Monday, May 20, 2013
Prepare Yourself
This is what I just typed (on Sunday afternoon) to a friend.
"Prepare yourself. I'm going to be an utter mess on Tuesday." What's
Tuesday, you ask? That's the day my book will finally be on sale. Yes,
tomorrow. And I've been trying to prepare for this for weeks. Months really. I
think you can tell by my less than positive endorsement of my state of mind
that I'm not doing a very good job.
There are moments in life when you know some impending event
is going to change everything. Graduations. Weddings. Births. (For some of us,
divorces.) I've experienced all of these and have felt the same each time. It's
a feeling similar to standing in line for the biggest roller coaster you've
ever seen and wanting nothing more than to run in the other direction.
Only you don't run. You get on and sometimes you have the
time of your life, while other times you puke all over yourself. I think (hope?)
I can safe say there will be none of the latter tomorrow.
It's
scary and crazy and daunting and exciting, but I don't want to run. Okay, I
might want to run tomorrow when the numbers start coming in. (There are pros
and cons to being able to see your sales numbers any time you want.) So I guess
my purpose today is to ask that you all be patient with me. Not that I come
across as all that sane now, but I cannot be responsible for what comes out of
my mouth or keyboard for the rest of this week.
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32 comments:
You know, I'll admit that these sorts of moments aren't the most fun. I remember being stressed, severely stressed, for all of these events. Wedding, graduations, babies. The only thing that kept me going was that I wanted to get to the other side. It's not that I didn't want any of these things to happen. The exact opposite, actually. It's just that the events themselves were overwhelming. I wanted to be graduated, be married to my lovely DH, and be a mom. And I knew I had to get through those events to get there. So I powered through. I bet being published is like that. Power through, so you can be the published author.
:)
So excited for you, Ter! What a wonderful time.
That's the trick, Marn. Powering through. I have clear memories of knowing these events were coming no matter what, but they feel like a freight train coming your way and I distinctly remember my brain trying to put on the brakes.
In one case, I should have, but then I'd have created another huge event and prevented another I couldn't live without. :)
I realize the only one of these things I've done is the graduation, and I didn't feel sick. I felt freaking relieved because I finally got that flipping class completed that I took an "i" in for a year. Robert Burns, I love you, but I'll never study you again.
I have woke up, panicked and freaked the hell out that I was pregnant--but that probably doesn't count. I have also dreamed multiple times I was marrying someone I didn't want to marry--and I was frantically trying to get out of it. I woke up relieved again. And I've never dreamed I was a published author. Huh.
Interesting my subconscious thinks I have a better chance of getting married than getting published. I totally would have thought that was reversed.
You'll do both and you'll do them beautifully! Just be prepared to feel sick right before. LOL!
I think I need the brown paper bag now.
If you get it ready now, you could bedazzle it and make it all pretty.
For the birth thing, I totally recommend the good drugs.
Wait, BIRTH! Who said anything about birth...I thought you were talking about marriage AND publishing--do you mean you were talking marriage and kids or publishing and kids? *shudders*
I think I need to run screaming from the room now.
Relax, honey child. That comment was directed at the group at large. LOL!
Yeah, well, you put it in the same comment with no distinguishers...I think I was entitled to a little panic attack. *LOL*
LOL!! All of these things end up not being as bad as you'd expect. I think that's how things will be with publishing. I bet tomorrow will be a whirlwind of excitement just like that and afterwards, Ter will tell us it wasn't as bad as she expected. :)
If I can have those same drugs I had with birth, I'll definitely tell you that.
I do remember getting nervous before a big match but was told that it helped performance. For publishing a début novel I think I would just concentrate on the cash flow.
Think of all that lovely lolly that will be dropping into your bank account soon then think about what you will spend it on and enjoy!
I will make my contribution to the treasure chest at the weekend.
Well Done my Hun Bun Author. Always knew you had what it takes! *smile*
Thank you, Q! That lovely lolly, should it show up, will be going straight to the student loans and credit cards. Fingers crossed I can put more than a dent into both.
You might be my only UK purchase so thanks for that. :) Hun Bun Author. I like that!
I remember being the calm one the night before my wedding. Slumber party with a bunch of bridesmaids who were all wrecks and I was eerily calm...
Graduation...high school is a blur, but what I remember the most about that was the bus ride to Disneyland and spending the night running around the park...
College graduation...Well, it was pretty cool.
Geez, what gets me all jittery? The days up to traveling by plane or taking a cruise. Yeah, that's when I'm a bit looped...
I know you'll be gracious tomorrow and outwardly calm...and a mess inside, but it will pass and the next day will come. Savor tomorrow, it only happens once! ;-)
I think I was relieved at HS graduation, though nervous that morning. No one wants to fall crossing that stage. But college graduation was on a whole other level, likely because I was 37 years old and understood more of what I had achieved. Plus, it was HUGE in this arena here. I marched onto the floor, looked up, and my heart swelled. Almost four years later I can still remember how proud I felt.
