Road to Publication

RETIRING

2006-04-12T10:29:00.000-07:00

Now that my book is finally out, I don't really see the purpose of keeping this blog up. I'll be writing about my work and thoughts in my other blog: I, the Author.

This blog is now closed.

Updates

2006-01-18T18:03:00.001-08:00

Things are happening. First of all, early reviews are slowly trickling out. The first one is from January Magazine, the second from Absolute Write, and the third by a fellow blogger Dawn. Also, if you look at my Amazon.com page, you would see additional reviews and blurbs.

My book is now listed on multiple booksellers' sites including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Wal-Mart, and Joseph-Beth, among others.

I'm surprised. I know for a fact that not all books (traditionally published, POD, etc.) are listed on these sites. Also, Ingram has changed their policies recently, that they won't stock POD/Vanity books anymore. That must have affected the way online book stores list their books and do business as well, for they will no longer be able to order POD books through Ingram.

Anyway, the idea is to get as much coverage as possible. Amazon, BN and BAMM are the biggest booksellers. Joseph-Beth is big player in the Mid-West. So to get into their database is the first step. Now, I just need to convince them to stock the book in their stores!

I'm making head way. I'll be calling and speaking to the local stores soon, as well as libraries. I've been talking to Linda Keller at Barnes & Noble, who also is in charge of the Mad Anthony Writer's Conference and Book Festival. Well, after some initial wrangling and glitches, I'm in for the book signing, and I'll also to doing a workshop at the conference. That's pretty exciting, I think. It also paves the way for more book signing opportunities.

While working with Linda on the signing, we discovered a glitch with the Barnes & Noble ordering database. According to their internal records, The Pacific Between is marked at "non-returnable." That is like the "kiss of death" for publishers because book stores like BN would not stock any books that are not returnable. Behler definitely has a returnable policy, and according to Ingram, our books are marked as returnable. So the problem lies at Barnes & Noble's internal system. My publish has been very diligent in solving the problem -- they even went to BN's corporate trying to rectify the glitch. I'm happy to report that it seems like everything is okay now.

Joseph-Beth might also be sponsoring a book signing in the near future. Stay tuned for more info...

~ Ray

So Much To Do...

2005-12-25T20:45:00.000-08:00

So much to do, so little time.

Here's a list of things I need to accomplish this week:

1. Follow up with:

Brentano's Books
Cheryl w.r.t. radio interview
Mundania Press w.r.t. short story contract
Amazon.com Short Fiction program
Joseph-Beth

2. Make initial contact with:

Local libraries
Regional Joseph-Beth book stores
Regional Barnes & Noble
Regional Borders

3. Publicity:

Revise press release and press kit
Prepare press kit for all regional media
Prepare press kit for select national media
Send postcard to production

Advertising and Publicity

2005-12-21T08:17:00.000-08:00

They're the necessary evil. Sure, the best way to get the words out about your book is by word of mouth, or reviews in major trade journals such as Kirkus, Publisher Weekly or the New York Times, but chances of a book by a small press being picked up is kind of depressing.

So what's the author to do? Well, he needs to publicize, advertise, and promote. It's not cheap, and it's time-consuming. But if you want to have some control of your success, you've got to make some investment.

For example, I just purchased some advertising at ForeWord Magazine. It's definitely not cheap, and there's no guarantee of success. But if I don't throw my book out there, who will? Just hope that my book's striking titile and cover and intersting premise would entice someone.

Sending press kits and ARCs to media is not cheap either, and again, there's not guarantee that they would even mention the book, and even if they do, there's no guarantee that people will take note and buy the book. I'm still new to this business and I seriously don't know what makes people buy books. Is it the cover? Is it the synopsis? First chapter? Word of mouth? Does advertising and publicity actually work? I have no idea. But I'll darned if I don't do it. Like the old cliche goes: you can't win if you don't play.

I'm currently having a pre-release promotion. Check it out.

I also know I'll have to devote the next few months, or even years, in promoting the book. I strongly believe in it and I think people will really enjoy it once they give it a chance, and I'll be darned if I don't push it myself. Who's going to do that for me? Nobody, except myself. I don't like being a salesman -- I am a writer, not a business person, and sometimes I wish I were with a big house with a $$$$$$ marketing machine and I wouldn't have to do any work. But that ain't going to happen so I'd better get on with it.

Hopefully, I would still have the creative motivation to finish writing my second book, which, I think, is even a better story than the first <---- shameless plug here.

I'm going to be sending press kits and advance copies to all the local media. Hopefully, someone will bite.

