Fresh Fiction Blog | Jeff Abbott | THE FIVE THINGS THEY NEVER TELL YOU WHEN YOUR BOOK IS ON THE SHELF

I’ve written eleven novels, and each one has been both joy and challenge. My latest thriller, Trust Me, was no different in that regard. I have found, though, that many readers and new or aspiring authors don’t know about the Five Things that happen once the book is done and on the shelves. These are the time-tested elements that you must brace yourself (and possibly your loved ones and your readers for) when you reach out and pluck down the finished book off the shelf:

You will remember some tiny bit of obscure research that you forgot to include. Oh, the hours you spent tracking down the correct serial numbers for a Belgian sniper rifle, or Ivan the Terrible’s underwear size, or the exact farm-to- market road your heroine would drive to reach Blooming Grove, Texas. And scanning over your scene, you realize that the tidbit is NOT THERE. How could this be? It must be the copyeditor struck it out and you didn’t notice. Or maybe you realized you didn’t need said tidbit because it slowed down the story and so like a reasonable person you took it out. But you don’t remember making that edit. Don’t worry. You can bore people with the obscure research for years to come. Look out, cocktail parties!

You forgot to thank someone in the acknowledgments. This is my greatest terror, only surpassed by getting a transatlantic flight and realizing have not packed a book to read (this once happened, and the therapy is helping). I keep lists of people who are kind enough to help me in researching the book. I check every list when I put in the acknowledgments. (And let’s face it, some authors’ acknowledgments are turning into veritable novels or long-form poems these days). Twice I have forgotten to thank someone. Both times I managed to get it fixed before printing. But. But. That is a nightmare with my name already on it, people; don’t beat me to the shame.

You realize you have made a new friend who has the same name as your morally loathsome villain. Don’t you love it when you make a new friend in the weeks before your book comes out, say, a nice lady named Sandy? And Sandy is the first person in line at your book launch, a bright smile on her face? And it’s then you feel you should mention that the character in your book who lacks any sense of conscience, who is a serial murderer, and steals from destitute widows and orphans is named . . . Sandy?

You suddenly think of a title that would be so much better. The book’s cover looks great. The title, The Kite Code’s Daughter, is bold and compelling. But then . . . you suddenly fixate on that emotional confrontation in Chapter 20, and you realize that your book should have drawn its title from the angry condemnation that the hero spits into the villain’s face (let’s say: Drop Dead Scumbag). You decide this new title is perfect. And instead you’re using the original title you came up with between drafts, when you were with a librarian friend in Santa Fe, slamming tequila shots.

And finally: You will want to rewrite a sentence. This is the fun one. After all, you poured out your sweat, blood and tears onto the page for months or years before the typesetter got hold of your words. But guaranteed, if you pull down the book and open it to a page at random, you will see a sentence you will want to rewrite. The verb is uninteresting; the noun is flat or vague; the adjective seems iffy. A bolt of terror goes through you. Relax. The sentence is perfectly fine—and so is the title, the research, the thank-yous, the character names. You, however, are mental, because you have a new book on the shelf. Congratulations! I’ve experienced all these headaches before and heard of other authors having them, too. It’s called nerves. We work so hard on our books that we want them to succeed, to be embraced by booksellers, librarians, and readers, and worrying about such things just shows an unwillingness to let go.

Writing and reading books seems like one of the few occupations for our brains that involve thoughtfulness and concentration. So we worry about disappointing. The book is done: let it go.

You get over this. Preferably while doing shots with a librarian friend.

Jeff Abbott

Tell us what you think about Jeff's blog...you could win a SIGNED copy of TRUST ME!

Comments

Thanks for this fascinating blog post. I am intrigued with your new novel and this topic. Best of luc and much success.
(Sharon Berger 12:41pm August 14, 2009)

I think Jeff's Blog is Fab!! I loved reading what he wrote about The Kite Code's Daughter. As a writer trying to break out into publishing, these tips were quite handy. I know what to look out for when writing as well as publishing.

I also agree with the above readers' comments. I have not been so lucky or unlucky to have such similarities, but I think it would affect the feel for the book, and even trying to read it afterwards.
(Freda Mans-Labianca 12:42pm August 14, 2009)

Moat interesting remarks. Good for everyone!
Thanks!
Marjorie
(Marjorie Carmony 12:44pm August 14, 2009)

Fun blog! I find myself grinning foolishly as I recall times when my work/project/accomplishment was up for approval and I was terrified for an instant on how it would be received. Sort of a mini panic attack/nerves. And life goes on!
(Karen Barnett 1:03pm August 14, 2009)

Awesome blog! Thanks for the warnings! I would also worry that I forgot to thank someone. Your book looks interesting - I'll have to pick it up!
(Kelli Jo Calvert 1:12pm August 14, 2009)

Great blog...I especially like the one about the new friend sharing the killer's name!
(G S Moch 4:48pm August 14, 2009)

