The "hurry up and wait" game

I mailed the complete manuscript of "Two Moons in Africa" to the publisher yesterday, along with 22 photos with cut lines, directions for interior layout, author bio and book summary. It took us two weeks to pull this all together into one package. I worked every night after the day job and spent the good share of the past two weekends on it. Now we wait. . .

It may be weeks before we hear anything from the publisher, except to say they received the book. Then one day a call will come, "We need the galley proofed." I'll put myself on another marathon stretch because the publisher will tell me the only thing keeping the book from being in print will be my turnaround time. When I get that close to publication, I'm in a frenzy pushing toward that final goal. Then it will be the marketing plan that will have to be completed. Web page design and layout proofed. E-mail lists compiled and book reviewers chosen. And the long periods in between while what I accomplished is incorporated. And while the waiting time between each step becomes shorter, the waiting time in my mind becomes interminable.

It is a bit like giving birth. I know when I hold that "baby" in my hands and turn it over and see my picture on the back, I will have forgotten the four years of labor that went into its birth and only remember the exhilaration of producing something for others to see.

Then after those first moments of unadulterated joy in the accomplishment, the real work begins: the selling of the book.

And now I wait.