GO TO PRESS!!!

Last week I uttered the three most beautiful words a writer can say to his publisher:  “Go to Press!”

All the years in the making, sweating over point-of-view, internalization, and sense of place.  Hours of time pouring over each page, fine-tuning the words.  Entire nights and weekends spent with my butt in the chair.  No TV.  No American Idol.  No washing dishes or making beds.  Just me and my computer.   

Nerves dancing when pitching the manuscript to New York editors who smile with their lips but not their eyes.  Months spent waiting for notification.  Then the crushing rejection letter.  “Loved your voice.  Great story.  Fantastic characters.  Couldn’t put the book down.  But . . . no deal." 

At last finding the publisher that is right.  The gallies (the first printing of the book) arrives in the mail.  Screams, laughter, wine, (lots of wine) and dancing barefoot around the house, hugging the pages to your heart.  This is it!  It’s going to happen.  Me!  I wrote a book.  It’s being published! 

Days of more proof-reading, getting the font just right, choosing the right cover, more proof-reading, more edits, more proof-reading. 

Then, it happens.   No more proofing, no more edits, no more cover designs.  It is time.  A deep breath.  Just say it!  Only three words.  Three little words powerful enough to change my destiny, uttered with so much emotion my voice cracks.

“Go to Press!”

Now, the waiting begins again for those five little words:

“And the Oscar goes to . . ..”