Wish me luck.

Pre-Release Promotion

2005-12-21T00:13:00.000-08:00

To draw people to the website and promote the book, I've decided to run a pre-release promotion, which ends on March 1, 2006 (see details here).

I think a little sweepstake might spike interest and draw traffic to my site. But who knows? Maybe this won't work. But you won't know until you try, right?

So come on over and enter! The prizes are fabulous, which include a $50 Barnes & Noble gift certificate!

Book Signings

2005-11-22T11:43:00.000-08:00

It's probably too early, but I have been talking to book sellers in my area to see about setting up book signings or readings. So far, most of them seem to be receptive. The local author angle is good. I think I might be able to persuade Joseph-Beth to hold readings at their stores -- that would make it a three-state, five-city book tour all in itself. Anyway, I don't know if anything would pan out yet, but I'm just anxious to get out there and tell people about my book. Isn't this crazy?

Another Contract?

2005-11-21T21:43:00.000-08:00

Mundania is interested in publishing one of my short stories in eBook format. I haven't seen the contract yet, but they're saying authors get 50% royalties (granted, the pieces won't sell for much individually).

Press Kit

2005-11-08T07:50:00.000-08:00

This week I'll be preparing my press kits and sending them out. I'll also visit some local book stores and libraries to pitch my book -- I'm hoping to get some signings and readings set up.

So...

What's in a press kit? Here's a list of things to be included in a press kit:

1. Press Release -- basically an announcement of your book. Make it news worthy. Make it relevant and exciting and let people know why it matters.
2. Author Bio -- not a memoir; just a brief summary of who you are and what you've done in terms of writing. Feel free to include any fun facts of yourself, but don't bog it down with endless details
3. Author Photo -- professionally done headshots preferred. Do not include a snapshot that looks like Aunt Marie took of you while drunk. Also, be recent. Don't include something that is 10 years and 30 pounds earlier
4. CD, audio, video (optional) -- if you have done TV or radio interviews in the past, it's a good idea to include a copy of the footage or taping. That's to show that you're camera or radio ready
5. Business cards and other marketing materials such as bookmarks, posters, etc.
6. A copy of the book covers -- so they can use it for copies
7. A copy of your book -- so they can check it out and see what the fuss is about...
8. Reviews -- if you have any positive reviews, include them
9. Q&A and suggested questions -- media are busy people; they want you to do most of the homework for them. Besides, it gives them a better idea of what kind of writers you are

Stories of Strength

2005-11-08T07:48:00.000-08:00

The Anthology was released on November 1. Please order your copy now:

http://www.storiesofstrength.com/

Subscribe to This Blog

2005-11-01T22:52:00.000-08:00

You can now subscribe to this blog and get email updates when I post something new.

Use this link: http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub=6991

Things Are Moving Again

2005-10-25T11:19:00.000-07:00

The publisher just informed me the review galleys had gone out, and also a new print run had been completed. I haven't seen the new books yet. I hope the print quality is good this time and we can move on.

Whew!

That's exactly why we need at least a few months for pre-release activities. Even the best-oiled machine sometimes cracks. If everything is a go, now it's the time for me to sit back, relax, and think about marketing and promotions.

I just talked to Brentano's Books in Beverly Hills about a possible signing. The event manager was very helpful and she seemed impressed when she pulled the information of my book off their database (yes, it's in there, and it's categorized as CALIFORNIA NOVEL -- how cool is that?). She said they had a hand-sell program that has been very successful in pushing specific authors, and they were partial to up-and-coming, ethnic ones. So she was definitely intrigued by the premise of the story (the cultural themes, etc.) and the fact that I was a minority.

I was apprehensive when I first approached the book stores. It was the first time I actually had to recite my pitch! I just wasn't that good of a salesman. But the experience with Brentano's was very positive and gave me some confidence.

I can do this.

Advance

2005-10-11T21:01:00.000-07:00

Ooh, the check for the advance is in the mail. I'm getting paid! So officially, I'm now a professional novelist. *laugh*

What Bloody Mess

2005-09-27T11:10:00.000-07:00

The first print run is defective. The problems? The covers do not lie flat and there's a small rip in the spine. Other than that, the print quality is excellent. But because of the problems with the covers, we'll have to another run. The printer has apologized and hopefully they'll do some quality control this time.

Stories of Strength

2005-09-24T09:31:00.000-07:00

Just got words that my essay, "The Truths About Rains And Floods," will be included in the Stories of Strength Anthology -- a project benefiting the Katrina relief efforts. All proceeds from the sales of the anthology would go directly to the Red Cross.

