My First Book Launch: a happy report

“Write something” is a favourite encouragement of mine: Just start. Put words on the page. Write.
Time enough later for editing, revising, refining. Today, right now: Write something.
My sister sent this lemon poppyseed cake from my neighbourhood bakery to celebrate the launch
of my handbook, How to be a Writer in Four Steps, this past Saturday. Yum!

Of course, my one fear was that no one would come. My other, much less rational, fear was that so many people would come the room would burst.

Of course, neither of those things happened.

This past Saturday, about 50 people came to my book launch. I know this number only because my clever friend Jacki counted the 45 people seated to which I am able to add the handful who came to buy the book but were unable to stay for the formal event. What a spectacular feeling — to have people, many known to me but also some total strangers, come to an event designed expressly to celebrate the launch of my handbook into the world.

While I have become comfortable standing in front of a group, it is most usually to teach something I know about or to present someone else and their work as the focus of the gathering. To be up there as the reason for the event took quite some courage on my part. But once I had started this lark of writing a handbook, I found myself pulled along to the ever-evolving next-logical step in this creative endeavour: Write the book. Produce the book. Promote the book. Sell the book.

Each step is challenging. Each step is new to me. Each step is taking me to the next one. Just yesterday, a friend suggested I approach my neighbourhood bookstore to see if they might carry my handbook. Gulp. Another new step to take. And why not: This is the question to ask ourselves at any age, but maybe particularly at my age of heading-towards-70. Though I won’t be there for another three-and-a-half years, it is my next milestone age, and wouldn’t it be grand, before then, to be able to cross off “my book in a bookstore” on my bucket list.

Before then, I already know that my book is, literally, in people’s hands. And early feedback is coming in:

“What a great approach to writing! … Your stories are amply and beautifully illustrative of your thesis about being a Writer.”

“Part poetic and inspiring and ever so practical. Just like Amanda … If you want to step into yourself as a writer… this is your ticket. In reading it, I can see there is crossover to whatever dream you may want to explore.”

I have never birthed a baby, but I feel a little bit like a new mother must feel: Here’s my baby. Look at my baby! Isn’t she beautiful! Do you want to hold her? Oh, please take care with her, she is so precious to me. But hold her, for god sake, hold her!

Thank you to every person who was able to attend my launch. I loved seeing you there and having you share in my celebration. Thank you to everyone who sent messages of encouragement and support from afar. Thank you to Deborah Schnitzer, my creative collaborator, who introduced me with such love and heart, and who encourages me to take each successive step on this path of being a Writer.

I have always written to be read and, now, with my book in the world, I have created the opportunity to reach wider into the world of readers and writers; thank you to my friend Maxine for this insight. We are on this earth to love each other, to do good work, and to create beautiful and useful things. What is your next step in this collective enterprise of living?

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Earlier that same morning, I had a lovely conversation about writing, the identity of Writer, and my handbook with Bruce Ladan of CBC Radio's The Weekend Morning Show. You can listen to it here. 

The launch of How to be a Writer in Four Steps: Saturday, Oct. 3 at the Norrie Library in Winnipeg.
From left: the crowd, the author (!), Deborah introducing me. I lost track of my notes in my excitement and forgot to thank my partner, Val, for her years of support and encouragement. Never once has she doubted my ability to pursue my objective of bringing to life this handbook. Dear Val, thank you. 
Thanks also to Carmen for taking photos, a detail I forgot to organize in advance. 

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Land acknowledgement: I respectfully recognize that I live on the original lands of Anishinaabe, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota and Dene peoples, and on the homeland of the Métis Nation.