So...how's the book coming?

I'm a relatively private person, and a relatively difficult person to get to know. Add to that the fact that the past week or so has seen me thrown into a few situations where I've needed to talk to people I've either not seen in 5 years or never met at all. So guess what gets the conversational ball rolling...the fact that I've published a book! Nevermind that very few of these people can claim much knowledge of 'my little hobby' beyond that one truth--it didn't stop them from inquiring,

"So, how's the writing going?"

which segued into:

"When are you going to publish another book?"


There's not really a simple answer for those questions. Unless of course I just rock back on my heels and answer, "Good, good." or "Soon, soon." This never satisfies anyone. So I start in on my spiel, about how I published the first one by myself (not through a vanity press, which I don't think anyone really gets, but ALL BY MYSELF), and how I'm not sure I want to go through all that again. And how it's a tough time in publishing right now and even when it's not a tough time you have to find the perfect agent/editor and still have luck on your side. Nope. Even when I try to sum all this up before their eyes glaze over, they still end the conversation nodding incomprehensively, clearly wishing they'd never asked.

At a birthday party my boys recently attended, the hostess' stepdad (who'd worked for a small press) discovered I'd published a book and promptly sat me down to inform me what I needed to do to get it right the next time. Aye aye aye! (That spelling seems way wrong, but I looked it up!) I couldn't get away fast enough.

This has all taught me that I need to come up with a go-to list of small talk starters before the next family reunion. (And I need to avoid all know-it-all stepdads). Or I could just get on with it and get that second book out there!