Heady Happenings

How heady is this? I have a second author all set to publish. Nancy and I met only less than one month ago, and she told me then that she was very anxious to get her work in print. Man-oh-man, did she ever mean it! Not only is Nancy a talented writer, she’s also a professional illustrator and graphic designer (or are they the same thing?) She’s already got her pages formatted, her illustrations in order, and her cover created.

For my part, I’ve registered Nancy’s book for its own ISBN number; we’ll copyright it just before sending it to the printer. All she needs now is for me to run over to her house and dump it onto my computer and then upload it to the printer by way of the internet. I’ll arrange for a final edit, and Nancy’s book will be ready to retail.

As unbelievable as it may be to many who spend most of their waking hours in cyberspace, there are still many who choose not to have the whole world invading their living rooms and home offices. It just so happens that a lot of these people are of an age that they have many valuable life lessons for us, but no good way to get their messages to the masses. I may have found a real publishing niche. How cool would it be to be the publisher of the wit and wisdom of the seniors who’ve seen so much change in their lifetimes and survived, with their wit and wits intact, to tell about it?

I’m really excited about Nancy’s book. I’ve been seeking to hear the voices of women’s spiritual journeys, especially as exhibited in the arts. Nancy’s first published work is what she calls a “wonder journal” -- and for good reason. Her poems, stories, and illustrations are whimsical and witty, while still being positively passionate about her faith journey. I like it when people share the laughter of the Creator, not just the hellfire and brimstone.

For those who are anxiously awaiting Jack’s next set of stories, he’s not forgotten. It’s just that it takes a bit more effort to publish anything typed on a manual typewriter. We are slowly getting his work scanned into our computers for first review by the copy editors. I’ve already had a couple of potential editors scared off by the volume of the work coming out of my computer across the wires to their email inboxes. If all goes well from this point forward, we hope to have Jack’s collection of refreshingly righteous romances ready for the fall season of tourists in Tennessee.

My book based on my blog is at the editor now; if she doesn’t run screaming from her office when she gets the entries, we may have it ready for retail by mid-June. Since Susan has edited my work before, I hope my latest recipes and rants won’t be too scary for her.