes.