Wednesday, November 23, 2011

More than I expected

My book has been proofed and corrected and is now in the hands of the printer. I didn't think it would look as good as it does. I got more than I expected.

On the other hand, my "marketing consultant" - not even listed as a feature of the package I ordered - has called me twice in the last two weeks. He wants me to spend $4,999 to have a UTube video made and then sold to a TV channel where, supposedly, many people in my target market will see it and order the book. For which I would receive a 25% commission and the publishing company would receive the rest. I said no thanks both times. These calls were more than I expected, and more than I wanted.

Thank goodness he wasn't trying to sell me a timeshare. I might have succumbed to that.

My time has opened up again now that I'm not writing and editing and correcting for hours a day. It feels like I wrote a very long term paper and the class has ended. On the other hand, I've had in mind to publish this book for six years. Now that I finally got around to it, I feel more satisfied than I had expected.

I will post information about the book when it's available online for sale. It's called "Return to Viet Nam: One Veteran's Journey of Healing".

We got all our money back on the Norway cruise we canceled. We'll apply it directly to the oral surgeon's bill for Art's implant. In the meantime, we're in the planning stage for a two- or three-week exploration, in April or May, of Appalachia, western Virginia and the eastern shore of Maryland. That will be much more economical and probably just as interesting as Norway - without the Northern Lights. I'm more excited about these revised plans than I expected I would be.

I've learned in recent years that, to avoid being disappointed, I should keep my expectations low. That way, anything good is a pleasant surprise. If I expect that none of the eight kids in our blended family will show up for Thanksgiving, I'm very happy that three of them will actually be there, with several grandchildren. That's more than I expected.

I hope all of you have a most satisfactory Thanksgiving. I am thankful for every one of you. When I started writing this blog in January 2010, I had no idea how important the blogging community would become to me. Much more than I expected!




16 comments:

Dave Brown said...

Have a great Thanksgiving. It is one American festival we in NZ should borrow. I think it is a good and useful one. We don't have it here. You can keep Halloween though. :-) Have a great time with family.

Travels with Emma said...

Well, this post was 'more than I expected'. :) Good positive attitude!

Perpetua said...

Happy Thanksgiving, Linda, and well done on the book. That's such an achievement.

Grandmother Mary said...

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your husband. Nicely done on the book. I like the title.

Olga said...

It must feel so good to have accomplished a task as ambitious as writing a book. My hat is off to you.
Have a very Happy Thanksgiving

Out on the prairie said...

Lovely to hear all is finished and to top it off a pleasant holiday.

DJan said...

Congratulations on getting your book finished and published. It's a major accomplishment and I look forward to more information about how one might actually purchase a copy.

And I totally and completely agree with you about the importance my fellow bloggers have for me. My world is much richer with YOU in it! :-)

Rita said...

Happy Thanksgiving! I'm glad you'll have some family there and that the book is finally done and at the printers. Something to be very thankful for. :)

Dr. Kathy McCoy said...

Congratulations, Linda! That's so wonderful that you're so pleased with the way your book is looking -- and may it have much success! What a perfect way to go into the Thanksgiving holiday! Happy Thanksgiving!

Tracy said...

Linda, Congrats on your book...I'm still having to pinch myself at having mine out and my marketing agent; aka; my husband is busy contacting independent bookstores, blah, blah, blah...but it's been fun! I hope you enjoy it.
I will have to look it up and order it; the title sounds like what my husband would love.
Have a blessed Thanksgiving day!

Linda Reeder said...

What an accomplishment, to have written and published a book!
I agree with you about the importance of blogging friends in my life. Thank you for being one of them.

Sally Wessely said...

I have to agree with you on expectations. I think that I have learned that I do best in life if I don't expect too much out of people.

I am so happy for you and what you have accomplished with this book. You truly are an inspiration.

You are an important member of my blogging family. I hope your Thanksgiving is a good one.

Nancy/BLissed-Out Grandma said...

So glad the book is turning out even better than you expected. That's a nice theme for a Thanksgiving post. Many aspects of my life, including the blogging community, are giving me more satisfaction than I ever expected. Enjoy your family gathering!

Friko said...

I wouldn't mind if we had a Thanksgiving Festival here, I like holidays; we make much of them with just the two of us. I hope you are having a really lovely one, with or without children.

Have you published the book yourself? Why would somebody come and sell you utube video space unless they could make money out of it?

I hope your book will be successful without extra expenditure.

Cheryl Kohan said...

You are wise, Linda. Keeping our expectations low is a good thing...we'll almost always be delighted in the end. I think it sounds like an excellent revised trip.

Congrats on the book!

Barb said...

Let me know if you need any info in that area-after twenty years of living in that area I still miss it. I'd move back to virginia if every other family member wasn't west of the rockies, lol.

Ive been thinking a gulf coast drive in the spring-with anew dog