I’ve been around long enough to have watched changes in this book-writing thing. I swear the first draft of my first book was handwritten. Nowadays, of course, you write a book on a computer, and while I got to edit On Highway 61 on paper (my editor is as old school as I am), I then copyedited it on a computer. But today (May 14, 2014) I got the galleys, which are the book as a book — paperback, lacking pictures and other things, but a real bound book. It’s genuinely thrilling. And now it has a reality that it didn’t before.
I’ve seen a few blogs – not many – that genuinely fascinated me, and of course I’ve run into many that display all the worst possibilities – pontification and boredom. I ask Manjushri (Buddhist icon of wisdom) to help me avoid the latter. Anyway, I am about to publish my third book, On Highway 61, on October 14th. This blog will be a shared journal to tell you what’s happening with it. Some of it I’ll send out in newsletter form to those who want me delivered.
This will be vastly more interesting as a shared experience, so do feel free to comment – I promise to respond as quickly as humanly possible. October doesn’t seem too far away today.
Maggie McNally says
Seeing your book cover on your landing page made it so much more real for me, as well. So looking forward to receiving it in hand. The publication date is auspicious!
Dennis McNally says
Thank you, my very dear sister. Nice to have family start off this little cyber-adventure. As I say elsewhere, I’m being dragged into the 21st century – but I seem to be doing less kicking and screaming as we go along!
amy homans says
I love what I have seen thus far. Brilliant cover photo and the title is a winner. The writing is what I would expect from you. Well done, cuz. I can’t wait to get my hands on the book. I too find the publication date auspicious. Was that on purpose?
Dennis McNally says
The answer to your question, by the way, is that it was half and half, luck and intention. The editor mentioned Tuesdays (don’t know why books publish on a Tuesday, but there you go), and either the 7th or 14th, and I immediately said the 14th, for Maggie.