Today, I was happy to see that Jess sent me a copy of the essay she wrote about me. I found I was able to disconnect myself from the subject matter enough to enjoy reading the piece, as if it were written about someone else. I liked Jess’s style of writing, too. The piece read like she was just talking to a friend rather than writing a formal essay. I e-mailed back a note, letting her know that I enjoyed it.
OUT FOR A DRIVE - 1910
Jess called me tonight for my interview. She said her essay is supposed to be about a New Rivers Press emerging author—me! We chatted a bit before we started the interview. I found out that she works at a hardware store while attending college full-time as an English major. She works at being a novelist, too, writing fanciful tales about woodland elves. Sounds like a very busy lady!
During the interview, Jess asked me many thought-provoking questions. One of them was, “What advice would you give another writer?” After thinking for a moment, I recounted to her what an FUMFA commencement speaker had said: Write every damn day. And then I told her advice I’d read in a craft book: Give yourself permission to write a shitty first draft. My final piece of advice was something an FUMFA faculty member told me once: Write your novel all the way to the end before you go back to start the editing process, because it is not until you reach the end of the narrative, that you’ll know what the story is about and what’s important to the telling of that story.
All total, Jess and I talked for well over an hour. I really enjoyed our conversation; she seems like a kind and interesting woman and I’m looking forward to reading her essay.
The student’s name is Jessica, but she asked me to call her Jess when she e-mailed a request for some biographical information. She said she’d call to interview me on Monday or Tuesday. I’m nervous. I’m afraid I’ll say something dumb or something I’ll regret later. Or, worse yet, maybe I won’t be able to think of anything interesting to say. One of the reasons I like being a writer is that it enables me to revise my thoughts and words many times before someone else hears/reads them. I’ve never been very good at “thinking on my feet.” Good thing I’m not a politician.
THE OLD RHODE ISLAND HOSPITAL - 1901
Nayt e-mailed me today, asking if I’d be willing to be interviewed by a MSUM student, who is taking a college class—journalism, I think. I feel so overwhelmed with other stuff to do (job, house, the girls, etc.) and then Dad’s not doing well in Florida. Chris and I already went down there in September to help him out and it looks like we’re going to have to go back again, soon. But it might be fun to be interviewed and it’d be nice to help out a student, if I can. So many people helped me when I was doing my MFA at Fairfield U. So, I’ll tell Nayt, “Yes.” Being interviewed—yet another new experience brought to me courtesy of the book prize.
My signed author’s contract arrived today via an e-mail from Nayt. So, I guess it’s official—I’m going to be a published author. Yahoo!
Nayt apologized for taking so long to return the contract, saying he’d had a difficult time rounding up all the necessary signatures. Heck—I’ve waited my whole life to get a book published. What’s another couple of weeks! Actually, this is all just beginning to feel real to me.
PORTRAIT OF A COUPLE - 1909
I e-mailed Meghan to say that I’d watched the clip of her playing piano and that I thought she was talented. I also said that I was really looking forward to working with her and the rest of the editing/design Team. And I told her about the Larchmont photos that I purchased, suggesting that the Team might consider using one of them on the book’s cover. I am becoming more and more curious about what they will suggest as edits and ideas. After all, they are an integral part of making my dream a reality.
Today, I received an e-mail from Meghan Feir, my author’s liaison from my Minnesota State University Moorhead/New Rivers Press editing Team. In her note, she said that FV made her “shed more than a few tears.” I wonder what sections made her cry. Louise’s baby dying? Anna and Louise’s scene during the ship sinking?
Meghan invited me to “friend” her on Facebook so I looked her up and found a video of her playing a song she wrote on the piano. She’s very pretty and very talented. She introduced the rest of the editing team as being Sarah, Kyle, and Christy. I hope, at some point, I get to meet them. It feels odd to me to be working with people without meeting them face-to-face. Welcome to the Twenty-first Century, right? I wonder if they are all writers, if they are all from Minnesota, if they have brothers and sisters, if they’ve ever taken ballet lessons, or if they like the New England Patriots (probably not Patriots fans; so few are outside of New England).
SOUTH STATION, BOSTON - 1904
I received a long e-mail from Nayt today, sent to me and to the five other writers who will be published by NRP in 2016. After reading the e-mail, I was amazed by how much effort is involved in producing these books. And I don’t get the impression that they have a very large staff.
Nayt said that last week our manuscripts were given to student editing teams to read. My author’s liaison from my Team will contact me within the next week or so. The Team will send me their first batch of suggestions for edits for FV sometime in mid-October and will expect me to respond to those suggestions by the end of the month. After that, they’ll review the novel again and will re-submit edits by the “end of the semester”—early December? Following that process, the novel will be further edited by Nayt himself, and then he’ll send the MS back to me for my input/approval. Then they’ll actually layout each page and we’ll all check those—mock-up spreads, Nayt called them. Once we all approve these, “review galleys” will be printed to be sent to book reviewers. One more round of copy edits by Nayt and me (reviewing the “bound galleys”) and then the “print order will be placed and we’ll be able to relax until publication.” Phew, what a process! But I sure am excited about it! How will FV change? What will it look like when it’s finally published?
