Having never had children I don’t know from personal experience what happens in those first weeks after giving birth. But I’d think there are some similarities to what I’ve been feeling since The Secrets They Kept was published. This book after all, was my baby. Instead of nine months, it took seven years. Seven years of attachment in some form to this story and these characters I had invented, fed and nurtured, breathed life into, let rest for awhile and nurtured some more. And then with a press of a button on a keyboard the placenta is broken and I am detached.
But not really. What mother gives birth to a child and stays separated?
And then there are all those questions crowding my mind and vying for attention. Like what do I do now? I can’t leave this thing sitting on a web page on Amazon by itself and think it will survive? Is it going to be a healthy child or sickly? Why has it taken so long for Smashwords to send files to Barnes and Noble and iTunes? Will it live to a good old age or die young? And then the really big question, am I actually ready to be a mother, I mean published author? No matter. It’s too late now to debate. There is a newborn book who needs me.
The book needs press and reviews that will translate into sales. It needs me to guest post and be interviewed to spread the news of its arrival. There is no nanny in the form of a Big Six marketing budget, just me, the birth mother, with a little help from Facebook,Twitter and her friends, trying to wash away the afterbirth and get on with the business of making sure this baby book lives a healthy, happy and long life.
After all, that’s all any mother wants for her child.
Check out my first Amazon review in which The Secrets They Kept was called an “Excellent Debut Novel!“
I think you’re going to find your way and even be amazed yourself. I wouldn’t know from personal experience either but from observation the mommies grow (and learn) as much as the new babies do 🙂 Before you know it you’ll be echoing many a ‘mommy’… “They grow up so quickly :)”