The book is set to be released in October, 2005.

It's a worthy cause. The Anthology will feature known and unknown authors, including Orson Scott Card (author of Ender's Game) and Wil Wheaton.

For more information, please click here.

Bookmarks and Postcards

2005-09-14T13:31:00.000-07:00

I just got 2500 bookmarks made, to be given away.

I'm in the process of designing and making some postcards for promotional purposes. I'll also be making up posters.

My publisher says the ARCs will be sent to reviewers either this week or next.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer has agreed to do a review on the book in January.

Insanity

2005-09-05T20:52:00.000-07:00

I just discovered the insanity of Amazon.com book rankings. What addictive and utterly unproductive piece of information. I found myself checking it at least once a day last week, and saw the ranking of my book rise, then fall, then rise again, then fall again... the madness never stopped.

First, it was at about 230K, and I thought that was pretty good, considering my book's not out yet and there's been no advertising or publicity. So probably a few dear friends have pre-ordered. Then the next day, it went up to 77K. I was surprised. Then came the madness of obsessive checking. Cripes. This is habit-forming! It went up to 52K, then back down to 90K, then up to 31K... 31,000 for a book that is five months away from release. That's pretty interesting. Then slowly, as sales dwindled, the ranking went down to the 100s, then the 200s, and now the 300s...

I think it's back to normal now, because I really don't expect any sales during these few months (at least until some publicity goes out). I figure it must have pre-sold about 10 books last week. Still, it's been very interesting, especially that it broke the 100s barrier in a matter of hours. The spike this past week also pushed my book to become #1 on the Behler's list (Amazon.com only). That was kind of neat, to see my book at the #1, even if it was going to be brief.

Even though I take the Amazon.com ranking with a grain of salt, still, the figures tell me a few things:

it could be a trap if an author becomes too obsessed with sales figures, rankings, and competition
this is really happening. Let's say 10 people have ordered my book. That means, people -- people I don't know -- are going to read it, for real
if you build it, they will come. Slowly. But it's true

Amazon!

2005-08-26T16:48:00.000-07:00

It's listed on Amazon.com now:

The Pacific Between

Run....

2005-08-18T15:14:00.000-07:00

Print run, that is.

Gasp! The book is ready to go to print run. This is it. I can't believe it. The Pacific Between is going to be printed (and available for pre-ordering) for real. Wow. I guess all the hard work in the past few years really is paying off, and this is just the beginning. It's like I've been rehearsing for the big opening number for all these years, and finally, the lights are on, and the stage is set...

I am getting tremendous opening night jitters. Cripes.

Then I saw the listing on Amazon.com. Suddenly it feels real. My debut. Is. Almost. Ready.

Thank you! All of you who have helped make this happen.

There's still a few months to go before general release. But, please take a look, and pre-order if you want! I'm sure my publisher would be happy to know that there is interest out there for the book.

Done

2005-08-17T08:54:00.000-07:00

I'm done proofing the galley. Hopefully this will be the last time I need to do anything with it.

Moving along...

2005-08-15T14:05:00.000-07:00

I'm about halfway into proofing the galley. So far I've found another five or six minor or not so minor errors. Yikes! When will this stop. I have a feeling that the will still be errors once the books are in print and on the shelves, but honestly, my eyes are bleeding and I'm doing the best I can. So, dear readers, if you see a typo when you read the book, give me a @#$^ break.

I'm also finishing with some publicity material. I also sent in a design for bookmarks. I think it looks darn good.

Galley!!!

2005-08-11T14:53:00.000-07:00

Finally, my galley copy arrived in the mail.

It looks gorgeous. I'm very happy with the quality. Like a parent talking about his own baby, I must say the book is very handsome. Granted, I would have preferred a matte cover, but I also understand the pros and cons. A matte finish just isn't practical.

But alas! Flipping through a few pages yielded a few more errors. How frustrating. It's like, no matter how hard you look, some things are going to slip through anyway. These are not big niggles: a wrong punctuation here, a typo there; still, they're annoying.

This will be my last chance to catch any errors before it goes to print -- it will be FINAL.

So, I think I'm going to use a new approach. I'm going to pick a random chapter, or start from the last chapter and work my way up. That way, I may be able to trick my mind to not gloss over any glaring problems by being distracted by the story itself. It's kind of like how you read the words backward, starting from the last word of the paragraph -- that way, you have a better chance of catching any spelling errors. Well, we'll see how this technique works this time.

