I spent most of this past weekend thinking about my second novel. My plan is to submit synopses and sample chapters for a few novels I’ve written over the last several years, along with some new ideas, to my agent and publisher in the near-ish future. When I created this plan, it sounded reasonable, but — Read More
On finding time to write…and my next book
I’ve written a version of this post a few other times in the past couple years. Why? Because finding time to write is always an issue for me. I assume it’s an issue for most writers. Most of us have a full-time job or kids or both (yikes). I work in advertising, which is fairly — Read More
Publishing Journey: The typeset manuscript (AKA “the first pass”)
Because this is my first book and I’m pretty clueless, every week seems to present some surprise. The latest surprise was an email from my editor’s lovely assistant to say the typeset manuscript (also called the “first pass”) just landed on her desk and she was going to overnight it to me for my review. So, — Read More
Favorite book covers
In honor of the fact that my book has a cover, here are some of my favorite book covers of all time. What are your favorites?
Publishing Journey: I have a cover (and other exciting updates)
After I got my book deal, the #1 question I was asked was, “Do you get to design the cover?” I found this very amusing because I am not artistically inclined AT ALL. Publishing houses have people who design book covers (and thank god for that). Of course, I was a little nervous to see — Read More
Publishing Journey: The Copy Edits
But wait, there’s more! That’s what I was thinking when I opened an email with hundreds of little (but seriously important) copy edits to my manuscript. Thankfully, my publisher has people on staff to make sure I don’t look like a complete idiot. I like to think my spelling and grammar are perfect, but they — Read More
Why it takes so long for a book to be published
I’ve had many people ask me this question and I really didn’t have an answer. I mean, with digitization, printing and typesetting is a pretty fast process. Yet, it takes a year or more for a book to hit shelves. I got my my official contract at the end of 2014 and PEOPLE WHO KNEW ME will — Read More
The waiting-for-your-book-to-be-published phase
My editor said that most writers hate this phase, but I love it. So far. It’s very validating to have a book that’s going to be published (PEOPLE WHO KNEW ME! May 24!). I’m so, so, so glad it’s DONE. I don’t feel any sadness about it being done. That baby is grown up and ready — Read More
How I became a writer
A couple weeks ago, The Telegraph published an interesting essay by Haruki Murakami about how he became a novelist. Murakami says that he had something of an epiphany in 1978, while watching a baseball game–Yakult Swallows vs Hiroshima Carp. In his words: “In the bottom of the first inning, Hilton slammed Sotokoba’s first pitch into — Read More
First drafts
Now that my book is done, I’ve resumed working on a novel I started while I was waiting on edits. And, I have to say, despite all I’ve learned over the last year, I still have familiar feelings of insecurity as I dig into this new book. I know lots of writers feel this way. I’ve — Read More