I've just realised that The White Road and Other Stories is going to be published in 11 days. 11 days. I am not sure what to make of that. I have a strange tingling, vaguely nauseous feeling in the pit of my stomach. And, also, I am grinning. Different parts of my body are reacting in different ways. This isn't like seeing my name in a magazine, or online. What is it? Sadly, I won't be able to dash down to my local bookstore on September 1st and touch my book, pull it out of a shelf, hold it to me. I probably won't see a copy until my trip to England in mid-September. So what will happen exactly on Sept 1st?
Well, I guess for one, the Buy Now button on my Salt author page won't say "Sorry, this product is not currently available." And on Amazon, it will be like all the other books. It will be available, published.
Also, I'll be launching the White Road and Other Stories website on Sept 1st. That's exciting, and it's also keeping my fingers occupied right now, doing technical things, wondering what to write, explaining about the stories, the "science-inspired" concept, flash fiction etc...
But surely something huge will happen on Sept 1st? Will I wake up and feel different? Will I make my morning cup of tea as a Published Author? Will the cats know when I feed them? I don't have a launch party planned yet... because I am not sure when the books will arrive here. It probably won't be until mid October. That's a long time. It won't be the same then. It won't be Sept 1st. What will it be?
I am not worried, what will be will be, and I have already seen how I react to things that are supposed to make me jump for joy. That's ok. But I think I should do something on Sept 1st. I should mark it as a milestone on the road, a shift, a waystation. Any ideas? I don't like champagne.... shame!
12 comments:
Whether or not the cats know, we will. I'll be thinking of you on September 1st - a huge milestone!
My advice would be, don't expect anything of the day itself in a sense. Make it a private celebration. You could drop hints to your beloved that a nice dinner at home, or out, would be welcome. Buy yourself a nice pair of ear-rings or some other jewelry to mark the day, maybe. And enjoy the glow!
Sarah, thank you!
WRW, good advice from one who has been there three times! I have been dropping huge hints to my beloved but I feel that I will need to do something myself. Earrings, always a good idea, thank you!
Er, 4 times actually! Hee hee.
It's lovely to have a day to celebrate privately because the launch can be quite scary. I spent my whole life dreaming of it, and then found it quite intimidating. Sorry if I'm freaking you out. I don't mean to. I have actually thoroughly enjoyed a few of them! Of the launches. Of my FOUR books. :)
Huge well done - I can't wait to buy! And - bliss! - it's paperback too, hurrah! (I'm hardback-phobic ...)
:))
Axxx
it's all so brilliant. Perhaps you could start stockpiling expensive cakes now. Or, perhaps you might choose to spend the day curled up in a very tight ball before rolling yourself down the (safely padded) stairs onto a big pile of cushions. As you can see, there are a mulititude of ways to mark the day.
whoop whoop!
Congratulations and all the best! By the way, would the book be available in India too?
That sounds wonderful! All the very best and enjoy the D-day.
WRw - FOUR! So sorry I undercounted. I am finding the idea of a launch scary - like a wedding or something, which I haven't wanted to do either. Calm, calm...
Anne - so glad I chose the paperback, for lovely people you, just to make you happy!
Jo - fantastic ideas! Expensive cakes must be my favourite. The stair-rolling is definitely innovative, but we live in a flat, so that probably won't happen. Unless I make it a public event :)
Bee Bee, thanks so much for stopping my my blog! The book will be available from Salt directly and on Amazon, so I am sure they'll post it to India. Thank you for wanting to buy it, that means a lot.
RN - funny you say that because I was going to use the phrase "D-Day" but then decided that wartime connautations probably weren't so fitting...! Thanks for stopping by too, much appreciated.
Tania: sit in a chair very quietly, and FEEL the difference: you will be so calm, because NOW you are a published author, nothing can ever take that away from you,and whatever happens to you thereafter that's what you are. That's how I felt, anyway. Oh, and I also said to myself, now I will die a published author - but then I always have been pretty macabre!
Many, many congrats, Tania, and I'll be thinking about you too.
Elizabeth, thank you, that is great advice! Not macabre at all. I love that.
Or.... be big.... climb to the top of a high place and shout it out... "Tania Hershman has just published a book called 'The White Road' and other stories.... people, you should read it"!!!... everyone will think you mad... but not ordinary mad... mad writer mad.
Whatever you do... enjoy.
best
D
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