What’s It Like to Write a Book?

Dear Friends,

You’ve heard it said, as I have, that there’s a book inside every one of us. That’s probably true, and there are hundreds of new books that come out every day, far too many to ever read. The publishing world has morphed into an entirely new creature, even in the last two years.

I’ll share a real example that happened to me. Two years ago, I attended a writing seminar held by a well-known author. The focus was still on traditional publishing: finding an agent, going with a big publisher, never paying for publishing, yadda, yadda, yadda. The keynote speaker was an agent from a large publishing house. All of us in the audience were taking notes frantically. This year, I attended the very same writing seminar and the headline speaker was a gal who has made a ridiculous amount of money in the self-publishing world, writing action-oriented romance! She shared her very sophisticated tips and we were all taking notes frantically. There was almost no mention of traditional publishing. Wow! I was shocked and amazed at the transition in a short two years.

So, the moral of this story is to realize and embrace a changing world and figure out your place in it. Technology and social media have changed everything as we all know. Instead of resisting it, we must learn to execute the new playbook. Is the direction totally good or completely permanent? I have no idea, but as one who never thought we’d see the return of vinyl records, I’ll wait and see!

If we all have a book inside us, we possibly don’t all have the stamina to pursue the process to completion. We have the dream of holding our own book in our hands someday, but not the determination to endure all the rejection; not the courage to peel open the layers of our soul; not the eye for fastidious editing; not the zeal to dig deeper and keep going and going and going.

Writing is some of the hardest work I’ve ever done, and editing is some of the most oppressive daily grind I’ve ever endured. That is what distinguishes the author. She is the one who pushes forward, believes in herself, dares to risk raised eyebrows or critical feedback, gets up early and stays up late to rewrite a passage that’s been hovering like a dark cloud, and keeps the coffee brewing.

If you have a book in you, don’t give up. It might take three years to hold the finished product. My third book will soon be out, most likely in a few weeks if all stays on track. I hope you’ll take a look and write a review on Amazon. I have developed very tough skin so please be honest, but not brutal. The book, as most of you know, is about Paris over the past eleven years. I hope it will warm your heart and engage your mind. Travel is the best way to find our true core, tear down fences, and thwart fears!

“Bernie’s Paris – Travel Stories with Love”
(My words, Bernie’s photos, and both of our hearts)

Au revoir for now,
Linda