in which Beth feels briefly sorry for herself - again
Burst into tears earlier tonight, and, this time, not from joy at music or books. An email I'd long awaited finally came in, from an editor at a big publishing house who'd agreed to read the manuscript. Another editor at the same house had already turned it down, but irrationally, very irrationally, I had hope.
The fantasy: the editor says yes, how we love this book! The machine begins to turn - meetings with editors, designers, publicists. Rewrites, plans. I begin my own publicity. The book is launched. It's beautiful. Readers find it moving and truthful.
She said no. She said the publicity department didn't think it'd have a big enough audience.
So I had a cry. I've spent three or four years on this book, though of course while doing many other things. I sent it out to some smaller publishers in July - July - and have heard back from one. No.
In 2014, after a few no's for the Beatles memoir, I contacted a hybrid publisher, who does a solid edit and handles ISBN and much else but requires the author to pay for the publishing. I loved everything about the process: the incredible speed - in only a few weeks I was holding my lovely book; the control over design and final decisions - everything.
Until it came time to get it out into the world. A person like me, who's hopeless at sales and social media, is at a huge disadvantage with no house behind her. Publishers don't have publicity budgets like they used to, but they do have some. I had none. I threw my own book launch and did my best to let people know about that book and the one that followed, the writing textbook. The textbook has sold well because my students buy it, and they buy more copies to give to friends. Those who've read my other two books - and articles, and blog - seem to like them. They say nice things. But my readers are a hardy and very small bunch.
Ah well. I'm sure you've heard quite enough whining about this, over time. I'll wait a few more weeks for the other publishers, and then do it myself, again. Finally, what matters is to birth the book and move on. I can't do any more for this one.
The weather is amazingly mild for January. Teaching last night - a big and very diverse crowd at Ryerson will be a challenge and a lot of fun. Tomorrow, a student is coming to rehearse a piece she'll be reading at an event for women who've survived terrible things. Which she has - the sudden heart attack death of her young husband when their first son was two and she was six months pregnant with their second - and she has written beautifully about it. I'm proud to have helped her.
I have nothing to complain about. The world is burning. We writers do what we do; we do what we can. That's all.
Maybe a little bit more chocolate right now, however. No, peanut butter. Peanut butter fixes anything.
The fantasy: the editor says yes, how we love this book! The machine begins to turn - meetings with editors, designers, publicists. Rewrites, plans. I begin my own publicity. The book is launched. It's beautiful. Readers find it moving and truthful.
She said no. She said the publicity department didn't think it'd have a big enough audience.
So I had a cry. I've spent three or four years on this book, though of course while doing many other things. I sent it out to some smaller publishers in July - July - and have heard back from one. No.
In 2014, after a few no's for the Beatles memoir, I contacted a hybrid publisher, who does a solid edit and handles ISBN and much else but requires the author to pay for the publishing. I loved everything about the process: the incredible speed - in only a few weeks I was holding my lovely book; the control over design and final decisions - everything.
Until it came time to get it out into the world. A person like me, who's hopeless at sales and social media, is at a huge disadvantage with no house behind her. Publishers don't have publicity budgets like they used to, but they do have some. I had none. I threw my own book launch and did my best to let people know about that book and the one that followed, the writing textbook. The textbook has sold well because my students buy it, and they buy more copies to give to friends. Those who've read my other two books - and articles, and blog - seem to like them. They say nice things. But my readers are a hardy and very small bunch.
Ah well. I'm sure you've heard quite enough whining about this, over time. I'll wait a few more weeks for the other publishers, and then do it myself, again. Finally, what matters is to birth the book and move on. I can't do any more for this one.
The weather is amazingly mild for January. Teaching last night - a big and very diverse crowd at Ryerson will be a challenge and a lot of fun. Tomorrow, a student is coming to rehearse a piece she'll be reading at an event for women who've survived terrible things. Which she has - the sudden heart attack death of her young husband when their first son was two and she was six months pregnant with their second - and she has written beautifully about it. I'm proud to have helped her.
I have nothing to complain about. The world is burning. We writers do what we do; we do what we can. That's all.
Maybe a little bit more chocolate right now, however. No, peanut butter. Peanut butter fixes anything.
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