I Googled “Larchmont” tonight and found another great photo. This one shows the ship steaming out of the Providence Harbor. I bought the rights to that photo, too, from the Steamship Historical Society of America. Thank God for the Internet! It makes life so much easier. Imagine what I would have had to go through 20 years ago to find Larchmont photos.
I sent Nayt (NRP) my author photos today, six in total: some horizontal, some vertical, some close-up, and some taken from further away. I hope one of them will be suitable for the book’s back cover. I know I often check to see what the author looks like when selecting a novel to purchase at the book store. I hope people will like my photo and will buy Frozen Voices!
HIGH SCHOOL CLASS - 1906
Today I left work at my day job at noon and went to the Providence Public Library to spend some time writing my new novel, Beethoven’s Thirty-Second. Although I’m enjoying the publishing/editing process for FV, I’m happy to have another novel to work on, too. Actually, I’m very excited about the way B32 is progressing, right now. I’m currently on its third edit, smoothing out the rough spots in the plot and adding sensory details to every scene.
While I was at the Providence Library (what a beautiful, historical building!) I stopped into the archive room and purchased the rights to use a photo of the Larchmont that was in the library’s archives. It’s a great shot of the steamship at its dock in Providence, down near the Point Street Bridge. I get so excited seeing a photo of the Larchmont, almost like seeing a picture of an old friend.
I finally heard from Richard Hoffman! He said that I could use the quote he wrote about my book (the one he included in the announcement of my winning the prize) in any way I saw fit. He ended by writing, “Congrats again on having written a remarkable novel.” What a kind soul! I do hope I have the chance to speak with him again someday soon, maybe take a class from him. Richard seemed to have many valuable/insightful things to say.
I e-mailed a thank-you to Eric for his excellent photography. He refused to accept payment for his work, saying that all he wanted was a signed copy of my novel. I’m surrounded by nice people!
PORTRAIT OF A WOMAN - 1902
Eric sure works fast! He has already corrected the photos he took on Saturday, sent them to me, cropped them, and then re-sent them. And the more I look at the photos, the more I like them. I feel like they show a nice, friendly, middle-aged woman, who’s pretty happy to be where she is in her life, right now. In sort, they do a good job of depicting ME! I suppose it would have been nice if Eric’s photos could have revealed my inner model/beauty queen, but he’s not a magician. And I’m not a model/beauty queen. I’m a wife/mother/architect/writer…and that’s okay!
Nayt e-mailed me answers to my most recent spate of questions. He said that any size/format would work for the author’s photos, so I’m sure the ones that Eric took will be great. There’s no deadline for the blurbs, apparently, so I’ll just try to get them in by the time the Team starts working on the book cover, in late October.
Nayt didn’t sound very sure about helping me out with a blog. It sounds like he doesn’t really have the manpower to assign someone to such a hefty project. I’ve been toying with the idea of asking Kaitlyn Lamb, a close family friend, to help me build a new website and create a blog, too. She’s a graphic designer by trade and would do a great job, I’m sure. I wonder if she’d like to do it…
Eric sent his photo proofs to me via Dropbox today. The color and quality of the photos were amazing. Now, I just need to lose some weight so that I’ll look better in the photos. Actually, I’ve been going to exercise class three times a week since August 1st. I’m determined to lose weight and look better before starting my “book tour” next summer. I wonder how much touring there’ll be?
Chris and I reviewed Eric’s proofs and selected our four favorites. I e-mailed our choices to Eric, so that he could crop them for us. Then I sent another e-mail to Nayt, asking him about photo format, blurb deadlines, and whether or not someone at NRP would be able to help me create a blog with these entries. Although I’m not sure if a fifty-year-old woman is allowed to have a blog. Too high-tech for me?
MAN AND HIS DOG - 1910
I printed out three copies of my manuscript, took them to Staples, and had them bound. Two copies are for Karen and Hollis so they can read them and then write me blurbs. I still haven’t heard from Richard Hoffman, yet. I think I’ll e-mail NRP to see if they have another e-mail address for Richard; I used one I found on-line.
This afternoon, I had my photo shoot for my author photo for the back cover of Frozen Voices. Eric Wertheimer, the photographer, was great. Chris and I met him at his home in Wakefield and found him to be very kind and welcoming and obviously a very talented photographer. (He showed us some other photos he’s taken—of Miss Rhode Island and politicians—and they looked beautiful.) Eric shot the pictures of me across the street from his home, in the lawn of an old white church, filled with flowers and sun-lit bushes. He took dozens of photos using a variety of settings and seemed confident that some of them had come out well, despite my obvious nervousness.
After the photo shoot, Chris took me out for lunch and drinks at a local pub, saying I deserved a Mojito or two. It’s comforting to know that, after twenty-five years of marriage, my husband knows me well enough to know when I am stressing about something. And the Mojitos were good!
Actually, Chris has been very supportive of this whole publishing journey. Ever since I received notice that I’d won the book prize, he has done everything he can to help me out, from coming down to Enders to helping out more with household chores to going with me to the photography session. He even read the entire novel, even though he generally doesn’t enjoy reading. Pretty cool. I’ve always tried to be supportive of his fiddle playing, too. I guess that’s how marriage works.
