More Juggling
My secret is out.
It's all over my small town that I sold a book.
Both of my administrators know. Many of students know. People are congratulating me in Dollar General. I finally talked to Leigh at the Bookstore about doing a signing when my print release comes out.
Have I mentioned I've had nightmares about this?
I didn't have a lot of trouble juggling teacher me and writer me when writer me was receiving rejection after rejection after rejection. I mean, sure, a lot of people know I wrote when I wasn't teaching, and I fielded questions from my students and other interested acquaintances.
But now, there's going to be a book out there for them to read. A real book. With a cover and pages and everything.
In black and white!
My best friend decided to torture me this morning with all the possibilities . . . things we both know as English teachers are going to happen. At least one kid will buy the book. (Heeeeey! Royalties!) It will get passed around, with all the sexy parts either dogeared or highlighted. The curse words will get giggled over.
That's where the nightmare of having to go before the school board because I -- gasp -- wrote book with sex on, like, page four! (Okay, that's just the nightmare -- I'm pretty sure I won't lose my job because of my writing . . . and there is a teacher shortage . . .) Writer me is completely okay with that, the whole sex-on-page-four thing. Teacher me has to face eighty-something hormonal teenagers every day once they know about the whole sex-on-page-four thing.
You know it's going to come up.
I'm figuring cool, calm, collected high road is the way to go.
There are some advantages to having my secret out.
1) People are expressing interest in the book and I've already had several people tell me they're buying a print copy.
2) There's no stigma attached to having sold to an company that will e-publish my book before the print version hits Borders. I'm not considered less-than-published because my publisher isn't one of the big NY houses. That's been nice.
3) My students will stop asking, "When are you going to publish one of your books, Ms. Winfree?"
So I think I can learn to juggle both teacher-me and writer-me, the public and private personas. Share with me . . . how do you, or how do you plan, to handle this juggling act?
It's all over my small town that I sold a book.
Both of my administrators know. Many of students know. People are congratulating me in Dollar General. I finally talked to Leigh at the Bookstore about doing a signing when my print release comes out.
Have I mentioned I've had nightmares about this?
I didn't have a lot of trouble juggling teacher me and writer me when writer me was receiving rejection after rejection after rejection. I mean, sure, a lot of people know I wrote when I wasn't teaching, and I fielded questions from my students and other interested acquaintances.
But now, there's going to be a book out there for them to read. A real book. With a cover and pages and everything.
In black and white!
My best friend decided to torture me this morning with all the possibilities . . . things we both know as English teachers are going to happen. At least one kid will buy the book. (Heeeeey! Royalties!) It will get passed around, with all the sexy parts either dogeared or highlighted. The curse words will get giggled over.
That's where the nightmare of having to go before the school board because I -- gasp -- wrote book with sex on, like, page four! (Okay, that's just the nightmare -- I'm pretty sure I won't lose my job because of my writing . . . and there is a teacher shortage . . .) Writer me is completely okay with that, the whole sex-on-page-four thing. Teacher me has to face eighty-something hormonal teenagers every day once they know about the whole sex-on-page-four thing.
You know it's going to come up.
I'm figuring cool, calm, collected high road is the way to go.
There are some advantages to having my secret out.
1) People are expressing interest in the book and I've already had several people tell me they're buying a print copy.
2) There's no stigma attached to having sold to an company that will e-publish my book before the print version hits Borders. I'm not considered less-than-published because my publisher isn't one of the big NY houses. That's been nice.
3) My students will stop asking, "When are you going to publish one of your books, Ms. Winfree?"
So I think I can learn to juggle both teacher-me and writer-me, the public and private personas. Share with me . . . how do you, or how do you plan, to handle this juggling act?
posted by Linda Winfree at 12:12 PM
4Comments:
Whoo-hoo! Go girl! I know you can juggle!!
Me...who the heck knows how I'm going to handle it all. I have no clue and I can't even see that far ahead.
For me it's one step at a time and I'm nowhere near the publishing point.
Sorry I couldn't help more...I'll be watching you and sucking up all the info for when (not if) my time comes.
:-)
I too have my first book coming out in both e-pubbed and print. So far everyone I know through work is excited about it along with all my chapter members and family.
Another chapter member said let's do book signings together, so I'm putting a couple together where I live and she's putting some together where she lives. I think that's the scariest part. Figuring out all the details and walking up to the book store owners and saying I have a book. They give me the speel I know you're excited, but and then go into what they expect from me for a book signing.
I can use insight into this process if anyone wants to share.
So, Paty, what do they want? Leigh and I are old friends and her shop is a small one, but I haven't even approached any of the chain book stores yet. That's a little scary.
I have a CP coming down from Atlanta for moral support when I do the small one, and I know I'm dragging my best friend along for the same purpose. I was okay until Leigh mentioned making my book the book club book for that month! Yikes!
Hi Linda, what an exciting time for you and those who know you. Hope all the signings go well.
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