My Book is in Memphis, Tennessee

For the past two weeks I’ve been in revision hell, with a brief stop in author heaven.  My book, Courage & Craft: Writing Your Life Into Story (previously published at a much too high text book price,) will be published in the fall by New World Library (at a reasonable price) Two weeks ago my new publishers sent me the edited manuscript. (The first time around, Brooke and I edited it ourselves.) The heaven part is when you realize that two talented and intelligent adults – editors – have taken a long time to meticulously go over every single word you wrote.  Not only that, but they found three typos, uncountable grammatical mistakes, and dozens of sentences and whole paragraphs that could do with some rewriting.  At first you feel so touched and grateful; people really care about your book.

Then about a week later you feel like you’re taking a test on your own book and failing it.  Mostly you’re so tired of your voice on the page, so tired of the thoughts you have on the subject you’re writing about, that you just wish the whole thing would go away. But then you get a good night sleep and go back to work. 

There’s a deadline involved in all this, so I got up at five am yesterday and went to Kinko’s where a very tired clerk copied the manuscript for me.  Then I put back all the paper clips on the attached revisions, my editor’s post-its and slipped it into its FedEx envelope and then into the collection box.  This is always a very strange moment.  Like you’re shipping off your kid.

Then you go online and track it like your manuscript is out there catching planes. And it is!  Mine just caught a flight from Los Angeles to Memphis where it landed just before six this morning. And now it has to backtrack across the country to Oakland and then by truck on to Petaluma, then on to Navato and its new home at New World Library.

A Favor to Ask

I have a favor to ask of all you readers.  The publicity department wants me to collect addresses for an e-mail blast when the book comes out.  If you’d like to be notified when it’s published in the fall, please send your e-mail address to me at    I promise not to give it out to anyone else.

And while you’re at it –  I’ve also been asked by the publicity department to come up with ten to fifteen questions that could be asked by the media about the book or anything to do with creative writing.  Any questions you have would be most appreciated. You can send them directly to me or leave below under Comments.

Thanks!

Comments

[mernitman]

Well, here's five:
What does it mean to "write your life into story"?
What specific kind of courage does a writer need?
What do you consider the most challenging part of the writing process?
How does your book differ from other books on creative writing?
If a writer could take any one piece of advice from your new book, what might that be?

Meanwhile, all my sympathies re: the home stretch of your revisions. Mine took the form of Kubler-Ross's 5 Stages of Grief (see current post).

[Barbara]

Mernitman - Thank you! Those are terrific. I'll send them off to NWL.
Our comments crossed in cyberspace. I just left one on your post. (Blog envy over those five stages!)

[lorenstephens]

Everyone has a story to tell and most people think, "If I just had the time" I could do it. But what they miss is the craft part. What are the five characteristics of well-crafted writing?

So excited for you. Cant wait to get a copy. Will recommend to my students this weekend at the Japanese National Museum to look for your book in the Fall. Give our my email to publicists You go, Barbara.

[Kathy Sena]

Barbara, congrats! When will we be able to pre-order it on Amazon?

Kathy

[Barbara]

Loren - That's a great question. Thanks the address for the email blast.

Kathy - Thanks for asking! I just checked and yes, it can be preordered - $10.17 (list price is $14.95) According to Amazon it's available August 28th.

[Linda Hunt]

Dear B. How wonderful your book is being re-published more appropriately. A case of what should be, actually coming to pass. I'd love to have another copy or two of three. I hope it feels good to have it out of your hands and in Memphis getting ready to be re-born. A possible question: Is this a good hands on book for beginning writers trying their hand at memoir? Why? xx Linda

[Barbara]

Linda - Great question, thank you! And thank you again for the book quote - which is much appreciated by my new publisher.

[denise]

Dear Barbara,
I'm so thrilled about your book. I keep my copy of the first version next to my desk at all times. Because I know pretty thoroughly by now what's inside, sometimes just glancing at the cover is enought to get me started writing.
As for questions:
How is it that one small book can address the process of writing both fiction and non-fiction?
Do you think the amount of courage required to write a memoir is also necessary to write a novel?

[Barbara]

Thank you, Denise! Great questions.

[Destini]

The similarities beeewtn my son and I just prompted me to write about my own inappropriate childhood in Apple Meet Tree . I hope my experience coping with the negativity in my youth can help him in similar circumstances. Read about it here and tell me what you think: