I have a cold so I’m eschewing complete sentences this week. Instead, I spent an inordinate amount of time on mediocre graphics.
Graduate with MFA
Go to Key West to celebrate
Start writing memoir
Working title: Memoir
(I’m excellent at titles. Or the opposite of excellent.)
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Since the title “Memoir” is exceedingly lame, retitle project as “Girl” in hopes that future editor will re-title it for me at a later date
Send first queries while offices are closed for 3-day weekend and therefore can’t respond, protecting my fragile ego that would otherwise secretly hope to get a request for full within five minutes of hitting send
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Query
Revise
Query
Revise
Bite fingernails
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Receive offer
Become speechless for first time in life
Sign contract
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Receive first installment of advance
Feel like real writer for 5 minutes
Finally make friends with Twitter
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Start working on cover design
Discover original title, “Girl,” is already taken
Convince Writing Partner to come up with new title because I completely suck at titles and she is most excellent at it.
Decide Girlish is much, much cooler title anyway.
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Confirm final-final cover design
Order promotional cards with book cover to hand out at AWP in February
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Find courage to solicit blurbs for book
Live in terror as people I admire read my unedited draft
Final-final cover design is rejected by Unnamed Deities of Marketing
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Receive first blurbs!
Do happy dance in kitchen
Throw out 65 business cards with old cover
Go through several revisions of new design
Admire new cover
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Deliver final-final manuscript
Deliver additional blurbs
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Wait patiently for my turn in editing queue
Hire outside publicist
make book trailer to keep busy
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Receive and complete edits
Finally send my mother a draft of memoir
Receive galley/Swoon over galley
Commence nightly anxiety attacks because people will actually read memoir
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Start daydreaming about book release parties
Continue with nightly anxiety attacks
Drink a lot of calming tea
Start publicity campaign with publicist
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Book release scheduled for Girlish: Growing Up in a Lesbian Home
i like how the snow drifts down through all the photos
WordPress magic.
Love this, Lara. So creative! Hope you get over your cold quickly. Looking forward to reading your book.
Thanks so much!