A Book is Born

I love writing classes. I love Writer's Conferences. I always hear something I needed to hear.

The writing classes I have recently attended were given by best-selling author Diane Dunaway. She is also the founder of the San Diego State University Writer's Conference, 24 years strong. I could have listened to her speak for hours, even when she said things that took the wind out of my sails. If she hadn't , she wouldn't be giving me the real picture, and giving the real picture is what I asked her to do when I signed up to hear her speak.

She has a literary career that is what writers dream of - book deals, advances, become friends and made connections with good people, and teaching what she knows to people who, like me, sit in the front row with their hands folded around their faces and stars in their eyes, thinking our dreams aren't far out of reach, either. I hope I didn't annoy her.

She earned this literary career logically, step by intelligent step. I'm sure luck plays a factor in the career of every writer, but Diane Dunaway has worked hard and carries her accumulated knowledge with sincerity. "I'm here for the author," she made a point of telling us.

Thank goodness someone is in the caveat vendor industry.

So I asked her, hoping for a vicarious experience (despite what Bob Dylan said), "What was it like to sign your first contract, get your first book deal?"

"Like having the best orgasm ever, only it lasted longer," she said.

I hope I'm in the comforts of my own home with my husband if and when I get my first big advance and sign that lucrative contract with an agent.

It has got to be one of the most exploitive acts I can imagine - giving my brainchild, my life's work, my brilliant idea and lofty dream over to someone who may be cynical, resentful, jaded, or just pissed off at the world and needing to piss on something in 12 point font on white 8.5 x 11 paper.

Then again, maybe it won't be. If there is one universal literary truth, it is that truth is stranger than fiction. I write truth and fiction, but my story remains unfinished (I hope for a while). My novel in the works is intangible and dangling around in my future like the invisible mic always hanging right above the movie set, waiting for the right line delivered in the perfect way. Waiting for the right opportunity. I just can't give up, it doesn't feel right.

I'm holding out, with a capital "O".

That is how I get my kicks, for now.

The proofs for "A Book is Born" are on the corner of my desk. They arrived yesterday. I think my heart is starting to return to normal pace and my knees have stopped shaking but every time I look at the pile of cream pages and the untrimmed jacket I can feel my stomach dance. I've published over 50 books for women, over 100 products in total, yet this is the first with MY name on the spine. About 6:15 this morning, Wyatt, who is now 10, came into my office to say good morning and saw the proofs.

"Wow Mom, what is this?"

"It's my book honey, look that's our name on the spine."

"It's cool. What's it about?"

I opened to the foreword and read Jennifer Basye Sander's quote, "What is it really like to be published?" and flipped through the chapters showing him the illustrations and explaining, "All my authors answered questions about each step of making their book, and I put it together to teach others how to do it."

He stopped me on the author branding examples and his eyes got big, "I remember you doing that, and that, ooh and that," pointing to the images he saw flash on my computer screen over the last three years.

"Mom, this is really, really great."

I let him read the acknowledgements and he giggled. Just what I wanted.

It was better than any book review in Publishers Weekly or the New York Times. It's hard to compete with a dad that races trucks and rock-crawls in his Jeep, but I do believe my son was proud of me this morning.

~ Nancy, the brand new mom to "A Book is Born"

My book has been out for over a year now and I was feeling that I needed some fresh ideas in terms of marketing. I began considering using a publicist. I had a meeting at BEA with a marketing group. "How would you feel about being face to face with Bill O'Reilly?" she asked me. Make it happen I said and I will be able to handle it. After much thought and some discussions I decided to use them. I wanted them to focus on TV and radio spots because these were two areas I had limited success. We agreed to work together. They had many author clients and that was important to me. They advised me to be ready because I may not have much notice.

I was on vacation and got a phone call from the publicist. He told me I would be on the radio doing a live broadcast in an hour and a half. "What will they be focusing on?" " Infertility, how people handle it" he responded. That is pretty much my whole book I thought. Not much time to think or prepare I thought. "You'll do great he said." I said I would be ready and hung up and my mind began to race trying to think about talk points and what questions I would be fielding. I didn't have a copy of my book with me to reference it. The phone rang again, it was my publicist. "Great news. You will have another live broadcast a half hour after this one." I couldn't believe it. "You'll do great he said."

It is strange to call a number and talk with somebody you don't know who doesn't know me, knowing it is being broadcast live to many people in many places. I kept reminding myself to relax, sound thoughtful, insightful, interesting, and focus on what the interviewer was asking me. I found myself thinking about when I was at home or driving in my car listening to talk shows and imagining things about how the person being interviewed looks or acts or intellectually/emotionally responding to what they are saying. It was challenging at times. It got my heart pumping. It was great to have an opportunity to reach more people in new places in a new way. I got my wish.

I have done 3 radio interviews so far. Two were live and one was taped. I felt each was better than then last. I am not sure if that was my comfort level or the people interviewing me or both. My publicist called to tell me I have two more interviews scheduled and they are working on more media opportunities for me. "You'll do great I keep hearing him say." I am doing my best to believe it.