My Book is Done!!!!!

"Humbled on Purpose" is Headed to Print

Saturday was a big day. Huge! In my list of life events, it was a top ten day, for sure.

I hit the send button and published (to my editor) my finalized rough draft of my book, Humbled on Purpose: Discovering Strength Through Vulnerability, Humor and Grace. Work with me here while I practice one of the key things I have already learned about promoting a book, repeat the title as many times as possible so that people remember it from the time they read your blog, hear you on a podcast or watch you on an interview in time for them to order it on Amazon.

I should probably say it again in case that long sentence I wrote made you forget; Humbled on Purpose; Discovering Strength Through Vulnerability, Humor and Grace, although you can’t even pre-order it on Amazon yet, but you can put it in your calendar to order on 10/5/24.

In case you were wondering, it is currently 38,191 words long but my editor hasn’t had the last word yet. Sometimes he takes things out, which annoys me. Sometimes he puts things in, which I prefer because he’s funny. If you are reading my blog, you already know that I like funny. But I’m not going to tell you what his suggestions were, EVER. I still get full credit for HIS funny because I’m the author and he’s the editor. HA!

My editor’s name is Andrew Vogel and he’s actually the COO of Ripples Media but he’s my permanent editor no matter how many books I write. It’s in my contract. Just like it’s in my contract that if my book get’s picked up as a screen play, Reese Witherspoon get’s first rights to play me. That is true. When I found out there was a ‘screenplay’ clause in my book contract it made me laugh so I asked for Reese Witherspoon and since it was so unlikely to happen, Ripples didn’t mind negotiating that. My book mentor, Jo Ann, who is writing her second book, decided to ask for Jennifer Anniston for her second book. I don’t think either of us can go wrong.

Anyway, Andrew is the bomb, but don’t tell him I said that. I like to keep him humble. Like my book. Did I mention the title? Humbled on Purpose.

Andrew’s toughest job, besides dealing with a stable full of authors, many writing their first books, is removing all of the double spaces between my sentences. Mrs. Buzzard, my highschool typing teacher and my University of Michigan college journalism professor, whose name escapes me, did a stellar job instilling that habit in me. Someone might have sent me an email when the world changed the rule. It’s a bear to unlearn. He told me at the beginning of the book to only do one space between sentences. I tried to change but muscle memory is what it is.

Anyway, I hit send at 11:45 am on 8/3/24. It’s awesome to know exactly when a lifelong dream comes true. It’s ironic there are only two other events like it in my life when I know the exact time that the dream happend, the birth of my other two babies, Riley, Brady and now…… you guessed it was coming again, Humbled on Purpose, the third named dream come true.

Now comes the really glamorous part, working on the cover art. For those of you that participated in the voting for the cover; thank you. The rock cover was the winner although the clouds and the mountains had strong advocates. Rabid fans really. I’m expecting hate comments when they find out. But here’s the good news, I have plans for several more books so you may still see those beautiful covers yet. Burtch, those are mine, do not give them away! Burtch is our uber talented cover artist dealing with same stable of authors. Isn’t this fun, it’s like you are writing along with me. Very inside baseball, but inside publishing.

By the way, Andrew does not like “inside baseball” in my book, which is called Humbled on Purpose. Wow, I’m getting pretty slick at sneaking that title into every paragraph. He thinks it will put readers off. It might be annoying to have to google jokes. So I have to explain all my jokes which makes them way less funny, so I eventually take them out. Oh well. Score another one for Andrew.

Now, I also have to ask friends to write accolades which are short complimentary paragraphs telling strangers why they should read my book. I also am asking someone pretty famous to write my forward. They will probably say no but I have a really great friend who is not offended that I asked him to be my back up forward writer. Is that not a great friend? Is that too inside baseball? I think it’s fun to know the behind the scenes book writing details.

Back to covers, before I get to use the mountains and the cloud covers, first, I need to finish the launch of this book, did I mention it’s called Humbled on Purpose? I spent part of Sunday spray painting rocks in the garage, seriously. Who else is going to do it? It is not like you push send on a manuscript and automagically a personal assistant shows up with a latte and cans of spray paint? Not so fast. I haven’t sold a book yet and it actually COSTS money to do a lot of this book launch stuff, like a photo shoot at my house for my web site, but you don’t really want to read about that. My husband doesn’t even like hearing about that part of it.

Did you know that my book manuscript is actually a google doc? Doesn’t it seem like it should be slightly aged typewriter paper with a super fat black paper clip on it sent in a manilla envelope via FedEx to Andrew? Nope. It exists in the cloud, wherever that is. Andrew assures me that it can’t go anywhere and even non-tech savvy me couldn’t accidentally delete it. I’ll have to trust him on that.

Anyway, my book comes out on October 5th, because I got it to Andrew by August 3rd. If you want to come to my book launch in Atlanta, it’s actually a part of an annual fundraiser for the Children’s Development Academy and I’ll be signing books which is what authors do, I’m told. https://cdakids.org/party-on-our-playground Tickets go on sale soon. Part of the proceeds from my book also benefit the Children’s Development Academy, a non profit that provides high quality early education to children from households that otherwise could not afford preschool. It is a very special place full of amazing teachers and staff who give their hearts and souls to the children.

Quick change of subject warning. Andrew says that I transition well in my book, Humbled on Purpose, but a blog is so short, it’s hard.

If you have a fall bookclub and are looking for a different kind of book to read, save a spot for me! I’ll even come in person or Zoom and tell you all about writing a book or the stuff that Andrew took out of Humbled on Purpose; Discoving Strength Through Vulnerability, Humor and Grace. Just in case you forgot, again. If you’ve forgotten by now, you might want some Prevagen.