Today, I have revisions due for a manuscript, and tomorrow my second book releases (although it’s already out in some book stores as seen here). It is also the last four weeks of the school year, and somehow it has managed to become “report card” time again, when I SWEAR I just did report cards.
I’m excited about my manuscript and my book and the promise of summer vacation, but right now I notice that excitement and anxiety are very similar.
I’m having trouble sleeping, and I burst into tears rather easily.
I love, love, love the revisions I’ve made to THE EIGHTH DAY. I’ve fallen in love with this manuscript all over again, but once in awhile (aka, once a day) I have an attack of insecurity and wonder if my editor will feel the same way. I planned a book launch party for THE CAGED GRAVES, but now I’m wondering why I did, because – while I want my book to get lots of attention – I’m nervous when the spotlight falls on me. And since the third trimester of our school year was mostly composed of spring break and 3 weeks of state testing, I don’t know how I’m supposed to have enough new grades to justify a trimester grade.
As for this blog, I’m determined that the content will not change into a vehicle for self-promotion during the book launch. I want to keep blogging about the craft of writing, the journey of publication, teaching, and life. So, if I get swamped and can’t produce a post worthy of reading, I’ll just skip. Okay?
I’ll visit your blogs when I can. I’ll have more time after June 11. I hope you guys will still be out there, since I know some bloggers take a summer hiatus – just when I finally get time off work to play …
Anyway, wish me luck on all my stuff. I keep reminding myself that I’ve already done things I never thought I could do: live radio shows and an on-stage reading of my book, dressed in steampunk costume, in front of the strangest audience ever. (Walking up on stage, I actually thought I might pass out from nervousness – although it might have been the corset.) Compared to that, anything the next few weeks might hold must be a cinch.
Right?