I sold my first novel! Or, rather, my agent, did. Insert my racing heart, my proud parents and my complete, delirious joy at using sentences that begin, "My editor at Harper Collins says." Most everyone I know has asked the same thing: when does it come out? The current estimate is a year, but that could change.
What I was underprepared for was what happens next. Such as filling out the 16-page author questionnaire sent by the publisher with such softball questions as "please write a short autobiography (200 words) which we can adapt for use on the book coveror promotional activities for your book." Gah! Not only is a 200 word bio tough, but it's made tougher by the fact that I write fiction and like to make things up. When confronted with a daunting, serious task that impulse becomes stronger. So I have stopped myself several times from using the phrases "alligator wrestler," "nun" and "inventor of water".
I also need to get black and white photographs taken for, you guessed it, the book jacket and promotional use related to the book. This is like school pictures to the 30th power of sales pressure. From what I have read of editors and agents, they like good writing. What do they love? Good writing plus an attractive writer they can parade about. So it's in my best interest to have the best damn picture of my life taken in nine days. And while I've been known to make pretty sometimes I also have a rogue eyebrow. I taught myself how to raise it in ninth grade, because it was one sauve trick. Only thing is, the damn brow reacts to cameras. It starts raising as if to say, "See? Look at me? So able to arch!" I cannot control it. So my author photo will most likely be a half shot of my face, the half that obeys me. Is that my good half? Oh God, do I have a good half? Is one half of my face better? I should know this. They should have told us this in school to save us later worries.
So I've got many questions to answer and pictures to be stunning in. What else? Oh yes, promotion. Although the book has yet to come out and I have about a year's lead I realize I should be "working it" as they say. Only I am a shy, retiring writer type. Introverted. Well, until Prince comes on the stereo but that is a story for another day. The point is selling myself and my work to strangers seems odd and a bit uncomfortable. I wasn't a Girl Scout in part because I thought selling cookies was terrifying.
Okay, deep breaths. The book is sold. That is number one. Everything else is details. Right?