Big News! Book Contract!

I GOT A BOOK CONTRACT!!!!!

I've known for several weeks now, and I've been hinting about it on Twitter. But I wasn't allowed to officially share the news until I received the contract in the mail, signed it, and returned it to the publishing house. Boy, was the wait excruciating!

But now it's signed and completely official! And finally I can share this news with all of you who understand just how long and hard I've worked for this accomplishment.

Last time I updated you, my book proposal was on it's way to Publication Committee which is the group of important people who make the final decision on whether to take on a project or not. They were meeting on Thursday. And my agent had informed me the committee would make a decision that day.

All Thursday I tried not to think about my proposal and the fact that the editors might be using its pages as coasters. But no matter how hard I tried to think of raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, my eyes kept straying to the clock. I had decided if I didn't hear from anyone by the end of the business day, then they'd wadded up the many sheets of my proposal and tossed them in the trash with their paper coffee cups.

6:00 p.m. loomed nearer and I prepared myself for the worst. At 5:58 the phone rang. Before it could ring twice, I sprang for it with a breathless, "Hello."

"Hi, Jody." The perky voice on the other end belonged to none other than my agent, Rachelle Gardner.

My heart didn't know whether to stop beating or speed up, so it started doing crazy splutters. "Rachelle. Good news or bad?"

She laughed. "I literally got a one line email from the senior editor on his way out the door. And. . ." She paused.

My fingers squeezed the phone and left a permanent imprint.

"And. . ." A jubilant ring infused Rachelle's voice. "They're offering you a contract!"

"Yes!" I threw my clenched fists into the air in victory and praise!

Even though Rachelle didn't know any of the details of the contract at that point, I knew ALL I needed to know. I had a contract. I would finally get to publish a book. My lifelong dream had come true.

Thanks, Rachelle, for making dreams come true.

And thanks to all of you for sharing in this joyful experience with me!

More about what was in my contract in the next post. . .