Stress-Pain and Pleasure

Sometimes, when you manage the process of publishing books, when you don’t have your own research folks, use anybody as an editor if you use anybody at all, and you wrestle with file formats like PDF, JPG, Epub, Mobi and whatever else, it brings out the feeling that wouldn’t it be nice to be John Grisham or the Patterson factory because they have only to write with a smart editor to help them.

And then I think no, I like the stress, the challenge despite having to deal with so many things beyond just writing. When books don’t sell, which is always so far, it gives you something to hide behind, that I would be successful if  and then list in my mind all the reasons including the ones I mentioned.

But there are compensations. Thinking about a book, like the one I am trying to write about the Jesuits in the northwestern wilderness, it takes me all kinds of places. I have admitted to myself that I am ill prepared to address the enormous reach of the book I think about, and that is what makes the whole thing worthwhile.

Just trying to get it right, enjoying your words whether anybody else does or not, is a pretty good way to start and finish the day.

I had hoped we, Rachel, the illustrator and I would have Return to Black Mountain ready for all the grandkids, great grandkids, nieces and nephews for Christmas. Rachel is doing her best, but being the illustrator and the designer is a lot to take on and she just might do it.