PROVIDENCE - 1905
Today, Hollis e-mailed to say that she’d be happy to write a blurb, too. I am amazed that these very busy professors/writers/mothers/etc. are willing to commit so much time to read my novel and then craft a blurb about it. Truly generous souls! I’ll have to remember this, if ever someone asks me to write a blurb for him/her. I still haven’t heard from Richard Hoffman about his blurb. I do hope he agrees though, since I really enjoyed meeting him and speaking with him this summer and would like him to be involved in my publishing journey if he wants to be. After all, he’s the one who got me into this in the first place!
Last night, I e-mailed my author’s questionnaire to Nayt. I enjoyed answering the questions, especially the ones about my origins/themes/goals/regrets about writing the novel. It really make me think about Frozen Voices. Through the past six years of writing and rewriting it, I’ve really gotten to know and love my characters as people. What began as me trying to craft a story, ended up with me attempting to show who these people were, what they cared about, and what their dreams were. They were so real to me that when I wrote about them, I’d find myself lost in their 1907 world. After working on the novel for a few hours, I’d look around me and blink, feeling disoriented in my modern-day home. More than once, I’d find myself wanting to speak in person to one of my characters; they were that real to me.
Today, I received an e-mail from Nayt, thanking me for sending the manuscript and completed questionnaire. He said he was excited to start working on FV. He said that the student editors would receive my MS in about two weeks and then two weeks after that, I should hear from one of them, my team liaison. Imagine that—I’m going to have a liaison! (In that book about NRP, there was an essay about a high maintenance author, who often needed to be calmed and reassured by her team liaison. I hope I don’t ever fall into that category.) Nayt said that my liaison will explain the process to me and will let me know what the team will be doing as well as what is expected of me. She’ll be my primary contact at NRP but Nayt said to copy him on all correspondence, too, so that he may keep track of progress. He said I’m welcome to communicate with him directly, too, of ever I should feel the need to do so.
Tonight, I e-mailed those authors about writing “blurbs” for me. I also called Eric Wertheimer, the photographer who Betty Cotter, a local author/friend of mine, recommended for my author’s cover photo. Eric and I are going to try to get together for a photo shoot this weekend, but I’m afraid he’s going to have a challenge dealing with me. As I mentioned previously, I am generally not very good in front of a camera. Maybe I could just find a beautiful model who would let me use a photo of her instead.
Karen Osborn wrote back today to say that she’d be honored to write a blurb for FV. What a nice thing to say! She mentioned that publishers often furnish blurbers with “early bound copies” of the book. I fired off an e-mail to Nayt asking if NRP would be supplying those, but I figure I’ll just print and bind copies myself, over at Staples.
Unfortunately, Michael White had to decline writing a blurb for me. He’s just too busy working on his own novel, which is certainly understandable.
Well, I did it! I just sent New Rivers Press my manuscript and signed contract for Frozen Voices. I guess I’m officially in trouble now! Actually, I am really looking forward to this whole process: working with the student editors and artists as well as the professional ones. I am curious to see what FV will come out looking like a year from now.
In one of his e-mails, Nayt asked me to start soliciting book “blurbs” from others authors, people willing to read FV and then write a few compelling sentences raving about the novel. After some internal debate, I’ve decided to ask Richard Hoffman, Karen Osborn, Hollis Seamon, and Michael White. They are all familiar with the novel and have been very encouraging about it, in the past. I’ll draft a request letter in the next few days and then send it out via e-mail, probably this weekend. I can’t wait to read what they will say about FV!
BABY BUGGY - 1903
Nayt wrote back and I feel sooo much better about this whole contract thing. “You will have input on the interior and the cover design of the book. We have designers that we use, and if you have any suggestions, we can pass them on to them. However, we do like giving them freedom to work with their interpretations of what we give them. Once we get designs, we pass them on to you for feedback, and we can go from there. We don’t typically allow for infinite ‘do-overs’ but one or two rounds of suggestions/changes isn’t unheard of. Also, we’ve had authors provide art to be integrated into the cover in the past. Of course, it is on the author to obtain rights and permissions from the artist to use the piece, if that is a rout you want to take. So, NRP has ‘final say’ in what the book looks like, but we don’t do anything without the author’s okay. We won’t go with a design you completely hate.”
Phew! Although I don’t have a definite vision of what I want the cover of FV to look like, I would be bummed if I had no say in it whatsoever. The cover of a book is such a big part of how it is perceived.
Today I received another e-mail from Nayt Rundquist, the editor at New Rivers Press (NRP). As promised, he attached my contract and an author’s questionnaire and also included some more information about the whole process.
BACHELOR'S PARTY? - YEAR?
I forgot to mention that when I was at Enders last month, Al Davis (NRP) gave me a book called Paper Camera, which tells the 50-year history of New Rivers Press and includes essays about the press from various past and present authors/employees/students. I’ve been reading Paper Camera and finding it very informative and gradually find myself becoming less fearful and more excited about this whole publishing process.
