More and more these days, I am getting asked about the status of my upcoming my book. I sincerely appreciate the interest. I think if you haven’t written a book, it’s easy to think it’s like the movie version: a tortured writer, an agent, a six-figure advance from the publisher, a publicist waiting in the wings to promote the author and the book.
Not for me! While I may be a tortured author at times, mine is a DIY self-publishing story. Full control and full responsibility. No advance, in fact it’s just the opposite. The publishing decisions and marketing activities are far more difficult for me than writing. So much to learn and consider.
I am sharing a few current details if you are curious:
The manuscript is written, edited, proofread, and the interior layout and cover are being designed.
I do have a few PR events scheduled. I can do book signings and share the perspective of grief in losing a spouse, if you know a group that would be interested.
I have an amazing team that continues to grow: Clementina Esposito, amazing writer, teacher, coach and editor; Kim Barron, cherished friend and awesome professional designer (her designs are integral to this book); Lynn Moore, marketing genius and the missing half of my marketing brain; and Linda Shiffrin, proofreader, whom I have not yet met in person.
I am in the process of getting self-publishing advice that goes beyond what I did for my first book. It’s complicated.
I am working on marketing materials and am glad I had my photos taken by Tina Marie Photography last November.
At the eleventh hour, I changed the name of the book (how it happened below).
I decided on the working title “Good Grief - What you think, you feel” after Wade died. The subtitle came from the book I started before that, about the power of perspective. The book evolved in the process of writing to be a very different book than I had originally envisioned.
I knew I had to change the subtitle. To what? The book was about grief, but what about grief? I couldn’t put it into words.
I let the struggle over the subtitle rest and turned to researching books on grief. I discovered that the title Good Grief was quite common. I also realized that my book is different than the others on the market. I needed to come up with a title that would differentiate it.
I tried to describe the book, so the title would allow people to understand what was inside. I kept thinking, What’s the essence of the book? Who is it for? What do I want the readers to get from it? I had those answers for the original idea. I needed to revisit them.
I continued to rack my brain to define what I’d written. It isn’t a story book, not really. It isn’t the typical advice book. It’s kind of a collage—a collage of experiences? Yes, but not quite. A cacophony of grief chaos? Kind of. A kaleidoscope of emotions? A conglomeration of reflections? It is all of those, but it’s more than that. It’s real and it’s raw, and it’s pain in a kind of beautiful way. It’s Grief! BAM! The title landed, plop, just like that, onto the page of my journal. I wrote it and then saw it. “This is Grief.” There it was, without a doubt. YES!
From there, I knew that the tagline already existed inside the book, so did Clemintina. It was already written; I just had to find it. With a little exploration, the writing, editing and marketing melded. This is a book for people who have lost a spouse or a partner. These are the people who will find the connection, compassion and consolation that they are not alone or crazy. The tagline had to be personal enough to resonate with them at a gut level. With some collaboration and wordsmithing, it all came together.
This is Grief
When breathing hurts, love songs suck, and good days come with guilt.
This book is a gift for the griever who thinks no one understands. It can also be a gift for the friend of the griever who doesn’t understand, but wants to.
I will be sharing a sneak peek of the interior design in my next blog post. After that, I’ll be looking for your opinion on cover designs.
I am aiming for an August 30th publishing date, which is crazy, but that just happens to be Grief Recognition Day–who knew?
I am so excited!