The Library

Whatever an author puts between the two covers of his book is public property; whatever of himself he does not put there is his private property, as much as if he had never written a word.  ~ Gail Hamilton

When I wrote Free from Hepatitis C, I imagined it in retail and web-based bookstores, but I did not think about it in that most venerable institution—the library. A librarian at the Iowa City Public Library ordered a copy and sent me the card catalog link. This small act sealed my belief that I am an author.

Click here to go to a link for the Iowa City Public Library card catalog.

Surviving a Misprint

A poet can survive everything but a misprint.~ Oscar Wilde

Waiting to see my book, to hold it, had aspects much like the anticipation I experienced during pregnancy. When the book arrived (Free from Hepatitis C: Your Complete Guide to Healing Hepatitis C), I sat down, began reading, and found a mistake. I misspelled someone’s name in the acknowledgements. There it was in black and white and all the joy flew out of me.

I will spare you the conversation that went on in my head—it was not pretty. It was poetic if you think that saying the same four-letter word repeatedly counts as rhyming. After a few minutes of ranting, I pulled myself together and decided to talk to someone about it in the morning.

The next morning I knew I would survive this. Mistakes happen and no one would die over this. I have made errors as a nurse, and those are tough to deal with; fortunately, those errors were minor ones. As for the misprint, I would apologize to the affected party and I would continue to write, despite the risk of exposing myself, as I really am—a human being.

The book is on Amazon if you want to see what she looks like. I will not point out the mistake.  

Torture

No author dislikes to be edited as much as he dislikes not to be published. ~ Russell Lynes

Here is what torture looks like: My book has been published. Amazon has already sold out of its pre-ordered copies. Other people have seen and held my book – everyone who got an advance copy or who pre-ordered on Amazon. My agent got hers. And here I am, wondering what this book will feel like in my hands, what it will smell like, and if I will love it. It’s like giving birth but not getting to hold the baby yet. 

 Here is what the book looks like: Free from Hepatitis C

The Devil Made Me Do It

Being an author is having angels whisper in your ear - and devils, too. ~ Graycie Harmon

In September, my publicist (I love saying “my publicist” – a term that I wasn’t even aware existed until fairly recently) sent pre-publication copies of my book out for review. The goal is for the reviews to come out in early December, just after the book is released. One copy went to a colleague who works for the same newsletter for which I write. Last week I spent an entire day with her and she didn’t mention the book once. I did not ask her about it, respecting her right to do her job honestly and unhampered.

However, there is this thing that happens when you know that someone has your book – you want them to read it and you only want to hear good things. This is a huge risk, because in general, many people will not read or like my book.

I could not stand it anymore, and I wanted to know the truth. In short, I succumbed to the voice of the devil whispering, “ask her.” I figured if she didn’t like it, I wanted to know sooner rather than later. So, I asked her, and she liked it and all is well.

Eventually, I will run into someone who doesn’t like it, and I need to be prepared for this. After all, the point is not whether people like the book – it is whether they find it helpful. What good would it be if people liked it but it didn’t help anyone? I think my ego can stand some criticism.