L-R Author Laraine Russo Harper, Yours Truly, and Editor Geoff Schumacher

I got to do one of my very favorite things yesterday — present an author with the very first copy of her very first book. There is nothing quite like holding the “real thing” in your hands, the heft and weight of it, turning the pages, the smell of fresh ink — and thinking about the hundreds, if not thousands, of hours that went into the project. From research and fact-finding, to interviews and phone calls, long nights on the computer, writing and rewriting, tweaking and massaging until you have something you can call a manuscript. Then comes the quest for a publisher (which could be the subject of a whole book in itself) and then the editing, production and manufacturing process. Once the book is in hand, “the real work commences”. The marketing, interviews, signings, presentations — there’s a lot to this book biz! The one comment that authors frequently make to me is that it feels a lot like having a baby — all of the work and effort and the lengthy process — and the reward of finally seeing one’s words in print. Of course, I point out, in most cases, one can usually produce a human child on a much faster schedule than publishing a book! More information here: Media Advisory Legal Tender.