Paperbacks Are For Lovers 💕 (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. There’s 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.
➡️ Trade Paperback: It currently should be available by special/online order anywhere you get books. It’s 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 King’s English. So if you check your favorite shop’s 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.) It’s also available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. $12.95
➡️ 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! Don’t you? Well, just in case you’re new here:
➡️ Ebook retail links: Apple Books | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Google Play $7.99
➡️ 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 you’re in the querying and submitting stage, operating as a full-timer, or somewhere in between, there are always lulls in the action.
When I’m in the initial stage of a lull—right after meeting a big deadline or getting a submission out—the first order of business is usually catching up with all the things I’ve been neglecting in order to meet that goal. Bill paying, tidying up, doing errands, answering emails…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 don’t they’re still good for my mental health.
That’s 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 I’m waiting on. Telling myself I can’t 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.
It’s taken me about ten years to learn about the dangers of Phase 3. When you’re 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 wonder…what was I even doing all that time? Why didn’t 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 I’m still waiting for news on a project. I’m much better now at accepting that it’s up to me to make this happen. No one is going to call and say, “Time to get back to it, Zarr!” The This Creative Life book project, for example, has been a great way to make use of the lull I’m currently in, waiting for notes on my next novel. I’m 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? What’s the hardest part about waiting for you? What do you do when you’re waiting not on a person, but on inspiration to help you get unstuck? I’d love to hear.