I announced it on Facebook and I’m announcing it here, with pleasure: My second novel, The Discus Thrower, has been accepted for publication by Soho Press. The book is set in Italy 1938, and is a road adventure story, through Tuscany and the Piedmont, about classical art, politics, and love. Pub date is early 2012. Best of all, I’ll be working with an editor I really, really admire.
When my 16-year-old son heard me making anxious comments about post-publication issues (like marketing), he said, “So which of part of this process do you like?” Well, the truth is, before I was published, I thought publication was the best part. Walking into a store and seeing the book on the table. Checking Amazon and getting a peek at customer reactions.
But in truth, I get really nervous about the reviews, sales figures, and all that. My favorite part, actually, is now: the opportunity to collaborate with an editor, to finally be part of a team after working on something alone (mostly) for so long. I’m always hoping, up until the final proof, to learn something more from the story itself, to have a last-minute epiphany as the excess is pared away and the best of the work emerges. The butterflies in my stomach are dancing around at that prospect: of spending the winter holidays working on a manuscript. (We writers have strange ideas about the ideal ‘vacation,’ don’t we?)
Happy as I am at this moment, I could almost forget about the recent times I was quite unhappy about writing. But darn (or bless!) the electronic trails a blog leaves behind. For example, my August post, Cold Night in Rejection City. I mention it because several of you took time after reading that post to email or call, to offer sage advice or a silly link to something funny when I needed it most. Thanks again for that.
And: Wahooooo!
Great news! Congrats!
Congratulations Andromeda! May the muse always be with you.
Wonderful, wonderful news! And testimony that we can continue to publish as we give back to others through efforts like the 19 Alaska Writing Center.
Congratulations! Super-fab.
-Therese Harvey
Congratulations! I'm so excited for you. My only disappointment — I have to wait a year to read it!
WAY TO GO!
For you, Andromeda, an congratulatory original Don Rearden joke:
What does Santa say to Andromeda at Christmas?
So-Ho! Ho!
Congrats! And yet another great reason for the 49 Alaska Writing Center–to share and connect each other through writing successes. This is exciting news!
Congratulations, Andromeda. I'm looking forward to reading it. And it's set in some of my favorite country. Benissimo! Stupendo!
Thanks everyone — these comments are great.
And of course, Don, your "So-Ho Ho" cracked me up.
The Chanukah twist: Someone else online just gave me a "novel tov" (kinda rhymes with mazel tov)
Virtual High Five! We are so proud!
Congrats, awesome news! It sounds like a great story and we're all hoping the time flies until we can read it ourselves. Thanks for sharing your journey with us.
Nice, Andromeda, congrats. Let the rousing book launch planning commence!
Just read about this (I'm behind on my blog reading). That's so exciting Andromeda. Congratulations. Look forward to reading it!