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Monday, September 08, 2008

A Good Job - Jennifer Estep


First of all, thanks to the Leena for inviting me to guest blog today. Thanks so much!

September sees the release of Jinx, the third book in my Bigtime superhero series. If you haven’t read the books, they’re set in Bigtime, N.Y., a city full of smart, sassy gals looking for love, sexy superheroes, and evil ubervillains. The books are just fun, sexy fantasies.

With the release of Jinx, I’m full of all the usual emotions – joy, elation, hope that readers will enjoy it, and relief that the book is finally, finally done and on the shelf after going through revisions, copy edits, and page proofs.

I’ve got a few books under my belt now, but it still feels like I learn something new about the book business every day. So in honor of Jinx’s release, I thought I’d share some of the best things I’ve discovered about being an author.

Fan mail: There’s nothing better than opening an e-mail or letter from someone who’s taken the time and energy to write and let you know how much she enjoyed your book. It always amazes and humbles me, and it’s one of the best feelings in the world.

Seeing your book on the shelf: This is another thrill, and visual proof that all your hard work has paid off, that your book is finally out there for folks to discover, read, and (hopefully!) love.

Meeting other authors: There are so many wonderful authors out there that I’ve read over the years. Meeting and talking to them in person has been a wonderful treat – and so is meeting new folks to add to my to-be-read pile.

Meeting other readers: Meeting other folks who share a common love of books and authors has also been another great treat.

Conferences: I love going to conferences, traveling to new cities, meeting new people, and learning new things at workshops.

Scoring free books at conferences: I love to read and try new authors, and picking up free books at conferences is always one of the highlights of the events for me – despite my towering TBR pile at home!

So there you have it. Some of my favorite things about the book business. Of course, there’s some bad stuff that goes along with being an author. But ninety percent of the time, the good far outweighs the bad – which is what makes being an author worthwhile.

As for coping with the bad stuff, well, that’s what chocolate, ice cream, and French fries are for. J

What about you? What do you love about writing or reading books? Share in the comments.

Jennifer

6 comments:

Jennifer Skully/Jasmine Haynes said...

Wow, Jennifer, I LOVE that cover! Good luck with the release.

Jasmine
http://jasminehaynes.blogspot.com

Jody W. and Meankitty said...

Wearing pajamas to work, picking my own hours (sort of), and enjoying the heck out of my job!

Jody W.

Totebag Guest said...

Jasmine -- Thanks! I think it's a pretty cool cover too. Then again, I might be a little biased. ;-)

Jody -- Oh yes. Me too!

suzanneelizabeths.com said...

The freedom to have a job you really love has got to rank right up there!

Maureen said...

The greatest thing about being a reader is that I can take a break from the daily grind and go to another place with a wonderful book.

Book Sp(l)ot said...

Something linked me to your book just recently (between all these blogs and Amazon and all the other sites, I honestly have no idea where now)....I'm going to have to find out some more about it :)

and though I'm not all published or antyhing, I love writing because it's so amazing to me to be able to come up with all of these things in your head and turn them into something that everyone else can share (ie read)...

and I love reading because it takes you to so many different worlds and lives