My first book manuscript's at the publishers!!

After 390 hours--logged in 2010--of "work" on my novel, I have just today sent it via the internet to iUniverse (Bloomington, IN)for them to turn it into a solid book--one with creme pages, using Garamond font, 12-point. It will be available in hardback, softback and Kindle, but iU has the say on how much it will cost.
I had seen --and liked the looks of--Sam Taggart's, Joel Cooper's and two of Elizabeth Carroll Foster's books. That's why I decided from the get-go to (ahem) go with iU. I was warned by two colleagues to try another route, but I disregarded their fears. I may be sorry, but if I am, I will spread the news far and wide so others will not be so fast to decide on this company.
What will I do with all my time, I wonder? First, a vacation to the East Coast, then time and energy first on the yard, then the inside of the house. Starting with the back porch, going to the attic, then finishing with the toolshed.
Perhaps by that time, I'll be so tired, I'll want to start another book--so I can rest!
BTW: 390 hours divided by 6 months equals 65 hours per month, which is only around 2 hours per day average. Doesn't sound as impressive this way, does it? pl

Is it still June?

What a long month! And it's only just half over. Why, during this week only, grandson/ward Billy got a job at Target (which meant two interviews and a drug test), took his driving test and passed, got his driver's license, drove to work twice, to the grocery store and to Hastings--all in my 2003 Taurus.

I, on the other hand, have submitted (to iUniverse) my 50-word bio, a 25-word mini-description of the book, a 200-word back-cover synopsis, the marketing phrases, text for the book jacket flaps, and my choices of size, and paper color for the inside. I even got to say how I wanted the cover to look.

I have formatted the 72,000-plus words into a single-spaced document with all print characters shown, first paragraphs of chapters flush on the left (industry standards, you know), and line breaks after chapters. When I'm through proofing for the final time, I will delete the page numbers and submit via email for publishing.

This time next week, I'll be in a Hylander, with two sisters, driving to Hilton Head where we will meet up with the fourth sister for a week's vacation.

Jam-Packed June, continued

Here I am at Piggott AR, participating in a week's writers' retreat at the inspiring location of the Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museums. We meet and write all over the hill--some in the education center (where I am), some on the porch of the main house, some in Hemingway's barn loft and others in the work room of the ed center.

I actually finished writing my long-in-progress novel!! I needed only the last two chapters to close my story. Ironically, the finish happened--not on the H-P premises-- but in my room at the Downtown Inn bed-and-breakfast, sitting on the bed, leaned against a pillow, with the laptop resting on a long bolster on my lap. The bolster was long enough to hold my flash drive on one side of the computer and the mouse on the other.

I put my money where my mouth was and sent in all the information forms required by iUniverse Publishing. Today, I received in return, an e- letter from my "Check-in Coordinator," who attached five pre-submission forms/ guidelines.

June 24 is my goal for having all things submitted. We'll see. pl

Jam-Packed June

child's paint water
disappearing
into brown carpet
~
gift-plant stowaway
singing all night
in the house
~
interior designer's
elegant home--
the dusty skylight
~
successful short flight
from privet to windowsill
two young cardinals
~
three words
striking fear in her heart:
"It's swimsuit season!"
~
humid afternoon
the billboard painter
brushing on a smile
~
middle-aged man
staring into the ocean
shell at his ear . . . no, cell
~
bereavement lily
its orange fallout
blessing me
~
the doves' calls
(sounds I always thought were owls)
now in unison
~
Saturdays
at the auction barn
her only "night out"
~~Pat Laster
c 2010 lovepat press