There is Something About the Feel of a Book

Last week I was thrilled to hold my first novel in my hands, the slick cover, the gold lettering, the cannon--I once thought looked like a trashcan--the puzzle pieces. it had all come together, finally. I wrote the folks I needed to thank and sent them copies; the ones in my Atlanta critique group who read every word, taught me about tension and reminded me when my point of view "head hopped;" the two editors who returned my manuscript covered in red and green marks or penciled symbols; the early readers who pointed me to the places where they found themselves lost or misunderstanding; and the expert photographer who helped me design the cover.

I read my new book again, all 300 pages--when I sent it to the publisher it had 400, seems it needed squeezing, so the letters between a southern girl, her Confederate brother and a Union Captain were not allowed page breaks. I cannot count the number of times I've read the book in its entirety, more than thirty, I'd wager. If you're a reader, you'll understand when I say, it read differently, bound and covered.

Now comes the difficult part for me--difficult for most writers, I hear--the marketing.