Do You Fondle Your Book?

Let's face it. You've been intimate with your book since the day you put pen to pad, or typed the first keystroke. So why not get intimate with it...in another way?

Seriously, I have a confession to make. And I'm fairly certain I'm not alone. I sometimes grab one of the printed copies of my published books and give it a little smooch. I nuzzle up to it like a new lover. I lick its spine, caress the pages, and sniff the printed ink. What I mean, actually, is I flip through it and take pride in the accomplishment.

Writing a book is no easy task. You wade through outlines, research notes, Google searches, and days of mindless desperation.  With a lot of gumption and loads of personal sacrifice, you come up with a first draft...if you're lucky. Then you let it sit for a bit—marinate, I like to call it—then tackle it again in round two. You make edits, change plot lines, tie up loose ends, rewrite entire sections, add, subtract, and batter through it until you think it's almost perfect. But, it never is.

You rinse and repeat this process several times until you just can't stand the sight of it anymore. That means you're almost done. A couple more passes for typos, reviews from colleagues, and if all is good, you format it for printing...or give it to someone else to do it for you. Then you send it off to the printers and wait for that first box of copies to arrive.

I always take a picture of the first shipment of books.

Finally, you release that little sucker out into the cold, lovely world. You do book signings, if that's your thing, send copies to family members (who you've guilted into buying it), and sometimes you get so caught up in getting it out there that you don't even keep a copy around for yourself. I usually grope the proof copy, since I don't want to damage the merchandise. And I can get pretty rough.

I encourage every writer to find a space in his or her home to proudly display your published books. It's not an ego thing—never think of it that way—but more of a visual sign that you did, indeed, persevere through the process. Plus, it's a nice reminder while writing your next book that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

And get intimate with it, whenever you can. Because good books and good stories always love you back.

Order People Who Need To Die and In Search of Good Times here.

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