wishing out loud: book news

Wish Out Loud (WOL) is a little expression I made up for myself. It's all about putting it out there ... your dreams, your goals, your wishes. I often WOL and SOL (Smile Out Loud) here in blogland because it is a place so full of camaraderie.



WISHTORY
About two years ago on a cold winter day, my boys pleaded with me to take them to the playground. Knowing I would be that-mom-in-the-car, we stopped by the library so that I could pick up a book. I grabbed Alicia Paulson's Stitched in Time. Despite being "sewphobic" I knew it would be lovely and enjoyable because I follow Alicia's blog, Posie Gets Cozy. What I didn't know was that just a few pages in, I would be struck with this wonderful and exhilarating feeling of I can do this. I could write a book. A craft book!


Right then and there in the cold car, I hastily scribbled thoughts onto an envelope (no iPad here!). Soon I began to research and discovered my next steps would be writing a query and a proposal. This may be around the time the frequency of my blog posts slowed because any extra time was used for writing, editing, creating and then finally ... submitting!

I sent my query to a publisher and I waited. I tweaked my query. I sent it again. I obsessively checked my email. I inquired. I waited. This process continued for about a year until I finally received a gentle rejection.

My next step: I wished out loud. Some of you might remember that about a year or so ago on the upper left sidebar of my blog it said something like: Attention Publishers. Book deal wanted. I had seen another blogger do this and thought -- I'm putting it out there. This act felt brazen.



Weeks later I received a phone call from a very special person who noticed my WOL. We talked and she told me that she believed in my idea. She suggested a publisher to whom I should send my proposal. Again, I tweaked, edited, reviewed and sent it. And waited. And obsessively checked my email. And then at last heard from the publisher who found my ideas "clever and very, very lovely." Months later on my birthday, I received an offer. A few months after that ...



a contract! (Guess I could've dressed-up for the pic!) I am busybusybusy working on a book of 35 projects. The release is planned for Spring of 2013!



I thank all of my friends in the blogging community for always cheering me on, for leaving comments like I hope you write a book someday because I would buy it! These good wishes let me know that this was possible.

I hope you WOL your hopes and dreams, too (even if it feels brazen)!

{So, if I'm not so great at reciprocating comments, I hope you'll understand. Please know that I read and sincerely treasure each comment.}

xo
elyse