Now that the kids are settled in at school, I can turn my attention to the child I’ve neglected over the summer: my memoir. My publication date for GUTS is February 13, 2018, a date that will no doubt come up quickly. The next few months will feature the tasks that many authors dread: marketing our work. Most writers prefer the hermit life of putting words on the page in the privacy of their writing spaces to the more public tasks of self-promoting, readings, conference presentations.
I do like the solitude of writing, but I’m also excited to get out from behind my writing desk and talk to readers about my book and the writing life. Self-promotion is difficult for me, but I’m trying to get over it. Just today at the dog park, I sent an email to a friendly woman I’d just met so she could have my contact information. “I’ll come to your reading!” she said as we parted a few minutes later. An almost complete stranger is planning to come to my reading – hooray!
Now all I need to do is schedule it.
Setting up readings, it turns out, is slow going, though yesterday I had my first success. The week my book comes out, I’m going to be on vacation with my family (parents, siblings & their families, Matt and the kids, Matt’s brother) in Steamboat Springs, CO. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to read with my whole family present, so I contacted the librarian at the beautifully renovated Bud Werner Memorial Library and I’ll be giving a talk and a reading there on February 19, 2018. Wow! Though it may seem strange to kick off my book tour so far from home, Steamboat was my off-and-on home for 2 years post-college, and there are even a few paragraphs of GUTS that take place in Steamboat.
It’s great to be able to have such an attractively designed website — courtesy of Sharon Mentyka — to help me with that self-marketing. And now I’m thrilled to have a beautiful cover to share with everyone. We Vine Leaves Press authors are fortunate to have a publisher who is also a book designer, Jessica Bell. I love the way that Jessica listened to my ideas and created a cover that conveys the theme of bravery.
So here it is…the cover!!
And yes, it’s very cool and totally surreal to see my name in print on a book cover. And have a page on Vine Leaves’ website dedicated to GUTS, and even have it show up with a 5-star review (thanks Jessica!) on Goodreads!
I’m planning to blog more regularly in the lead-up to February 13th, and keep the site updated as I schedule events. I hope my friends and family will follow my blog so you can all keep tabs on GUTS as it makes its way into the world.
YAY!!!!
thank you cousin!!
Janet, Your book cover is absolutely gorgeous, especially your name spanning the cover. I am thrilled for you! Your book’s birth into the world gives me hope for my own. I hope you’ll schedule a reading at Octavia Books in New Orleans with a reading here in Acadiana. Cheers!Sandy
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thank you so much Sandy! Not sure if I will make it to LA for readings but i love the idea!
Janet, If “Guts” is your child, then it is my grandchild. Its cover is beautiful, & I know that it’s
beautiful on the inside too. With love & congratulations from your proud mother
Wow, thanks Mom!!!!
The cover I saw in draft form looks fantastic – and sure to intrigue people to pick it up. So looking forward to reading the final story. And Steamboat seems a very good place for a reading. Get Michael to let his friends know in advance and get the word out. Love and congratulations.
The cover is fantastic–bravo for all the work done and still to do! Eager to see the print version!
So excited for you Janet. The cover is beautiful. Best of luck with readings, and all that stuff!
Go Janet! You must be so excited! Bravo!
Wow, what a gorgeous cover! Congratulations!