Wondering If Denise’s Book Is Ever Getting Published? Girl, same.
It’s been a minute.
The last time I sent out a newsletter was, well, never. I was getting ready to in 2020 and then…2020.
As many of you know, Pete and I divorced during the pandemic. Amicable’s not even the word. We’re still a family; we’re just no longer a couple. Don’t buy into the “broken home” narrative. Happy parents create happy environments, and authentic emotions, even when they’re hard, are better for everyone’s mental health.
We also lost my mom in 2020. She battled cancer at the height of the pandemic–the earliest, scariest days. The six months from diagnosis to her death seem surreal sometimes. I hear her in my mind every day and still want to call her to ask: Are you supposed to use bleach with cold water only? Is this steak still good if I bought it on Sunday? Mom read my manuscript before she got sick, and I’ll always be grateful for that.
I’ve only just now turned my attention back to my book. It’s going to have a new title! I’ve always called my book MATCHED. But too many people hear ‘matched’ and think of dating, so after a year of playing with titles, I’m leaning toward, SEARCH HISTORY: A Memoir of Longing, Obsession, and Meeting my Mom at 40.
I’ve always felt that those of you who subscribe to my newsletter really do care if my book ever sees the light of day, so THANK YOU for that!
Here’s where I’m at in the publishing process:
My agent submitted my manuscript to publishing houses back in 2020. There are 5 big ones–Penguin Random House, Hatchette, Simon & Schuster, Harper Collins, and Macmillan–and then there are about 40 smaller publishers. One editor took my manuscript to her editorial meeting and fought for it but ultimately couldn’t convince her team. That was a tough one. But, the good thing about publishing is that it has a high turnover rate, so now, almost three years later (how???), we can take another run at it.
If a traditional publisher doesn’t buy SEARCH HISTORY after this round, I will self-publish. But that’s not The Dream. The dream is for my agent to call me and say, “I sold your book!” The dream is to pop the champagne — to have a big, snotty cry over the 8 years of work (so far) I’ve put into this project.
Over the next few weeks, you’ll see me knocking the cobwebs off my Facebook author page; I’m working on my “Top 10 Memoirs of 2022” and will post the video just in time for Christmas book buying.
Anyway, thank you for sticking around. Thank you for caring about whether this book gets off my computer and into the world. I appreciate you more than ever. Life can be so fucking hard, right? Family, friends, and books continue to get me through.
Denise
