Paperback Writer

So, the paperback of Practically Perfect in Every Way comes out on May 6. It has a new cover, a reader’s guide of sorts, and the correct spelling of seretonin. I’m all kinds of excited.

I’m also a little nervous. It’s no big secret that in publishing, you have, max, three months to make a splash before the next crop of books rises up and takes over the shelf space. So part of the job, with nonfiction anyway, is putting on a publicist hat and (if I can take this metaphor and torture it), the hat is about as comfortable for me as a bale of straw. I think I’ve gotten pretty okay with it, though. But I’ve come to a wall; I’m not quite sure what else I can do to publicize PPIEW.

Except, maybe ask you? If you’re interested in writing about the book—whether it’s a review, an interview with me, or a suggestion for your book club—I’d be ever so grateful. I have some TV and radio experience, too, if you need a somewhat chunky lady with fabulous new shoes to book on your show. (jennifer dot niesslein at comcast dot net.)

Even posting this request kind of weirds me out. I guess I’m trying to practice what I preach: If you need help, ask for it. And it’s true: you should, I should, we all scream for ice cream. But the other part of me, the part that believes in chaos and randomness and what will be will be, is at work, too. I pre-ordered the paperback on Amazon and wrote a small, kind note to myself. It’s to remind me that even if the three months pass without a blip, you can still revel in small victories and use them to keep on trucking.