A BOOK, A BOOK, MY KINGDOM FOR A BOOK...

In the space of just over twelve hours, there has been elation and deflation in New Successful Writer's life! It all began at quarter to five yesterday evening. That was when Hubby rang me at the office in a state of huge excitement. "I have just had a phone call from Lorraine!" he cried (who is Youngest Step-daughter by the way). "She's taken delivery of a special little package!" . Now bearing in mind Youngest Step-daughter has a baby due on 29 December, my initial rush of excitement was one of the Proud-Grandmotherly kind. Boy? Girl? Weight? Name? That we have already been told - not least by Grand-daughter herself - that the forthcoming baby is male fell by the wayside for a few seconds. "It's your book!" crowed Hubby, inadvertantly scattering all thoughts of New Grandchild. "The print version!" This took a moment to sink in. "What?" I managed after a silence of several moments. "She's had six copies arrive today!" Hubby went on. Slowly things began to fall into place. The main thing being that my book is now in print - and not a self-printed copy of the download! Hubby was babbling on about how Youngest Step-daughter and Clever Son-In-Law had ordered a copy for each of their friends from the Parent-craft classes they'd attended when expecting Grand-daughter, and how they wanted them all signed before Christmas so they could be wrapped and given to the various offspring. All I kept thinking during the next incredible few minutes was 'Wow!' and 'It finally got there!'

I immediately went onto the Yucketypoo website and tried to order six copies myself but, in the adrenalin rush, hit a wrong button somewhere and had to give up. All the way home I was thinking how ironic it was that the books arrived yesterday when, earlier on, hot on the trail of Sarah the Publisher telling me that they now had a Print-on-Demand service available, I had emailed her and asked how I could get a copy printed up in time to give to Hubby for Christmas.


Anyway, when I got home, there was Hubby beaming like a Cheshire cat and I must admit his enthusiasm was a tonic in itself. But five minutes later the telephone rang. It was Sarah the Publisher. She had organised a limited edition print run just to meet the orders she'd had come in over the past couple of months and only had three copies left. There is another print-run scheduled - but it is doubtful it will happen this side of Christmas. A lot depends on how many more orders we can secure between now and then and, given it is just twelve days away, I won't hold my breath.

Hubby was absolutely gutted! I could see him deflating like the proverbial Christmas balloon! Sarah the Publisher did say she would send me a copy but that wasn't really what Hubby wanted to hear. He wanted to know we'd sold enough copies in advance to warrant a full print run of 2500. He wanted to know we could walk into W H Smiths and Waterstones and possibly see copies on display there. He wanted to take a copy into work and say proudly "Here it is!" and hand copies to the parents on Christmas Day. Most of all he wanted to crack open the champagne and say "Well done, Author!" as our glasses clinked. That will still happen - but after the thrill of hearing there are print versions in circulation right now - he wanted to celebrate right now - not next month or next year. This book has already been germinating for sixteen months. We have already had a mini-launch for the electronic version and there is no denying that it really is happening. It is just that it seems to be taking so bloody long!

Over coffee at Costa's this morning, he got very passionate again and, again, I was moved almost to tears by his unerring faith and unceasing belief in me. He knows that both Sarah the Publisher and I are haunting the media and book-sellers with info packs and Press Releases. He knows that several High Street Chains and a TV Producer have already expressed some interest in it. He knows she is a small independent publisher with limited resources. But he is clearly disappointed it has taken this long to get where we are - which, let's be honest - isn't as far as we had both hoped. To top it all off, he looked me straight in the eye and bequeathed me every penny of our savings at the Building Society (it isn't much but it is just sitting there doing nothing) if it means I can take some time off and just get out there and meet the people, sell the book, truly realise what is not longer just my dream but our dream and just be an active writer.

In all honesty, no amount of best-sellers could match that level of Love with a capital 'L' - or even come close but please - anyone - everyone - go to http://www.yucketypoo.co.uk/ and order a copy. Order several copies. Get everyone you know to order copies as well. And remember that a percentage of every copy sold goes to CLIC-sargent plus an important environmental message reaches the very people who will inherit the earth - our children and grandchildren!

And hopefully we will be able to open the champagne!