Good Monday morning (or afternoon, if you're in the Eastern time zone)-
I'm one step closer to publishing my book, thanks to a Saturday-night answer to prayer. But that’s not what this e-mail is about. I want to share with you some information on a book I'm reading that may make a difference in you or in someone you love.
Janelle Shantz Hertzler, a friend and writer, sent me a copy of her latest book, "Seasons of Solace, A Story of Healing through Photos and Poems." It's wonderful!
Janelle and her husband John had been working thru a Mennonite organization in Thailand, assisting with economic development, helping AIDS patients, and teaching English. Her husband was killed by a drunk driver, leaving her alone in Thailand with their 18-month-old son Micah.
When Janelle started working thru her grief, she expressed herself in poetry for the first time since high school, and began taking photos of nature. These two creative arts have been combined into a beautiful hardcover book that is helping me in my grief journey as well.
Here is one of my favorite poems from Janelle’s book:
True Me
I know well the me I’m told to be
but I don’t know the me
that was given me to be.
The true me, the inner me,
the deepest me remains unknown.
When I live the me I’m told to be,
I fail, I disappoint, I hurt.
When I show only the me I’m told to be,
I feel shallow and deceptive.
I make promises I cannot keep.
Will I choose the risk
of turning inside out?
What will I find as I get to know the me
I am made to be?
Incredible! Janelle lets us see her deepest hurt and watch as she begins to heal. I especially love the one where she swore at God, then "waited for the proverbial lightening bolt. / But I heard, / 'I've been waiting for you to be real. / Now we can move forward together.'"
In addition to the poetry and photographs in her book, Janelle also provides a list of Recommended Reading, so you can explore and do necessary grief work in your life. These include books on Grief, Reflecting on Loss, Poetry/Writing for Healing, and Photography for Healing.
You can get information Janelle’s book from her website, www.journey-through-grief.com and from there click on the link to Amazon to purchase it. You may consider buying an extra one as a gift.
Thanks for letting me share this with you. Let me know how you like the book. You can also e-mail Janelle thru her website and tell her as well.
I'll keep you posted on my book, "Stepping Thru Cancer, A Step-by-Step Guide for the Journey," and when I'm starting my speaking ministry. Looking forward to seeing you and hearing from you.
Love to all-
Debbie
Monday, March 1, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Publishing Ordeal
I trust you all had a good Valentine’s Day. I got thru it alone, and it wasn’t as bad as anticipated. Life goes on, one day at a time, and the pain lessens little by little.
I’ve given computer-printed copies of my book to Bryan’s oncologist and an editor-friend for their input. It’s kind of like showing off your new baby. You hope everybody admires the little one and says only good things.
Many have asked if my book is published yet. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. Here’s a brief overview of what’s involved. I need to find a publisher and maybe an agent.
There’s a 3-step process in getting an agent:
Send a 1-page query letter with a brief description of the book and what makes it different. Wait 1-2 months for a response.
If the agent is interested, send a 20- to 30-page proposal letter with a few chapters of the book. Wait again for twice the amount of time, usually 2-4 months.
If the agent is still interested, then send the entire manuscript and wait around 4-6 months.
With all the waiting, it takes up to a year just to get an agent. If the agent doesn’t allow simultaneous submissions, I go thru it one agent at a time until I find one who wants me.
Getting a publisher takes the same three steps and about the same length of time, even with an agent as a go-between. It could take a year or longer just to get the manuscript accepted. Then, it’s another year or two before it’s published! One contact in publishing suggested that I go directly to a publisher for my first book, so I’m trying to decide which one(s) get the query letter.
It could take a total of 2-4 years to hit bookstands. One writer’s website has a list of 39 steps to getting published. Step 1 is to write the book. (That’s the easy part.) Of the remaining 38 steps, 22 of them start with the word “wait.” I guess God will teach me patience if I wait long enough.
The only way to avoid all this waiting is to self-publish. That means that I pay all the publishing costs and have all the books shipped to my house. Then, bookstores and Amazon.com order from me instead of from the publisher, and I handle all the shipping. Doesn’t sound too appealing, so I’d prefer the other way instead.
Now you know that publishing isn’t an overnight accomplishment. I can’t get back to writing articles or other books until the wheels start turning on this one. I would appreciate your prayers in my search. I’m terrified of putting my “baby” in the wrong hands.
Take care and remember that God loves you and knows what you're facing today. I need to remember the same!
I’ve given computer-printed copies of my book to Bryan’s oncologist and an editor-friend for their input. It’s kind of like showing off your new baby. You hope everybody admires the little one and says only good things.
Many have asked if my book is published yet. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. Here’s a brief overview of what’s involved. I need to find a publisher and maybe an agent.
There’s a 3-step process in getting an agent:
Send a 1-page query letter with a brief description of the book and what makes it different. Wait 1-2 months for a response.
If the agent is interested, send a 20- to 30-page proposal letter with a few chapters of the book. Wait again for twice the amount of time, usually 2-4 months.
