Eat, Pray, Love— yawn

Okay, let me begin by saying that Gilbert’s 2007 memoir, Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia, is well written, in a modern chick-lit meets spiritual journey sort of way. This book has been well received by reviewers and readers alike, and has sales stats that I could only dream of when I am farther from reality than either sleep or intoxication could ever take me.

Yet, I read a bit, and after a chuckle or two, I yawn and put it down. I have been doing this for days now, and as I am reading this for research, I will endeavor to finish it. Still, my heart isn’t in it. Over and over, I have asked myself why I don’t care for this book. After all, the millions of folks who have read it, recommended it, and purchased it could not be wrong.

Therefore, I embarked upon a spiritual journey to see why I am not whizzing through its pages. Gilbert’s journey takes a year; mine took about half an hour, because I have laundry to do, lessons to plan, others to help.

First, I do not read much nonfiction, and I almost never read biography or autobiography, so that may be a reason for my lack of interest. When I was a teenager, mom guided my reading, and she told me that I should read biography from time to time. My memory of that has faded a bit, but I remember standing at the biography section at the Piedmont Regional Library in Winder, GA, perusing the shelves. Finally, I selected a biography of Mae West, which I did read from cover to cover, but I don’t remember many details. Years later, my youngest sister gave me a copy of Carpenters, a biography of Richard and Karen Carpenter, which, due to Karen’s untimely death, was far more about her than about her brother. I really enjoyed it, because I love their music so much, but as for the details, most of what I remember is that I gained five pounds while reading about Karen’s bout with anorexia nervosa.

Secondly, Ms. Gilbert’s spiritual journey is all about herself. While she is not at all arrogant in her approach, indeed, I admire her ability to be self-deprecating as she explains her feelings and actions—the narrative is all about her. Seldom does she speak of others, and when she does, these persons are there to further explain Gilbert’s feelings about herself. She either reacts to these fellow humans or projects her own feelings upon them. Despite the good humor, the cosmopolitan settings, and the quest for spiritual balance, the whole thing is about self...self...and still more self.

And so I am along for the journey, as Ms. Gilbert works through her desire to eat, pray, and love. Readers want to identify with the narrator, and I quickly realized that I have little in common with this one. So, I continue to yawn and hope the author finds something to care about other than herself as my bookmark moves slowly toward the end.

"You're an author, so can you tell me how I can get published?"

Every once in a while, someone asks me how to get into print. It is far easier than it used to be, but there is still much to learn.

First question— fiction or non-fiction? The rules for these two major types of books differ. Novice fiction writers must have a finished manuscript and for small publishers, a series which is largely complete is even better. Many authors with my current publisher are series writers.

Non-fiction authors need a good resumé and an even better proposal. To write non-fiction, an author should be some sort of authority on whatever it is that he wishes to write. Then, an outline plus some sample chapters are generally enough to win a contract, perhaps even an advance, from a publisher. That may not be fair, but it is how publishing works.

Fiction authors who have an established track record with a publisher can often get a contract based on a brief outline, but the initial book must be finished and polished before it will win a contract. Getting a free lance editor is really a good idea, but that won’t guarantee a contract. It takes skill, determination, and luck to get a good publisher.

Some years ago, I heard a small southern press publisher explain how he passed on John Grisham’s debut novel, A Time to Kill. Upon hearing the gasps from the audience, he explained, “That book needed a lot of editing. Quite frankly, it was better when it was published, but it was still in need of a good editor.” Grisham was unable to get wide distribution for that novel until his sophomore effort, The Firm, hit it big.

On the other hand, Travis Taylor, a science fiction writer who sat beside me on a panel at Liberty Con, mentioned that established authors can often explain an idea to an editor via the phone and get a verbal commitment from his publisher. Taylor is published by Baen Books.

Authors who don’t want an established publisher or who can’t land a contract often seek another avenue. I chose Booklocker when Gardenia Press went belly-up, and I found their service adequate for my needs. Lulu.com is another low cost alternative for people who want to be in print without landing a traditional contract. Each of these firms charges different amounts, and distribution is usually poor. Amazon.com is really a necessary outlet, so make sure being listed with them is part of the package.

I’ve touched on this topic previously, so new readers of Pam’s Pages might wish to look at previous entries such as So you want to be published, and Facts about Publishing or check out the links here and on my website.

Those of you who are really serious about winning a publishing contract would want to check out Writer's Market, the big book, or some of the more specialized publications from them as well.