Writing and Early Love by Debutante Eileen

Today I received my first book review. I’ve been really looking forward to seeing the reviews and dreading them at the same time. It is the nature of the book business that no matter how great your book might be- there will be people who love it and people who don’t.  It occurred to me that writing and publishing is a lot like young love.

1) When you are young you are convinced your crush will never like you. Hopefully, you get the guts up to at least approach the object of your desire.

When you start writing you are convinced no one will ever want to read anything you write.  If you are the kind to stick with it- you sit down to at least try and write a book.

2) You get all dressed up for the school dance, perhaps an extra coating of Bonny Bell lip smacker, big hair and some Chic jeans. As soon as you get to the dance  you realize how many other people there are who look as good- or gasp- better than you.

You finally finish a book. You are thinking you are destined for a literary award. Then you start talking and reading other debut authors and suddenly you realize- a lot of people are good. Scary good.

3) No matter how big you make your hair, no matter how much you flirt- obtaining the affection of your crush is outside of your control.

In writing you can write the best book you can, but the ultimate decision is up to the reader.

4) If you are nervous, with young love you can practice your kissing technique with a stuffed bear.

With writing you can practice with a critique group or partner. (the writing not the kissing- unless you have a really liberal writing group)

5) With young love you will find some of your crushes have crushes on you and some don’t even know you are alive.

With writing there will be those that love your book and those who didn’t get past page ten.

This debut year feels as nerve wracking and as exciting as first love.  And my first review? It was as good as a first kiss.

Cook’s debut novel seems destined to climb to the top of the bestseller
lists. It’s laugh-out-loud funny, and readers will immediately fall in love
with her style. This book reaches a new level of comedy with its hilarious
heroine, exhilarating plot and fresh new approach to this well-loved genre.” -Romantic Times

 

11 Replies to “Writing and Early Love by Debutante Eileen”

  1. I’m thrilled for you, Eileen. That is a wonderful review and again makes me want to read your book pronto. I’ve found that regardless of which stage of the publishing process you’re involved with presently, self-doubt at being accepted into literary circles creeps in. Thank goodness for writing communities like the debs. Again, congratulations on your great reveiw.

  2. Congratulations on the great review Eileen! And a fantastic post. Very true. I received my first two reviews on the same day, so I guess it wasn’t just like a first kiss, it was like getting to second base. However, since they were sneak peeks at what was coming out in print, I haven’t been able to share them.

  3. Great news, Eileen. Frame that review, hang it next to your desk,and allow it to replace the whispers of doubt with, “…destined to be a bestseller…”

    Congratulations to Sandra, too.

  4. I laughed out loud at “No matter how big you make your hair…”

    Fantastic post and wow, wow, wow to that review! That’s amazing, seriously. You might consider painting that one on the outside of your house, your car…will your husband hold still for a lengthy tattoo?

  5. Congratulations on your great review!

    I love your crush observations. What is it about having a crush on someone that makes them so terrifyingly powerful?

  6. Tish, my son-in-law has more sense than my daughter. He’ll never get a tattoo. I regret to say she has one. The only good thing that can be said about it is that it is Celtic in nature and the bad thing is that it is visible being on her ankle. (She could have put it on her hip where only her husband could laugh at it.) She did it to spite me and my will is now written in pencil as she keeps get written out of it and then does something that get her back in my good graces and I have to write her back in. (Kind of a Celtic Roulette!!)

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