What to Expect When You're Expecting (a book...)

CONCEPTION:

You look at your computer and wink. You wanna? Yeah, I wanna.

This fabulous chemistry of emotions and passion collide, and many moments (months, years) later, you sit back, breathless, barely able to conjure up a coherent thought.

A few weeks later, you pee on a stick, er, open up a file, and see the sign.

The End.

You did it. A book has been conceived.

FIRST TRIMESTER:

You read your book. It's awfulness makes you want to throw up.

You edit. You edit some more.

Then you ask someone else to read it, and they mark it up with a red pen.

You edit even more.

You venture into a bookstore, just to spy the spot in which your book would be placed alphabetically. Ahhh, such a nice spot.

You go home and edit even more. Read some how-to books, and edit even more.

SECOND TRIMESTER:

You're feeling better about your book now. It's taking a much nicer form. You even print it out and maybe even have it binded at Staples so you can have a picture of what it "might" look like someday.


You query agents. You go to writer's conferences. You get some rejections, some requests. It's a time of waiting, but it'll be worth it in the end.

You start a blog. You network with other writers. Now is the time to set the framework for when your book is out. Now is when you have "time" to do that stuff, people say. Later, you'll be so busy it'll be hard to keep up. You just can't imagine that though. I mean, this is good stuff. The journey is SO MUCH FUN!

THIRD TRIMESTER:

This journey is HARD!


You signed with an agent, which is cool, but now they have a billion things they want you to do. A major publishing house has your manuscript going to pub board, and you're about ready to bite your nails clear off until you hear something.

Or maybe the above didn't happen. Maybe you've decided traditional publishing is for the birds and you're going to do it INDIE Style, NO epidural (or pain meds... or publisher...) to help you along.

Krista - about ready to pop with Annabelle!

You're brainstorming other projects, because who wants a one-time-wonder, right?

And marketing? Really? You're responsible for getting your book sold TOO? How do you do that when you don't even have a published book?

And yeah, you started that blog. Five people visit a week. That's a platform right? What? You need more than that? How do I do that when my baby isn't here yet? Isn't that the point of the stinkin' blog anyway, to sell books? It's too hard. You try to get your significant other to do something to help, cook dinner or something to give you time to get all this done, but they just call it a "hobby" and want you to stop belly-aching.

DELIVERY

WOOT! The pains have BEGUN!


Pub board offered you a contract. Signed, sealed, and announced on Facebook!

Or you've officially started the process to Indie publish (inducing labor I guess??) 

Now the work really begins.

More edits. REALLY PAINFUL edits. And more than one, they just keep coming!

That marketing that was hard before... well, it's breathing down your neck now.  Oh why didn't you work harder on that stupid blog following thing earlier? Everyone warned you, now here you are, spamming everyone's Facebook page, trying to get them to remember you so someone will buy this book you're about ready to have.

The only thing worse than having an ugly book is having one that no one buys.

Interview questions.

Setting up blog tours.

Planning launch parties.

It all has to be done RIGHT NOW and your mind is swirling.

Finally... the time comes.

It's almost there... hehehooooooo..... here comes the author copies!

And then....

A book is born. Published. Available to the public in all its glory.

You smile. Relief.

Of course....

Then the crying, er, book selling comes. And eventually the book grows up and many years later graduates and moves out of the house (goes out of print--lingers in the millions on the Amazon selling ranking) but by then, you've given birth to many other books, hopefully!

In fact, hopefully you're like the Duggers and have a LOT of them.

And you smile. Because you remember the joy of conception, the pain and work that it took to get to the point of delivery. You enjoyed every moment, ever good review, every reader letter letting you know what the book meant to you. In hindsight, it all went pretty well! Oh, and then you take it upon yourself to give those complaining pregnant writer's all the advice that your many published books affords you to give!

Discussion:

Where are you at in your writing journey? What advice do you have for those in the spot right behind you? Is there anything you would have done differently if you could go back?

(This post is an updated repeat from right before I published my first book.... I thought it super appropriate since NEXT MONTH I'll be releasing my second! Oh.... this third trimester pain....)

*** pictures from freedigitalphotos.net ... except of course for the one of my large, prego self! ***

Pregnant Pause...

For those of you following on Facebook, no, in fact, I am no longer pregnant. Yippee! Pregnancy for some is a time of great anticipation and preparation. And while I can admit to feeling those things during those long nine months, most of my pregnancy days are more misery than anything else.

Last week of misery!

If you have children you know that life doesn’t exactly slow down when the pregnancy ends. Once that baby arrives life is more of a tailspin than ever. Well meaning individuals advise pregnant mothers to “sleep now” while you still can. And to “take time for yourself” because motherhood changes everything, including how much “you-time” you’ll have until your nest once again becomes empty.

But here’s the thing… Life doesn’t slow down or stop for anybody. There are seasons of sowing. Busy times of planning and plotting. There are seasons of growth, where the fruits of your labor need lots of nurturing—and energy you don’t always possess. And then, birth… and with it the beautiful product of your labor. Your baby. We are always moving forward, even in seasons of barrenness. But sometimes we need that time. That frustratingly unproductive pause in between, to breathe. To cultivate new ideas. New passions. New dreams. And new stories.

I have been in one of these seasons I like to think of as a sort of pregnant pause. I am anything but still. No less productive, though my productivity looks vastly different these days. My writing time is limited. My physical and emotional resources are tapped. And yet… I am gearing up, yearning to get back on the horse to embrace another season of writing and new stories to be told.

But while I wait here in this fissure between stories already woven and stories I’m desperate to unearth from my heart, I am finding something rejuvenating in the in-between. No, I wouldn’t call this time rest. And I’m certainly not “blocked” or uninspired.

I’m pregnant with anticipation, and filling up on dreams for the journey ahead. 

Alley Kitten - Eisley Violet Simpson born March 14, 2014

 

And I can’t wait to tell you about the stories God is preparing to birth in me! What about you? Tell me about YOUR baby! I’ve been out of touch for so long I’d love to hear about that little bun in your oven. And well, we’ve got to get those elevator pitches started for conference season. Hard labor, I know, but let’s hear some teasers about the next round of up-and-coming best-sellers. :)

Love and thanks for all the prayers and support!

-Amy & Eisley

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Amy Leigh Simpson writes Romantic Suspense that is heavy on the romance, unapologetically honest, laced with sass and humor, and full of the unfathomable Grace of God. She is the completely sleep deprived mama to two little tow-headed mischief makers and wife to her very own swoon-worthy hero. Represented by the oh-so-wise and dashing Chip MacGregor of MacGregor Literary Inc.