And that degree hasn't done much for me. LOL! Or rather, I haven't done much with it. But I have it!
I remember high school graduation was a bit bittersweet. I was at odds with my best friend and it was awkward. But Steph was there, so he helped...
And trust me, try your best to not fixate on those numbers! Give yourself permission to check on a schedule and then stay away from them! Doesn't mean I don't think they'll be great, but it's easy to drive yourself crazy when there are lulls...
It's funny looking back at my HS graduation pictures. My little brother was a year old with a full head of curls. Now he's 24. LOL!
I'm on a loop with my fellow Montlake ladies (who are awesome!) and they're often talking about checking their numbers constantly. My goal is not to become obsessed with it, but I can't say the same for the book rank. I really want to see my ranking shoot up.
Sometimes I'm thankful that I don't understand the rankings and all the particular ways to see what is going on. It would just confuse me...
You have a much better organized mind!
Wonder how long it will take Amazon to send me the print copy I ordered???
Be sure to let me know! They come from Brilliance Audio (odd, I know) and I think they're in Minnesota or Michigan or somewhere there abouts. Once I know how long yours takes, I'll have an idea for other places.
Will do! I may not know right away as it goes to the PO Box...and I'm trapped in the house today due to repaving of my street.
I remember being stressed, too. But it was a good kind of stress. A happy, excited stress. I couldn't wait to graduate knowing I would never have to sit in a classroom again. I knew marrying the DH was right. Heck, I spent 6 years deciding about that one! LOL And even though I had doubts about the whole mommy thing, I was up for the challenge. Still, I will admit that I was a little loopy. I think you just can't help it when such monumental things are happening. It's sort of like information overload, or more like emotional overload. But I think that's part of the fun inherent in the process.
So, I say - enjoy the craziness and overall chaos. Soak up every minute of it cause your debut novel only comes out once. And if you're drawn to checking your numbers or rank so be it. Have fun with it. I remember rushing home to the mailbox every day after my wedding invitations went out to check the RSVPs. I've never since had such an excitement about coming home to check my mail. LOL
My first college graduation was lovely, a three-day event filled with traditions and sentiment and tinged with sadness at saying goodbye to the group of friends who had been as close family for four years. I requested that my master's and PhD be granted in absentia. I had lost my taste for rituals by that point.
I've never been the bride, but I've been several wedding parties. The thing that amazes me about both graduations and weddings is how much preparation goes into something that is over relatively quickly. I hope that characteristic doesn't carry over to a writing career if my fiction is ever published.
Here's hoping tomorrow is super special in every way for you, Terri!
I've thought of that too, Janga. Mostly for weddings. You spend months, sometimes a year planning, and then POOF, it's over. I get that now with our company Christmas party that I plan. I start in the spring, then it's crazy from Sept until the party first week of December. And in a few hours, it's all over.
Your career will be long and take the world by storm. If only you'd let the books fly. :)
Hubby(to-be) and I got hitched in Vegas, in a low-key ceremony with just the parents in attendance. We got a choice from his parents: they'd pay for a wedding or a honeymoon to Hawaii. Yeah, who needs a stoopid puffy white dress when I can have a week in paradise? One of my best decisions, ever. So, low-stress wedding.
I hated high school, so graduation was a HUGE relief. College graduation gave a nice sense of accomplishment, but again, not particularly stressful.
I'm with Maureen. Flying and just the general "getting there" of travel puts me in fits of apoplexy. Preparing for Art Studio tour was a little hair raising.... In general, I don't get too worked up about events, though.
Not that I have experience in the matter, but I think everything about pregnancy would freak me out.
Best of luck on your big day, tomorrow!
I forgot to add Congrats and here's wishing your debut day is all the fun stress, craziness and joy you can handle!
It's sad, Irish, but I knew before I traipsed down that aisle that it wasn't right. But I was young and kiddo is by far the best consolation prize from that less-than-stellar decision.
Thanks! Today has been pretty awesome and the book isn't even out yet. Looking forward to tomorrow with more enthusiasm than dread now.
Pat, I aspire to be as calm and collected as you are. Truly. I'm mostly calm, but on the inside? It ain't pretty.
If, by some miracle, I ever marry again, it'll be low-key. And who wouldn't take a week in paradise?? Happy to hear the art show went well. Loved the pics on FB.
I agree with Irish. Go watch your numbers all day, watching for people to post more reviews on Goodreads and Amazon this week. It's a really exciting time.
Just got another fantastic one on Goodreads. These people are seriously keeping me sane. I want to hug them all. AND I just found out one of the lovely reviewers from Goodreads is in the Kindle Love Stories podcast this week talking up my book.
Huzzah!
Awesome! Squeeee!!!
Congratulations on your debut!
I cannot wait to read it.
I don't really remember HS graduation, I had bronchitis and they gave me cough syrup with codeine in it.
The best thing about my wedding, is that I married my best friend. As for being pregnant, I was sick from beginning to end, so finally having them was a relief.
Di
Thanks, Di. I had Demerol when I was in labor so I don't remember much of that either. :)
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