Paperbacks Are For Lovers š (of paperbacks)
Also, the four phases of waiting in a writing life.
Physical book fans, your day has come! I really like how this book turned out and I have to say that as much as I love ebooks, holding copies of this special project that I did on my own is pretty sweet. Thereās something about the pocket edition that especially makes me smile. I looked into ways to make it even tinier, but mass market is about as low as you can go at the print-on-demand level.
ā”ļø Trade Paperback: It currently should be available by special/online order anywhere you get books. Itās distributed by Ingram, which pretty much all booksellers in the U.S. use. For example, I found it at my two local indie online order sites: Weller Book Works and The Kingās English. So if you check your favorite shopās web site, you should be able to order it online from them. (Though if you look it up before tomorrow, May 5, it will still show as a pre-order.) Itās also available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. $12.95
ā”ļø Pocket Edition: This edition is only available at Amazon and Lulu for now. The pocket edition was a somewhat last-minute idea, and to set it up for wider distribution, I need to purchase a separate ISBN for the trim size and get it in the queue as a distinct book. This all takes some time to work through their system, but it is very cute and I think I probably have to do it. $9.95
And of course, by now you know all about the ebook! Donāt you? Well, just in case youāre new here:
ā”ļø Ebook retail links: Apple Books | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | KoboĀ | Google Play $7.99
ā”ļø Ebook direct with newsletter coupon: If you like the convenience of ebooks but not the big tech companies, you can purchase directly from me and save 30% with a coupon code. Buy here and use the code QWBODLO8MX at checkout.
The Writing Life, at Present
Writing for publication involves a lot of waiting. Whether youāre in the querying and submitting stage, operating as a full-timer, or somewhere in between, there are always lulls in the action.
When Iām in the initial stage of a lullāright after meeting a big deadline or getting a submission outāthe first order of business is usually catching up with all the things Iāve been neglecting in order to meet that goal. Bill paying, tidying up, doing errands, answering emailsā¦those to-dos are sort of Phase 2 of my lull.
Phase 2 is creative recovery. That is, enjoying not writing but doing what I think of as writing-adjacent things. This could include reading, watching movies, playing with art supplies, journaling, spending concentrated time listening to music, taking myself out into the world for longer walks and hikes, going for drives, or even traveling if time and finances and pandemics allow. Any of these activities could spark new ideas, but if they donāt theyāre still good for my mental health.
Thatās all great, but what I have to be careful of is Phase 3. Phase 3 is waiting just for the sake of waiting. Getting annoyed at whoever Iām waiting on. Telling myself I canāt possibly start something else until I can move forward on the next step of the front-burner thing. Rationalizing extending my break longer than needed. Just one more movie binge. Just one more online shopping spree. Just one more day looking at what everyone else is doing so I can compare myself.
Itās taken me about ten years to learn about the dangers of Phase 3. When youāre working with or waiting on busy editors at large houses, Phase 3 can really really drag on, and the worst feeling for me is to look back on extended lulls and wonderā¦what was I even doing all that time? Why didnāt I start something new after my life catch-up and creative recovery? Why did I give so much power to the people I was waiting on, who I cannot control?
Phase 4 is taking that power back and returning to some kind of writing routine even as Iām still waiting for news on a project. Iām much better now at accepting that itās up to me to make this happen. No one is going to call and say, āTime to get back to it, Zarr!ā The This Creative Life book project, for example, has been a great way to make use of the lull Iām currently in, waiting for notes on my next novel. Iām also working on a proposal for a new book, and prepping seminars for my next MFA residency.
How do you make use of your lulls? Whatās the hardest part about waiting for you? What do you do when youāre waiting not on a person, but on inspiration to help you get unstuck? Iād love to hear.