Off to Bookland…

Today I sent off the draft manuscript of “How to Make Love in a Tent” to my publishers, Wilderness Press. It’s a strange feeling. You work on something essentially by yourself for months and months, and then you deliver it into the hands of others. Will they like it? Will I have to rewrite the whole thing for them? Does it make any sense to anyone but me?

This is my first book, so every stage of the experience causes me anxieties I’ve never felt before. I made it through the ‘getting an agent’ anxiety, and then the ‘getting a publisher’ anxiety. I even got past the ‘editor wants to talk about the direction the book is going’ anxiety, which was a biggie.

But I’m one step closer to seeing a real, physical book with my name on the cover. That’s exciting enough to pull me through whatever insecurities are clogging up my brain! It was exciting the first time I saw my name in the credits of a (community cable) TV show; it was exciting the first time I saw my name in the credits of a theatrical movie; but I don’t think either of them will match my excitement when I get my hands on a copy of my book. My idea, my research, my writing, MY BOOK!

Of course, next in line is the ‘waiting to hear what they think’ anxiety. The problem with this one is I’m no longer able to distract myself from it by working on the book. I can sit around being anxious all day if I want to. On the bright side, I’ll have more time to blog! Or, you know, I could try to find a day job and pay the rent. Whatever.