Author Unknown, Author Undaunted

That lack of loyalty just crept up again, thinking about sending a book off to New York, when 1stbooks, down in Bloomington, is right here in Indiana and they did provide me with a quality, sharp looking book the first time.

Anyway, I brought up Kirshbaum along with Time Warner because I decided to include that POD too, since TW is actually venturing right into Internet print-on-demand publishing. So I sent a questionnaire to Mr. Kirshbaum and one to the vice-president, general manager of ipublish.com, Gregory Voynow, just in case the CEO is too busy to reply. Time will tell if I get any feedback from the "big house." (Late entry: Never did, even when I dropped off and offered TW two future bestsellers, in person.)

Just another observation/feeling, but pretty soon I think the publishing industry, if not already at this point, will be much like restaurants and work places with reference to sidewalks and parking lots that had no choice but to find the monetary means and provide updated accommodations to meet the needs/rights of the handicapped, a special group of people.

Only this time, the modernized world will be accommodating us, universal writers!

Now I’m counting on these folks to help me out here, provide some good input and in a timely fashion. Of course, what will probably happen, is the need for a follow up letter and/second request. Maybe they’ll have to learn the hard way that persistence in difficult matters is my hobby.

Writer’s group meets this Sunday. So I’ll be able to drop off questionnaires then for my comrades, again expecting full cooperation. We’ll see.

In the meantime, I checked my e-mail. I received word from Xlibris that Autobiography of an Allergic Asthmatic Survivor is indeed in the publication process. I still await the return of my book of poems, Affinity for Rainbows, from my editor. She was in the midst of a swamp load of work, editing books, etc., so she explained that I had to promise to be patient, that I may even have to utilize the services of another highly recommended editor. I am certain that it will be worth the wait, since I value both individuals for their creative, literary insight and qualitative editing skills.

My birthday’s just around the corner, so needless to say, since I am still on the first chapter, this book will not be completed in four more days. But that’s just me. I tend to dream big and in a hurry. I usually follow through but the end result often comes much, much later than anticipated and of course sometimes I have to be flexible, adjust my initial plans or expectations. A fine example of what I am talking about would be writing my first book, visualizing and working toward its publication and only accomplishing that about twenty years later.

Thank God for progress though. I sincerely hope most of our present and future most talented writers and bestsellers do not have to wait anywhere near that long! But remember, if you are a rookie at this, trying to write, publish, promote and sell; be ready for setbacks, and disappointments.

And you must swear on your honor that you will diligently practice perseverance, or else you might as well surrender your hopes and dreams right here and now. Don’t get me wrong, just like lotto winners, they’re out there sometimes, the absolutely irritating luckiest people in the world.

For instance, say a teenager who writes her first book in high school lit class and sells it to the first publisher that reviews it. It’s probably happened and it’s remarkable for the young writer, but revolting for those of us who have to sweat it out and pay dues, one after another, for years and years without much encouragement.

Not anymore. Writers have every reason these days to be incredibly inspired and optimistic. If you’re a writer, you probably know exactly what I’m talking about. If not, let me put it this way. Imagine yourself standing inside a car dealer’s showplace. Fancy, shiny, brand new incredibly expensive, beautiful autos. Smooth, fine, impressive interiors.

The thing is, you know you’re only looking, only dreaming, but understanding reality, you know you’re walking out empty handed. Well that’s how it used to feel most of the time as I sat at the word processor. Yeah I dreamed and hoped and thought even, I’ll find a way to make it work, to get this fine piece of work into a book. But year after year, I only dreamt. It didn’t happen. Not until, you guessed it, print-on-demand technology, my dream come true. So now, when I sit at the word processor, it’s as if I’m in that showplace, not merely dreaming, but knowing in my heart, that I’m in control and driving out of there with the real thing, one of those fancy cars. I found a way. Somebody came into my life and helped me make it happen.

Funny thing, I used to feel like a pioneer in the Health and Wellness field of life. I still do somewhat. But for many years and especially at this moment in time, I feel extremely lucky and proud to be an advocate and pioneering author who firmly believes in the wonderful promise and reality of innovative, accommodating dream providers called print-on-demand publishing services.

Now, I’m trying hard to at least make progress, so the next page you turn to will be Part II.

But, first, just one last reminder, from “Will.” (If Shakespeare actually wrote it.) In scanning materials to find the following quote, I also learned that many people doubted that Shakespeare was the actual author of much of the literary works attributed to him. The famous line is taken from The tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare, Washington Square Press, New York, 1961, the back of the book, no page number, famous lines and phrases. It poetically reads like this