Wow, there's something really exciting about seeing the cover of my book with my name on it. I have ISBN numbers and LOC (Library of Congress) control #. I use a pen name, Tracy Becker-Hills just so the name Becker could be in the Library of Congress. This brought a huge smile to my dad's face when he heard it. I remember calling my mom and saying "Is Daddy awake"? and asked her to put me on speaker phone. I said "Hey Daddy, guess what? I have a LOC control number", and I used Becker-Hills, so now you're in there too". My mom said he had a "shit eating grin" on his face. That brings me some comfort, that he knew that and was proud of me. On the morning we let him go, I stood on a stool beside his hospital bed and read him (to the best of my abilities while trying not to cry) the dedication, which is to him. I hadn't read it to him before, cause I wanted to stand beside him and read it to him from the actual book, but I didn't get the book done in time. I wish he could have stayed with us to actually see the book.
So I enlisted the help of my sons and Ron to help me make sure the cover flaps and the back of the paperback were right. Richard pointed out something I had missed. I asked him to read it because I had read it so many times it looked ok to me. There was a line in the second paragraph that pretty much repeated a line from the first paragraph and I would have missed it.
So I sent the corrections back. The lady I am working with told me she would send me the corrected versions before she left for the night, but she didn't. They aren't working today so now I have to wait until Monday. I am not happy about that at all.
Now I have to start marketing. They say the first 6 months after a book is released is really important for marketing. Glad they said that, cause I wouldn't know. This is my first book, so it's been a real learning process for me. But at least this is one thing I can cross off my "bucket list"....what's on your bucket list that you would like to get done in 2011?
So I enlisted the help of my sons and Ron to help me make sure the cover flaps and the back of the paperback were right. Richard pointed out something I had missed. I asked him to read it because I had read it so many times it looked ok to me. There was a line in the second paragraph that pretty much repeated a line from the first paragraph and I would have missed it.
So I sent the corrections back. The lady I am working with told me she would send me the corrected versions before she left for the night, but she didn't. They aren't working today so now I have to wait until Monday. I am not happy about that at all.
Now I have to start marketing. They say the first 6 months after a book is released is really important for marketing. Glad they said that, cause I wouldn't know. This is my first book, so it's been a real learning process for me. But at least this is one thing I can cross off my "bucket list"....what's on your bucket list that you would like to get done in 2011?
