And She Had That "New Mother" Glow

Posted by Kate Flora

The gestation period for most first books is more like that of an elephant. Perhaps longer, since an elephant pregnancy is twenty-two months, while a first author's determined slog toward publication can be five to ten years. A long, slow process of imagination, creation, submission and rejection that requires enormous stamina and courage. The route from that germ of an idea through rough first draft to polished final product often involves many cycles of hiding in the closet, experiencing incredible fear of going to the mailbox or opening the mail, and periods of terrible desolation and discouragement that lead the writer to consider giving up and tossing the manuscript into a closet or, far worse, the fire or the sea.

Then, one day, something magical happens. The rejection letters start getting more positive, the agents more encouraging. And then there is a sea change, and the mailman or the ringing phone finally brings the long awaited news: someone wants to publish the book.

This week at Five Star/Cengage's Customer Appreciation Day, some of us authors who have been at the game for a long time got to share in the special beauty of a new author's joy. I do not use these words lightly. The moment when an author meets her first book and knows that she is in print is beautiful and special. And the mystery writing community--perhaps because we can get all the bad stuff out of our systems through our writing--is an especially generous and supportive one. So watching Sibylle's debut was one we could enjoy without green-eyed envy or any negative sense of competition. No. Toni Kelner and I beamed like proud aunts.

Sibylle Barrasso has been our friend for a long time. She's been a good soldier. A staunch member of the New England mystery community, active in Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and has served on the New England Crime Bake committee. (The Crime Bake is our regional mystery conference, held each November in Massachusetts. www.crimebake.org.) We've watched her face the challenge  of submission and rejection. Watched her go through rewrite. Watched her twice be a finalist in the St. Martin's Best Private Eye contest. And we've watched her refuse to give up.

Her determination and tenacity are a model for all aspiring writers. And her reward is the moment when she got to hold her newly published book and savor her Library Journal review:

"Barrasso's approach to the PI genre might be considered a softer version of Sue Grafton, but her touch is as deft."

In her wonderful book about writing and the writer's experience, Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott talks so truly about the day when your book is published. She writes:

"There is something mythic about the date of publication, and you actually come to believe that on this one particular morning you will wake up to a phone ringing off the hook and your publisher will be so excited that they will have hired the Blue Angels precision flying team to buzz your squalid little hovel, which you will be moving out of as soon as sales of the book really take off. Or at least they will remember to send flowers."

No one I know has gotten the Blue Angels. I don't even know anyone who has gotten flowers, although on the day that I sold my first book, my loving husband slogged for hours through mushy Boston sleet to find a liquor store that stocked the bottle of Perrier-Jouet he had promised would mark the end of my eight years of striving. He came home warm-hearted and empty handed.

I didn't mind. He'd tried. And anyway, hanging in imaginary flashing lights above my head was a huge balloon banner that read: I SOLD MY BOOK! As for squalid hovels, if we had to rely on what I make, instead of pooling resources with the loving H....some years we'd be in a cardboard box, dreaming of plywood. But getting back to that first book....

There were many authors at the Five Star event. We all had a lovely time. But nothing matched Sibylle's glow and it was infectious. No one could be around her without smiling. The old Aunts nodded and clucked and urged her to savor the day. We love all our books. They're like children. We've spent months, or years, with the stories and the characters. But there is nothing like that first born and nothing like watching a first time author when she holds it. Yeah Sibylle! Enjoy. We're sending mental squadrons of Reader Angels to fly over your house.

Comments

[Sheila Connolly]

Hmmm...I'm going to have to ask your husband to speak to my husband. I think my spouse's response regarding Publication Day (yesterday!) was, "oh, is that important?" Now, if it had come with a five figure check, he might have noticed.

[Kate Flora]

I've concluded, since only those of us who've been through it can know what it truly means, that we have to supply the celebration, too. Or make a pact with our friends. I remember with my first book, it was just this brown paper envelope that landed on the doorstep. No parade, no confetti, no shouting. But I picked it up and danced it around the room.

Once, years ago, I had lunch with a publisher, my agent, the marketing people, my editor, the whole nine yards (excuse the football metaphor, these were mostly women)and they treated me like royalty. Later I thanked my editor, saying how wonderful it was to be treated the way I'd always imagined an author would be treated, and she said, "Ah, yes. But we can turn on you at any time."

She told the truth.

[Ross the husband]

Yes Kate, she did tell the truth. Which renders your heartfelt piece all the more vital. Those all-too-fleeting moments of joy (YEAH Sibylle YEAH!)and validation and vindication make it all worthwhile. And every writer who has the guts to spend solitary hours banging away on a word processor in the hope their inner world may appeal to others deserves such a moment.
Rock on Goddess!

[Kate Flora]

For those who don't know, "Ross the Husband" is the mainstay and supporter of the incredibly talented Julia Spencer-Fleming, and he knows whereof he speaks. (Greetings to the three lovely children.)

I wish we had more chances to celebrate each other's accomplishments, instead of schlepping all over the place, burdened like camels with books and pr stuff, convincing people to buy our books. But I hope that Sibylle, and Ross, and Julia, and our blog sister Sheila, and all the hardworking and talented folks who tear stories out of their imaginations for the pleasure of others will take a moment, now and then, and just breathe in the pure joy that writing can be, and the lovely feeling that happens when you pick up your new books.

Rock on all you writing Gods and Goddesses.

[J. Copek]

Sibylle's been in a writing group with me for many years, and we've all watched Dark Water get better and better and finally published, so it's our triumph, too, in a way. One was there at the birthing process.

Me? I'm slogging away on book #6, and still stubborn as an old mule and ever hopeful.