Anyway, I'm very happy that the galleys are out. That means they can now be sent to the reviewers.

I've also decided to enter into the Barnes&Noble's Discovering New Author program. We'll see how that goes.

Ray

New Date

2005-07-29T11:02:00.000-07:00

1, 2006 -- release date!

1-933016-32-9 -- ISBN!

kinks kinks kinks

2005-07-29T10:57:00.000-07:00

Just when I thought everything was going smoothly, there came a few surprises.

First, my publisher told me that the printer screwed up the galleys. They used the wrong font. So now they have to redo the galleys, and it will take an additional few weeks.

That, in turn, has pushed the release date further. So, sorry, no Thanksgiving party for me. We're now looking at January, to give the book enough pre-release time to get reviews, publicity, etc.

I am okay with all that, knowing how the publishing business works. Just that the waiting is so painful sometimes. Just when I thought the wait was almost over...

Oh well, such is life. And thank goodness, the book is still getting published. Must be happy about that!

Galleys

2005-06-28T18:50:00.000-07:00

No, I haven't received them yet, but they're being printed. Once they're in, it's review time, I suppose. Right now, I'm compiling a local media listing for my publisher. They'll handle the big/national guys.

Two Numbers to Remember!!!

2005-06-02T21:41:00.000-07:00

11, 2005 -- release date!

1-933016-32-9 -- ISBN!

Heehaw!

Proof

2005-05-06T10:14:00.000-07:00

It's all done now. The typesetted manuscript is going to go to Proof.

Once that's done, I believe we'll be doing galleys. That's when, I believe, I will have to go over it once again to catch any last minute errors, printing issues, etc. before it goes to the printer. Once it goes to the printer, that's it. Any glaring mistakes will go to the reading public.

I'm looking forward to the galley. It'd be quite something to actually hold the book in print form.

Oh Goodie

2005-05-05T15:58:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness. I'm finally done with the pre-production phase. Time to jump up and down with joy (where is the crazying bouncing emoticon when I need it?). Well, it would now go to the printer and I'll probably receive a bound galley sometime in the near future.

I can't wait.

Cover

2005-04-21T07:33:00.000-07:00

Had another look at the cover. It's funny how something that looked so great six months ago suddenly looks so meh now. No, it's not as if the previous cover design is bad. It's actually very good, I think. But in the spirit of "ever tweaking until the horse is dead," I'm still passing ideas back and forth with my publisher.

Here's a new rendition of the same concept:

Basically, the graphics is now centered. My name is more visible and the sky has clouds. I think it's striking and dynamic...

Ah!

2005-04-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

Just when I thought the editing was done, I got more to do. Nothing major, just some production related editing, to make sure everything is okay to go. Once it goes to the printer, that's it. So I need to go through the ms one more time (*sigh* but at least this time it's been typesetted -- nice!) to make sure formatting, punctuations, etc. are all good.

Who says publishing isn't fun?

2005-04-06T21:25:00.000-07:00

Did my dedication and acknowledgement. It was weird, trying to figure out who to mention. There were so many people I needed to thank, and I didn't want them to think I favored one person over another. They all played important roles in helping me bring this book to publication. So instead, I just listed their names. I hope that's okay. I did dedicate my book to my parents. I don't think anyone would object to that.

Oh, and the ISBN (1-933016-32-9) and LCCN have been assigned. It's so exciting. I mean my book will be in the Library of Congress database. It might not sound like much, but to a first-time novelist, it's a big deal. Hopefully the book will get in the LoC's Catalogue in Publication (CIP) program.

Layout and Formatting

2005-03-30T13:35:00.000-08:00

Just got words that my publisher has started the formatting and layout process. I'll be working on the dedication and acknowledgement page. Hmmmm... what to write?

Final Edit

2005-03-18T10:15:00.000-08:00

Yes! The final edit has been completed, and the ms. is now enroute to production. I suppose I will see the proofs soon.

I also asked my publisher about distribution and also the "Search Inside The Book" feature on Amazon.

My publisher believes that samples are icing on a cake. It's rather time consuming and they don't see real benefits in doing so. I can understand the time consuming part, but I do think people want to read samples when they buy online, especially if the author is someone with whom they're not familiar. That's why I'm putting up a sample chapter on my website. So far, a few people have read the sample and told me that they definitely are looking forward to reading my book when it comes out. So I do think sample chapters are good sales tool.

As far as distribution goes, it's good to know that it's on my publisher's agenda this year, and they're in talks with a few distributors at this point.

