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We Are Go For Launch 2/9/2011 5:45:49 PM
This blog ran on BEAUTIFUL DISASTER'S debut day, and I wanted to rerun it here, on Author's Den. Enjoy! In 431 days you can sail around the world, have a baby—start to finish—live with it long enough to know that a good night’s sleep is a thing of the past. Within a fourteen month span you can celebrate a birthday, or two, complete a school year and get half way through the next. The earth has made its revolution around the sun and then some. And in 431 days you can go from struggling writer to published author. Still, it seems like something is missing, like maybe there should be a certificate of authenticity from the Library of Congress. Maybe it’s in the mail.
We’re out of the gate, off and running. Starting today, “this titled has yet not been released,” changes to “will ship within 24-hours.” You should be able to walk into a bookstore and purchase a copy of BEAUTIFUL DISASTER. Over the holidays, it proved to be the most perplexing question. People demanded guidance, asking, “Will it be in my Ft. Lauderdale Barnes & Noble or the Borders in Flagstaff?” You hate to sound out-of-the-loop about your own book, but other than the copies in my dining room, I don’t have a clue where they are. Publishers don’t cc you regarding the distribution list. I did, however, end up chatting with the manager of a New York Borders. We were talking about a signing date, and she looked up BEAUTIFUL DISASTER to see if they were getting it in. I actually broke a sweat as she scrolled through her new inventory. Much to my relief, they are.
This led to my next revelation: Debut day is not the completion of a cycle, but merely the calendar launch of the next 431 days. From here I punch my ticket and hop on board the promote your novel express. Months ago, someone asked if I was going to do a book tour. I laughed and answered, “No, only authors who are somebody do book tours.” Joke’s on me. Apparently authors who wish to be somebody get a fast pass to the front of the line—not that I’m anticipating a line. It’s an East Coast swing, though I’d hardly categorize it as a “book tour.” It’s more like mooching off my friends for ten days while dropping in on bookstores at pre-appointed times. (Please do check the events page to see if I’ll be at your house for breakfast) To me, a bona fide book tour would include pre-paid hotels and a signing in California. Honestly? I’d be thrilled to learn that a copy sold in California. On the other hand, thanks to a savvy publicist and plenty of Southern push, we’ve put together a respectable schedule of events for the month of January: four states and six stops—not bad, they tell me, for a first-time author. We’ll see.
It would be wise to wrap up this debut day blog by writing something witty and engaging. I should prove my mad skills by saying something about BEAUTIFUL DISASTER that sends you charging to your local bookstore. Oh, hell, I’ve been writing this blog for months. If you’re here, chances are you’ve already ordered a copy. If you’re new, take a chance. BEAUTIFUL DISASTER is escapism at its finest—a warm winter read, in-flight page-turner, and book club catalyst; it will also do the trick if a beach vacation is in your plans. At present, witty and engaging appear to have left the building. Never count on your muse in a moment of pressure. No doubt he’s around back, having a smoke, and tapping into a fifth of gin, satisfied that his job is done. It doesn’t matter. With or without him, I can’t cram the realization of six years into a single blog. For this to occur I’d have to write a book. Well, what do you know about that? I did. So cue the music as we transition from anticipated debut novel to currently in bookstores. The above listed compilation is some of the music that inspired BEAUTIFUL DISASTER. The last one inspired me.
**To listen to a great sampling of inspirational songs, hop over to my site, www.lauraspinella.net where you can listen to the tunes on the January 4 blog.
