Photo by Caro Wallis / by NCND 2.0 CC

Although copyediting is my least favorite part of the publication process, soliciting blurbs is the part that makes me the most uncomfortable. Blurbs are the short, positive endorsements from other authors, experts and people-more-famous-than-you which are printed on the back of the book. They’re part of the overall strategy to convince the average book buyer to purchase your book.

This is how it goes: First, I have to lure you in with a clever title and/or an intriguing cover. That gets you to pick up the book and read the back, which contains a snappy synopsis that tells you enough about the book to pique your interest, but doesn’t give away the whole thing. Then you read the blurbs, which are meant to give you a final push toward the cash register, reassuring you that well-respected, accomplished people who know what they’re talking about think you should definitely buy this book.

The part that makes me feel awkward is that I have to contact well-respected, accomplished people who know [...]

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Last night there was a knocking at the door after sunset, so naturally I assumed it was a serial killer. I opened the door with the chain still on and discovered it wasn’t a serial killer, it was the UPS man. (At least, I assume he wasn’t a serial killer. I suppose he could be both a killer and a delivery man, and using a UPS outfit as a disguise would be a brilliant way to get into people’s houses. You could even hide your axe in the box you’re delivering. Okay, I have clearly thought too much about this.)

After he’d gone and I’d secured the deadbolt, I opened the box to discover this:

It’s the galleys for Chocolate & Vicodin: My Quest for Relief from the Headache that Wouldn’t Go Away! A galley is a bound edition of an uncorrected proof of the book. That means that not all the typographical or formatting errors have been fixed as they will be in the final edition. The galleys are published with the actual cover on the [...]

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