For those who are not familiar with the difference between distributors and wholesalers, here's a short explanation.

A distributor gets the books into bookstores. They usually have a sales force, and they help push the chains or individual stores to order books from their catalogs. A good distributor has connections with major chains or stores nationwide, and they have a dedicated sales force. They also take a sizeable cut from the sales. While the publisher runs a risk of getting their profits significantly cut down (the distributor gets a cut, no matter if the books are returned or not), they also improve their sales by getting their books into bookstores nationwide. Most people still buy books at stores.

A wholesaler like Ingram, on the other, only makes the books available for the stores to order. They don't go out and push the books or advertise them. In a way, they're just big warehouses. So it's a passive system. For a book seller to order the books, the publisher needs to do more work in PR, advertising or employing their own sales staff.

Lost in the shuffle

2005-03-01T19:10:00.000-08:00

A file got lost in the shuffle. I was expecting a final edit file but it never came. So after more than a week, I finally sent a follow-up email. The original file obviously didn't get to me for whatever reason.

Anyway, now I have the final edit file, I'm going to mark up any errors that we missed. After this process is done, the corrected file will be sent to production for layout and typesetting.

Wheee! How exciting.

Almost There

2005-02-17T16:33:00.000-08:00

Another phase of the editing process is done. Now we're down to the final phase.

What is going to happen is the copy editor is going to do one sweep over the entire manuscript, fixing any remaining grammatical and spelling errors. When she's done, she will send me a final PDF file for review. That's when I'd go over it and mark any final changes to be made, or errors to be fixed.

After this phase, hopefully it will go straight to production.

Wheeee!

Another Go-Around

2005-01-30T08:14:00.000-08:00

The second phase has started. This time it's to fix punctuations and grammar. There are some stylistic choices I don't necessarily agree with the publisher, but since I sign the contract, I'll most likely comply. Stylistic choices such as the use of semicolons vs. periods or whether emphasis (italicized texts) should be used are, to me, minor issues. As long as they don't negatively impact my story or characters, I'm fine with them. I see them as ways of improving my book.

Don't dwell on the stone so you don't see the mountain.

The good thing is that the editor thinks the book is very strong at this point (only second go-around) and very close to production quality. I'm really proud of this book, and to hear a seasoned editor tell me that means a lot to me. I'm very excited about the progress. I can't wait.

Back On Track

2005-01-26T19:16:00.000-08:00

My editor and I went through the first round, mostly fixing formatting (to conform to the publisher's standards) and some minor issues. There were also a few minor "development" issues but they could be fixed easily by adding a few lines.

So, this part is relatevely painless. I hope everything else goes smoothly as well.

Ain't edit fun?

Oops

2005-01-24T16:54:00.000-08:00

My editor and I got off on the foot. I guess it's not an uncommon problem between authors and editors. I have heard many horror stories about how excruciating this process is, akin to giving birth.

Fortuantely, I think I finally get a handle on it. I realize we're all here to do a job, and that is to make this book as best and it can be. The editor is not out to get me, and I'm out to destroy her. So I think after everyone takes deep breaths and reflect on our approaches, I'm confident that we can come up with something.

We'll see.

Woohoo

2005-01-23T09:30:00.000-08:00

The editing process has begun. I just got the first edit back and will be doing a once over. There are some standard vs. publisher-specific formatting issues, but they can be easily fixed. There are only two development issues so far, one having been fixed already.

Anyway, things are looking good and it seems like the editing process could be short and relatively painless.

My Author Page Is Up

2005-01-17T23:48:00.000-08:00

Check it out:

Behler Publications: The Pacific Between

The What and Who

2004-12-09T10:42:00.000-08:00

Finally, my publisher and I worked through the synopsis/cover blurb and author's bio. It's kind of a struggle for me. It's strange. I mean, I have no problem writing up a brief synopsis complete with character blurbs for a movie I've just seen and reviewed. But I have such problems writing a synopsis of my own book. I guess it's true that when you're so close to your own work, you lose sight of the big picture. I keep thinking of the small details, the themes, the plot, etc. etc. It's hard to focus on the "big picture" and "premise," especially when the book is character-driven and organic.

Also, we nail down the picture for the publisher site and the book backcover. I must say, I look pretty sexy and mysterious in the pic. Bwhahahahahaha.

Moving along

2004-12-05T01:14:00.000-08:00

So, now that I've signed a contract, what's next?

The first thing I had to do, upon my return from Asia, was to complete an author questionnaire for the publisher. Sounds easy, right? Actually, more decisions to make.

