It has already been a week since Publication Day, and what a week!
The first 24 hours I barely slept because of the congratulations that poured in from the US, Europe and Asia. Since these are three different time zones, people started waking up before people in another time zone went to bed, and I think I stayed up to 3 am that first night celebrating with all our friends around the world. 🙂
A big thank-you from my heart, to everyone who sent well-wishes, pictures of Beautiful Affliction as they were reading, messages, e-mails, tweets, instagram pics and comments, I appreciate it so very much! It is quite an emotional experience, seeing one’s book being born, and such tremendous support makes all the difference.
If you have read the acknowledgements in the back of my book, you know I have many people to thank who have helped me reach this point on my journey, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank Brooke Warner, my amazing publisher, who guided me through the rough sea of the publishing journey with a steady hand, and who convinced me to go ahead with the cover, when I wanted to chicken out!
I am also very grateful to the amazing Julie Metz, who designed the cover, which I have received so much praise for that should really go to her. Also Stacey Aaronson, who did the book interior have rendered me much praise, which is really hers. I can’t tell you how many readers who have reacted overwhelmingly positive to both the cover and the interior, and the overall impression of my book. I would also like to thank Krissa who did the proofreading, and who did a fabulous job, especially making sure all the medical terms were correct. In the middle of all this was Cait, making sure we were on schedule and sorting out the occasional mess.
Also Crystal Patriarche, boss and CEO, was amazing, reassuring me when I felt overwhelmed and cheering me on, and on a more practical note, putting my book in the hands of Megan, who is doing a fabulous job spreading the word about Beautiful Affliction, opening doors and hearts to my story. I am very grateful to all of my team at She Writes Press, who have helped bring my story into the world in a miraculous way, really this is all much more than I ever could have dreamed of.
I must also mention my amazing Pub sisters of She Writes Press, who have helped me more times than I can recall, in big and small ways, with concerns, advice, tips, well-wishes and cheers. A big thank-you to all the amazing and generous authors who have become my friends!
But also, even before I signed with She Writes Press I had two cheer-leaders extra-ordinaire, my wonderful editors Hila Ratzabi and Anne Dubuisson. I feel especially grateful, since English is my second language, and it was wonderful to have my editors to go to with questions big and small. Anne also stopped me when I wanted to make the traditional (apparently happens to all writers) last-minute panic changes to the manuscript, and for that I am very grateful, because now, with better perspective, I know she was right.
I would also like to mention my good friends Dan, and also Neil, who helped me at different stages: Dan ploughed through the manuscript right after I had finished it in English and then again later on, and truth be told I don’t know how many times Dan ended up reading my manuscript, he somehow never seemed getting tired of it.
Neil volunteered to read my book after all the work was done; one last proofreading after all the editing was finished and my head was just spinning from reading it over and over. He found two errors! Amazing, I still don’t know how he saw those, because it was typical errors where the language sounds right, but in writing it is just wrong. Thank you, both Dan and Neil.
I would also like to thank my huge, wonderful family, for cheering me on. My siblings and spouses, my nieces and nephews, my brothers and sister in law with spouses, my parents, my parents in law, my aunt and uncle, my cousins, my friends, everyone. I miss you all and hope to see you soon, whether in the US or in Sweden.
I know this is getting long, but I must mention my wonderful husband Anders and our amazing girls, who have been my cheerleaders and therapists, listening to all of my ramblings and doubts and always telling me to never quit, but to keep going.
And, of course, thank you to my blog readers who have warmed my heart with your comments many times!! You are wonderful!
Thank you everyone, from the bottom of my heart.
Love,
Lene