Funny blog, when you want a title, then think of another and then go back to the original one; I guess that's one of the reasons I don't write: I would be forever changing my mind about everything
(Diane Sadler 5:10pm August 14, 2009)

I guess when the author wants to edit is different than all those previous edits requested by the editor and others. Like any artist is a piece ever really finished?
(Alyson Widen 5:18pm August 14, 2009)

I feel that way when I'm Making something, be it a costume or a cake. Should I do a little more here or there, maybe it would be better with this or that. I keep telling myself less is always better, and I need to put it down and walk away.
(Theresa Buckholtz 6:39pm August 14, 2009)

I love your blog, I am always afraid that I'll forget to thank anyone who has helped me and that they will think I'm not grateful.
(Sherry Strode 9:57pm August 14, 2009)

I think the blog is great and I love the cover of Trust Me
(Vicki Wurgler 10:07pm August 14, 2009)

The eyes on the cover of Trust me are mesmerizing. The cover alone compels me to read the novel.

bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com
(Benita Glickman 10:27pm August 14, 2009)

I so understand the thing about wanting to change words, titles or characters names once the book is out on the shelf and out of your hands.
(Robyn Lee 10:32pm August 14, 2009)

Your comments were very enlightening. It gives us a peak behind the screen. The stress sounds unbearable. Good luck with your new release.
(Rosemary Krejsa 10:36pm August 14, 2009)

Had to laugh. Your blog is that of a
parent. Did I do this enough? Should
I have given the child a better name? I
should have spent more time with
him/her. I should have made sure
they took piano lessons. Will the
others like him/her? Are they ready
for the cold, cruel world? Have that
shot. What's done is done. Your baby
is going to have to stand on his own
two feet!
(Patricia Barraclough 12:17pm August 15, 2009)

I can't imagine the agony of
having a BOOK out there on a
shelf and all this going
through your mind. I took a
creative write class at the
community college and the
nights of waking and realizing
that a particular sentence was
wrong, wrong,wrong- nearly had
me sleepwalking. Oh, and
driving down the road- I know
every other driver thought I
must be losing it as I was
constantly rewriting a
paragraph out loud while
driving. Although the worst
was while mowing the yard. My
neighbor came over to see if
I'd had a stroke or something
as I had mowed around and
around in a circle for an
hour. Jeez, how do you handle
the stress of actually having
a book out there where
thousands-gulp maybe millions
of people are reading it.
Yeah, that bottle looks pretty
good right now.
(Lisa Richards 9:31am August 15, 2009)

A fun blog! I have read your books, and enjoyed them! I will remember your five 'warnings' though as I read your new books from now on....
(Anne Harris 9:41am August 15, 2009)

It's nice to know I'm not the only one who second guesses myself.
(MaryEllen Hanneman 10:05am August 15, 2009)

I always wondered if you did any research on the names of your characters. I can't imagine that every name you pick (first and last) could be a person out there somewhere.
(Sandy Miresse 10:14am August 15, 2009)

I am just starting two new shorts, and I sincerely hope to remember your five things, so that I can hopefully avoid those problems. Although I am definitely naming the bad guy in my story after my ex-he derserves it. Thanks for a great post
(Nancy Gilliland 6:17pm August 15, 2009)

I'm so thankful I'm not a writer, (grin.) I guess what strikes me most about books is if the grammar is poor--yeah, I'm one of those word for word readers and a language teacher.

However, I'm hesitant to blame the writer because of the experiences related to me by published authors.

In the first case I "nudged" one author, saying that I a German expression she'd used was incorrect. "Oh, I know which one you mean. I wrote it correctly and my editor 'corrected' it to read incorrectly. When I went corrected the expression, it came back incorrect again and I just gave up."

I guess some people just have to be correct even if they aren't.

Another writer recalled in a blog how she was asked to rewrite some scenes in her first book. She did extensive rewrites and sent them in to her publisher. When she got her copy of the book, she was horrified to realize that it was the first draft.

After these two stories, I'm to give the writers the benefit of the doubt and blame the editors or proofreaders instead--unless I read another book and the same mistakes recur in other books.
(Sigrun Schulz 7:33pm August 15, 2009)

Argh, I forgot to proofread my own writing. Please, forgive the many mistakes. Yuck.
(Sigrun Schulz 7:34pm August 15, 2009)

very interesting stories and what a fun blog you have. Good luck with your writing.
(Gloria Vigil 8:17am August 16, 2009)

Great blog, I LOVE reading about the "little glitches" that show up whlie you're writing.
(Mina Gerhart 6:22pm August 16, 2009)

Hi Jeff,
I don't have a book on the shelf yet,
but had to smile at your 5 warnings,
especially the 2nd and last ones. I
could very well see myself doing that
when the time comes. I'll have to file
this post away in an "After Publication"
folder.
Thanks for the insight,
Julie
(Julie Robinson 5:23pm August 19, 2009)

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