First, I had to decide on what name to use. Would it be my initials only? Drop the middle name? Use a pen name? How about J. E. R. King? Seriously, though, I decided that it was my book, and I wanted people to know that it was my book! There's nothing wrong with my name. I'll be in good company with famous Asian writers such as Amy Tan and Chang Rae-Lee. Only they probably won't play with me.

Then there are the synopsis and bio. I did have a synopsis and bio when I submitted my manuscript, but I didn't like them. What's wrong with me? I didn't seem to able to make up my mind. After all, a copy editor would work on it and make it better, right? So, why am I so hung up on a few word choices? Gotta get that done. The bio seemed easier, because there was really not much to talk about me. The simpler the better.

The next thing on the list is copyright. Yes, even though you're considered the copyright owner once you put the words on paper or on your PC, to be published you need to establish your copyright. Many publishers will register the copyright for the author. Some, like Behler, would reimburse the registration, but it's the author's responsibility to register his/her work.

No big deal. Done.

Next, author's picture. Now that was a roller coaster ride. Do I really look like that? Boy, I look fat. What's wrong with my hair? I blame it on all the "makeover" shows on TV and the pizzas I've been eating. I need a makeover! Where are the FAB 5 when you need them? There are pictures that would look good in my mom's scrapbook, but not for publication! Not on the backcover of MY BOOK!

Finally I was able to pick out two good pictures that didn't necessarily distort the facts. Vanity, thy name is... dumplings? Did anyone say dumplings?

The last task -- I actually enjoyed doing it, since I'd been tinkering with it for the past few months: the cover design. OK, most writers probably know nothing about book cover design and/or have no control over it. But being with a small publisher has its perks -- you have better control over that if you do have a clear idea of what you want. It happened that I did, and I was a graphics designer. I knew what I wanted and I had a single concept and 10 different variations of that -- blame it on indecision again. At least, it gives us options, and options are your friend. I must say I'm very pleased with these designs; everyone who has seen them likes them. It's evocative. It's dramatic. Just the way I want my cover to be.

The last thing to do is to make these files 300 dpi resolution. For publication purposes, it's preferrable that any image files be at least 150 dpi. Nowadays, most scanners can scan with up to 600 or even 1200 dpi resolution. Keeping the dust off the picture while you scan it poses a problem, though. Fortunately, the speckles are not that visible once you shrink them down for printing. Then again, there's always Photoshop.

So far so good. I'm ready for the next thing on the agenda.

Acceptance

2004-12-04T20:08:00.000-08:00

I recieved an acceptance from LBF Books, a new publisher based in Pittsburgh on October 8. It was a great day, even though the original email didn't go through because of LBF's server problem. I recieved the email a few days later; ironically, I was just about to ask them for the status of my submission, since I hadn't heard from them for a couple of months.

Shortly after I received LBF's offer, however, I got an email from Behler Publications, based in California, also accepting my manuscript. The icing of the cake was that Lynn Price, the Acquisition Director, included a write-up from a reviewer. To my delight the review was incredibly positive. It made me feel like all my effort in the past 30 months had been worth it.

But now I had a choice to make -- a good position to be in, actually. Meanwhile, I had two agents reading my complete manuscript as well. Always the indecisive one, I began to stress out. So suddenly my dilemma became: Should I take one of these contracts, or should I wait for the agents to get back to me?

I had to step back, relax, and learn how to take deep breaths. I knew when it came to decisions, I always took a long time, but ultimately, in hindsight, I'd always made the right ones. So I needed some time to think, look over the contracts, and figure out what was best for me and my first book.

Truth be told, I didn't and still don't expect this book to be a smash, New York Times best-seller with megabucks advance and movie deals. I do want to give it a chance, and for it to be something I could be proud of, something I could call it my own, and something upon which I could use to build my career. So I needed to make a good decision.

Then there were the contracts to consider. Both contracts were very standard. Both offered comparable terms such as royalties, rights, etc. It became a matter of which publisher I felt more comfortable with, and how they were going to help make my book a success.

It was good that I had a scheduled trip to Asia. I took my time. I heard nothing from the agents, so that eliminated some of my options -- you could wait forever for the fruit to fall, or you could go up and pluck it.

So I did.

I made a decision.

The story

2004-12-04T19:48:00.000-08:00

In this blog, I'm going to chronicle my journey of getting my novel, The Pacific Between, from acceptance to publication (by a traditional house). I think it'd be interesting to those who are either in the same boat or an aspiring author.

Stay tuned.