What’s up with Coaching Ira?
Excuse me while I recycle an old hackneyed expression from a Head and Shoulders ad campaign.
“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”
This phrase takes on a whole new validity when you’re introducing the world to a project you worked so long and hard on. You want all facets of that project to be great, and this is especially true when you’re launching a debut novel. The cover has to be appealing, your story has to touch the reader and the mechanics of your writing need to be solid. As an author, you may think you can get away with certain inconsistencies, but there will always be somebody somewhere who will notice that teensy-weensy little blemish, even though it may not have any impact on your story. And, rest assured, that person will be the first person to email you and say “Nyah, nyah, look what I found. You stink.” (I would hope that he who calls me out shows a little more maturity, but the preceding quote represents how I would tackle the matter.)
Over the first weekend in April, I received my author’s or galley copy of Coaching Ira from Xlibris, the publisher I chose to give birth to this book. Xlibris has done a wonderful job crafting a book that looks as clean and professional as the ones you see lining the shelves at your favorite bookstore. I was wildly impressed, and, as can be imagined, thrilled to see my first book in print. I spent the following week reading and re-reading it for spelling, punctuation and formatting errors. I stumbled across a few things here and there that I could have lived with, but they kept me up at night just the same. Again, they were little details that probably would not have impacted the story but would have made me look sloppy; like I wasn’t paying attention.
My rep at Xlibris has informed me that the turnaround time should be no more than 4-5 weeks, which puts us at an early-mid May release date. What’s another month, right?
Please pardon the delays. Many of you have contacted me asking about the release date and I am flattered. But I want to bring you a better book, free of distractions that will spoil your reading pleasure.
Notice how I said a “better” book and not a “perfect” book. If I were to achieve perfection in my first novel then there would be no reason to keep writing. And that would be bad. Bad.
So I hope my “first impression” strikes you well. If not, at least I’ll get a first chance at a second impression.
Cheers,
-Adam