I'm an Author, Baby!
My book is out, I'm harvesting buzz, and let's party with dumplings!
Happy Full Moon folks! This month, I am finally an author, and my book is two weeks old today!
Also, if you are in the NYC area, please join us tonight for my official BK launch party at WORD Bookstore in Greenpoint, TONIGHT at 7pm! I’ll be in conversation with my dear friend and publishing guardian angel, bestselling author Kirstin Chen!
Also, THERE WILL BE DUMPLINGS! From the nearby Taiwanese Win Son bakery!!!!
So anyway, where was I? During the last few weeks, I feel as if all correspondence and social media posts and general talking to people has taken on a very “announcer-y” tone, like I’m interrupting everyone’s scheduled programming to invite people to readings and boast about my news. It’s hard to keep up this energy! Or admit to how many nights we left the dishes undone, ate pizza or takeout, and band-aided the rest of life together. My husband David has been very supportive of Book Launch Life, but it gets tiring.
Also, the ego wears thin. I would never complain about this hectic lovely chaos, but it feels a little bit like balancing on a very narrow ledge, in roller skates. It’s anxious, insecure, ecstatic, fun, nerve-wracking, and thrilling, all at once.
Mostly….. I was afraid of what would happen when people started reading the book this month. What if they didn’t like it??????
What if no one cared?
What if no one showed up to events?
What if, basically, my book sank to the bottom of the ocean floor like a silent stone?
THEN WHAT?
I do think that staying sane as a writer over the course of one’s life includes how to somehow stay grounded during publication mania, rollercoasters of emotions, and the potential letdown or disappointment when the fireworks fade, or never show up to begin with.
In Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott says this:
“I tell my students that the odds of their getting published and of it bringing them financial security, peace of mind, and even joy are probably not that great. Ruin, hysteria, bad skin, unsightly tics, ugly financial problems, maybe; but probably not peace of mind. I tell them that I think they ought to write anyway.
But I try to make sure they understand that writing, and even getting good at it, and having books and stories and articles published, will not open the doors that most of them hope for. It will not make them well. It will not give them the feeling that the world has finally validated their parking tickets, that they have in fact arrived.”
I read this passage oh, about two decades ago, and when I first read it, I thought, “Yes, but it will be DIFFERENT FOR ME.” And then, the second time I read it some years later, I thought, “Well, maybe Annie has a point,” and then when I read it again after years of toiling as a writer and getting a few tiny things published to extremely limited acclaim that was more like crickets, I laughed. And now, as I read it again and transcribe it for you, I think, “well at least someone warned me. And advised me that the point was to write, and that publication is a cool benefit we hope for but cannot guarantee.” I’m beginning to think that the secret to middle age (and to life in general, for me) is having consistently low expectations.
So it’s only been two weeks, but I would say that so far, especially with low expectations in mind (see above), the response to my book has been good! Modest — we are not shooting for any lists or awards folks — but modestly good. Some friends and family who finished the book really liked it, and that was enormously touching and gratifying. Some other folks I know have done interviews with me, and a published excerpt and some other assorted press is on its way out into the world. So that feels very satisfying, and even heartwarming. The literary network is strong and generous.
My first two events — both in local libraries — packed the spaces and necessitated the finding of more chairs. LOVE THAT.
Also, I sold some books! And even more importantly, I felt wonderfully supported by friends and family, new readers, and a few folks who told me they feel like this story resonates with them in some way. To everyone who already has a copy, THANK YOU for taking a chance on me. Hope you like it.
To everyone who doesn’t, here’s how you can order a copy:
From the Publisher, Rowman & Littlefield
From WORD, where I’ll be doing an event tonight
From Bookshop (I think it’s currently backordered now- sold out hey! but hopefully not for long)
From Amazon
Finally, here’s some of the press about the book so far, including 2 podcasts I was featured on in the past week:
Interview on TaiwaneseAmerican.org
Feature Profile in Sag Harbor Express
Featured guest on Bookish Asia podcast
Featured guest on Formosa Files podcast
Thinking about manifesting all this good stuff, I am so grateful, so humbled. A million tiny decisions got the book here, in this form, with the help of so many people. So the additional help of booking events, moderating events, interviewing me, sending pitches, or writing articles just feels so above and beyond. Icing on a thousand cakes. Cherries on sundaes.
My cup runneth over. Thanks for coming on this journey with me.
Now let’s have some dumplings and celebrate!!!!!!!!!!!
(Further non-NYC events this fall are below)
Congrats! You deserve all of the fun chaos and I hope last night's event was amazing!