Friday 7 March 2008

Second sighting

After stumbling across Café au Lait on the Internet about two months ago I set up a Google Alert with my name and novel title. As a result, there's an e-mail from Google in my inbox most days, but always with links to my own blog, the blogs of my online buddies who have linked to me, and to my writers' group, The Novel Racers. Today, however I was surprised and excited to find that the Google Alerts have scored a biggie - the first appearance of the title on a bookstore site.

Here it is: Chapters.indigo.ca. I've never heard of this Canadian store; maybe some of my far-northern visitors have? If I had some alcohol in the house I'd drink to this news. And the book isn't even going to be released until September! You can even pre-order it. Is that cool or what?!? Now I'm going to have to restrain myself from ordering my own book. Am I crazy to even be thinking stuff like that? After all, I'm supposed to get author's copies...

There's no cover photo on the site; I haven't seen the artwork yet and I doubt very much that it's even ready. So what does this tell me? That the wheels are turning behind the scenes without my knowledge, input or trying to play general manager of the universe. The publishers are doing their job. Maybe now I can settle down and finally get those revisions to novel No. 2 done and sent off to the agent. She's been waiting for almost a year and my dilly-dallying is unpardonable.

Tell me, published writers out there: Did you feel this great, fluttery excitement when you first sighted your debut novel in a bookstore? Did you look around your very ordinary life, in your very ordinary world, and think: I wanted to do this extraordinary thing, and I did it? Did you walk, like I did through the streets of Port of Spain today, with a lilt in your steps and an inner smile because goddammit, you were a writer - an author? Did the lady behind the counter at the post office beam back at you when you went to post an ordinary letter, as if she could sense your happiness?

Joy is so episodic, so ephemeral. I'm going to bask in this ray and milk it for all it's worth.

11 comments:

Jenny Beattie said...

Wordtryst, OMG how incredibly exciting this post is. I think it must be totally normal to feel this kind of reaction. You've done brilliantly - enjoy the feeling.
jjx

Anonymous said...

woohoo!
This is so exciting - enjoy it, because I am sure it's just going to get better as the book is actually printed - so practice :-D

Pacha said...

That is so exciting and wonderful Liane. Keep on walking a lilt in your steps. I'm betting you're going to have many of these days yet!

Sandra Cormier said...

Chapters is THE major bookstore chain in Canada. It includes Coles bookstores and SmithBooks (if any are still around). Chapters-Indigo is the online bookstore. Super duper congrats is in order!

Lane Mathias said...

That really exciting!

Enjoy it. I'm sure this is the first of many lilting steps:-)

Karen said...

How thrilling.

The sort of thing I dream about...when I'm not having nightmares that I'm never going to 'make it' !!

Enjoy :o)

Matt said...

Wooooohoooo!

I gave you a customer rating of 5 maple leaves. :-D

Anonymous said...

I suppose by the time you have your 20th novel published and gave your 218th TV interview, the joy might subside, but not before :)

Liane Spicer said...

JJ, it is indeed. Interestingly, though, the people in my family whom I share this stuff with just take it in their stride. It's my blog/writer friends who really get it, and who share the excitement with me. [Maybe my folks are excited too but just don't show it much. :)]

Chennette, I hope so!

Pacha, thank you. I'm so looking forward to all of it.

Chumplet, it IS? Wonderful! So the publisher is doing its job of getting the 'product' out there...

Lane, exciting is the word! My volatile mood took a plunge when I found that the bookstore site had added a plot description with errors over the weekend, but I drew the editor's attention to it and she's going to get it fixed - I hope! So I'm back to being excited...

Karen, thanks for dropping by. It is thrilling, indeed. It'll be even more thrilling if I actually get some returns on the whole shebang. When is the first royalty statement due again? Oh, eighteen months from now...!

Matt!!!!! You are so crazy! You are! I can't believe you've done that, but I checked and you did indeed. You've just earned yourself one free autographed copy of the book. I doubt you read romance, but maybe your wife does? Anyway, you're getting that copy just for making me scream with laughter here.

Akalol, I just love your optimism. :)

Matt said...

I think I speak for all of your commenters when I say I'm definitely reading your book.

Liane Spicer said...

Thank you, Matt. I'm looking forward to reading yours too. [hint, hint]