Maybe you write just to see your book on a bookshelf.

GETTING PUBLISHED—Lesson Two

© Elaine Masters, April 2002



Why do you want to be published? We need to clarify that first of all. Oh, yeah. If you don’t have a goal, how will you know when you get there?

In GETTING PUBLISHED—Lesson One, Mariella told me she wanted to be published so she could see her book on a shelf, a shelf in the book store, a shelf in the library. Seeing her little baby in print would tickle her right down to her thrilly bone.

She’s right, of course, about her book being her baby. Yours will be too. You conceived it in your mind and perhaps had a long gestation period before you started forcing yourself to birth words on that computer screen.

There’s definitely joy in seeing your child in print. Although my first book was published more than twenty years ago, I still pop into book stores to check if my recent books are on their shelves. I still get a little rush of pleasure when I see my children sitting in a row, waiting for new homes.

When I visit, I ask the bookseller if she would like me to autograph the books she has in stock, and if she has little “autographed” stickers to affix to the covers. A bookseller once told me that some customers collect autographed books. They come into the store and ask, “Any autographed books available today?” and I’m sure I sell more because I autograph stocked books. Talking to the bookseller also builds a relationship, and I’m remembered when it’s time to fill out the order blank.

I check with the bookseller when one of my titles is missing. Is it on order? Is my publisher out of stock? Are the publisher’s sales reps no longer offering it? Has the store decided to discontinue selling it? Why? That way, I can keep my publisher aware of deficiencies in his supply line, and I can check the reading public’s pulse for what they think is right and wrong with my books.

So I understand Mariella’s desire to see her book displayed on a shelf. It is heartwarming.

Connected with this desire to see your book in print is probably a desire to share your emotions or wisdom with readers. If you write fiction, your book may have grown out of a strong memory that became the seed of your protagonist’s problem. Fiction can often reveal truth more vividly than non-fiction as your characters react against each other and work through their demons.

Non-fiction can literally share information and wisdom on everything from building a five-drawer cabinet to building a relationship. Your own personal experience may be augmented with research as your write a biography of Kristi Yamaguchi or a travel book about Patagonia, but your writing will be filtered through your own biases and background.

Your book is YOUR BOOK. No one else could write it just the way you do. Of course, you want to share that with the world, to see your book on a shelf available to everyone. Yes.


In subsequent lessons, we will explore fame and fortune, both common reasons for wanting to be published. Then we will take on the real reason most of us write. Click in!

THE END

Assignment: Read BIRD BY BIRD by Anne Lamott. Funny and encouraging, surly and prodding, this book is as great for novice writers as it is for published ones. You’ll laugh at the author’s experiences and nod in agreement when they match yours. Best of all, you’ll be inspired to sit in your chair and—WRITE!