What is my book about? A very good question.

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Mid-century modern elevators by Topher is licensed under CC-CC0 1.0

She Writes Press sent me their cover design questionnaire at the start of the holiday season with the request that I answer “thoughtfully.” It’s due as close to the New Year as possible. It’s a long form with about 18 in-depth questions about my book, including the theme, the characters, the setting and any cover design ideas I may have.

It was surprisingly difficult to answer the questions. One of the hardest questions looked simple: what is my book about? After spending years writing and revising and writing my memoir again, that should be an easy question to answer, but it’s not. What is my book about? Not just what happens in the story, but I need to explain the WHY of my book.

How do I answer that question in three simple sentences?

They call this an elevator pitch. Imagine you’re in an elevator with your favorite author or a famous agent and they suddenly turn to you and say with a smile on their face, “Tell me what your book is about?”

What do I say?

1. My book is about raising my daughter who was born with disabilities and the challenges that go with … (Boring. Try again.)

2. “Raising Rhia” shows the challenges of raising a child with disabilities in the United States and how the power of love helps a child thrive. (Ugh! Sounds like a Hallmark Channel movie!)

3. A memoir about raising my child with severe disabilities in America, from birth to high school graduation. As I navigate the overwhelming demands of her care, I lose my sense of self and I struggle to see her as more than her diagnosis. But over time, I rediscover her, not just as a child with disabilities, but as a whole person. In this process, I also reclaim my own true self. (Too Long!)

4. My book tells the story of how my daughter and I learn to hold both joy and grief at the same time as we navigate the challenges of her multiple disabilities. (Hmmm… that’s the theme I think, but it leaves out the actual story)

The cover design questionnaire is finished except for this one question and I’m obsessed trying to find the answer. Writing what my book is about feels like writing another chapter of the book!

Revision, revision, revision…

Keep trying, Terena.