If the agent is still interested, then send the entire manuscript and wait around 4-6 months.
With all the waiting, it takes up to a year just to get an agent. If the agent doesn’t allow simultaneous submissions, I go thru it one agent at a time until I find one who wants me.
Getting a publisher takes the same three steps and about the same length of time, even with an agent as a go-between. It could take a year or longer just to get the manuscript accepted. Then, it’s another year or two before it’s published! One contact in publishing suggested that I go directly to a publisher for my first book, so I’m trying to decide which one(s) get the query letter.
It could take a total of 2-4 years to hit bookstands. One writer’s website has a list of 39 steps to getting published. Step 1 is to write the book. (That’s the easy part.) Of the remaining 38 steps, 22 of them start with the word “wait.” I guess God will teach me patience if I wait long enough.
The only way to avoid all this waiting is to self-publish. That means that I pay all the publishing costs and have all the books shipped to my house. Then, bookstores and Amazon.com order from me instead of from the publisher, and I handle all the shipping. Doesn’t sound too appealing, so I’d prefer the other way instead.
Now you know that publishing isn’t an overnight accomplishment. I can’t get back to writing articles or other books until the wheels start turning on this one. I would appreciate your prayers in my search. I’m terrified of putting my “baby” in the wrong hands.
Take care and remember that God loves you and knows what you're facing today. I need to remember the same!
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Duane's passing and 3 cancer hints
Good Saturday evening, dear friends and loved ones.
It is with a sad heart that I advise you of the death today of Duane Koski, my son Brian’s father-in-law. Duane was diagnosed with cancer in mid-November, and outlived the doctor’s prediction by three weeks. He fought valiantly, but slipped peacefully into eternity with his family at his side. Thank you for your prayers for him, and please continue to pray for his wife Nancy and daughters Sarah and Laura.
When Duane was first diagnosed, Sarah said she wished that my book was available, because they could use the suggestions in it. I sent her the first chapter, which contains the three most important hints. I decided I’d share them with you as well.
When you or a loved one is diagnosed with cancer, there are three vital things to do:
1. WRITE IT DOWN: Take notes at every treatment and doctor’s appointment, and record weight, blood pressure, and temperature whenever they’re taken, as well as pain and nausea levels and how medicines affect them. Keep these and all other paperwork and handouts in a loose-leaf notebook.
2. SLOW DOWN: Don’t drive as fast or do things as quickly as usual. Your mind is working slower, so take your time doing everything, especially in the kitchen. You can cut or burn yourself or put things away in the wrong place, like the milk in the pantry instead of the refrigerator.
3. SIT DOWN: Take time for yourself and don’t feel you have to keep your normal schedule. Give yourself permission to rest when you need to, whether you’re the patient or the caregiver. You need it.
Feel free to pass these on to anyone facing cancer, to help them on their journey. This is from the first step of my book, “Stepping Thru Cancer,” which is about 80% done, so it should be available soon. Each week, I hear of someone else who is starting their cancer journey, and that’s an expedition that shouldn’t be made alone. I hope to have the book out in the next few months.
Thank you for standing by me on my journey, and continuing to support me in my new career.
Love and prayers to all-
Debbie
It is with a sad heart that I advise you of the death today of Duane Koski, my son Brian’s father-in-law. Duane was diagnosed with cancer in mid-November, and outlived the doctor’s prediction by three weeks. He fought valiantly, but slipped peacefully into eternity with his family at his side. Thank you for your prayers for him, and please continue to pray for his wife Nancy and daughters Sarah and Laura.
When Duane was first diagnosed, Sarah said she wished that my book was available, because they could use the suggestions in it. I sent her the first chapter, which contains the three most important hints. I decided I’d share them with you as well.
When you or a loved one is diagnosed with cancer, there are three vital things to do:
1. WRITE IT DOWN: Take notes at every treatment and doctor’s appointment, and record weight, blood pressure, and temperature whenever they’re taken, as well as pain and nausea levels and how medicines affect them. Keep these and all other paperwork and handouts in a loose-leaf notebook.
2. SLOW DOWN: Don’t drive as fast or do things as quickly as usual. Your mind is working slower, so take your time doing everything, especially in the kitchen. You can cut or burn yourself or put things away in the wrong place, like the milk in the pantry instead of the refrigerator.
3. SIT DOWN: Take time for yourself and don’t feel you have to keep your normal schedule. Give yourself permission to rest when you need to, whether you’re the patient or the caregiver. You need it.
Feel free to pass these on to anyone facing cancer, to help them on their journey. This is from the first step of my book, “Stepping Thru Cancer,” which is about 80% done, so it should be available soon. Each week, I hear of someone else who is starting their cancer journey, and that’s an expedition that shouldn’t be made alone. I hope to have the book out in the next few months.
Thank you for standing by me on my journey, and continuing to support me in my new career.
Love and prayers to all-
Debbie
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