What can I say?  This is an interesting experience for sure.  Becoming an author takes concentration, time, effort and a certain amount of courage.  In my book I have a chapter titled Fear, Faith and Stress.

All those emotions come into play in the process of becoming an Author.  At least they have for me.  When I sent my first copy in and waited to hear from Westbow Press I continued to write other things.  They have a process for editing.  The first thing they look for is any libelous material because they won’t publish any of that kind of material.  Then they tell you what kind of editing your work needs, content, development or basic grammar.  I had absolutely no clue where I might stand on these issues so I was quite pleased when they told me it was grammar.  From that point on we began to develop a relationship and you work with a team of people whom I have yet to meet in person.  I’ve never worked with people I haven’t been able to sit with across the table or desk from, so this was a different kind of working relationship in that regard.  In some ways I felt ‘blind.’  It’s amazing how different communication is for someone who is a people watcher when they can’t see how people are physically responding to the conversation.  From childhood on I’ve been taught the importance of eyeball to eyeball communication. I suppose I might be a little attention deficit because I am easily distracted from sights and sounds around me when I’m in a group setting.

Anyway, I wasn’t worried about libel because I was pretty certain none of that was in there.  But what if they said what I wrote was ‘lame’ because I avoided the language of highly educated people or that used in doctrinal or liturgical discussions.  What if I wasn’t supposed to be writing at a level that even 8th graders could understand?  What if the professional editor said the publisher wasn’t at all interested in my book?  Westbow Press retains the right to refuse publication if they want even though they are a self-publishing company.  Rejection can be stressful, but it can also make a person a better writer so I braced myself for a turn down and the thought of re-writing.

Then I received the email telling me what kind of editing I needed, line by line, which meant there was nothing libelous, and the content and development were good.  So we began the editing process and at one point when the editor expressed they really liked what I was writing I had a new sense of fear – what if this book succeeded and I couldn’t hide behind a keyboard and a screen anymore?  What if people wanted to pick my brain about the book?  What kind of questions would they ask? Then I prayed about that and said, well, the book isn’t about me, it’s about human beings learning How to Pray their way through stress by drawing wisdom from the Lord’s Life and Prayer.  So I decided if people wanted to talk about that I’d be fine and along the way I might share something personal about how prayer has helped me through different times of stress, maybe and maybe not.  I decided not to worry about that and forged ahead with edits and expanding and shortening sections and breaking it into bite sized pieces and chapters and finally came the decision that everything was good enough – because when editing, as writers and authors know, you can always edit more!  Eventually you have to say that’s it!  And I did, but then when I was informed that per the contract you can’t use what the editor you’ve been working with has to say about your book I decided to ask a few people, from various vocations, if they would read it and give me a few remarks about the book.  I asked, believe it or not, a couple Bishops – it is not their job to give editorial reviews so that fell flat, I asked a few Priests and they also are quite busy with their roles of pastoral care and leadership, so most of those requests fell flat, I didn’t want to ask my close friends so I asked a few more professional people and got two responses back in time for publishing.  I received one after the book was published.

The book arrived and I was elated, there was a great sense of accomplishment and fulfillment.  Bear with me as I say this with a smile – it was kind of like the emotion you feel when you give birth to your first child –  it’s Wow! Whew! That was work, but well worth the wait and the work!  Then what’s next?  You let the publisher know you approve of the book and then they say great, now let us help you learn how to promote your book.

My first response was, ‘Oh, I hadn’t thought about that!’   But of course if I and the two people who had affirmative things to say about the book believe it has a good message for the world and if Westbow Press agreed to publish it, well then, I guess I should be willing to promote it.  Now here is another stress point – I’ve sold things before, but nothing that I’ve made or written.  I’ve sold other people’s products.  I sold cookies and cleaning supplies, flowers and cards when I was a youngster,  I’ve sold loans, I’ve sold people on the idea of paying back their loans, I’ve sold cell phones, telephones, computers, stereos and other electronics, I’ve sold cosmetics and the truth is – it’s easier to sell other people’s stuff.  It’s not in my comfort zone to sell my own creations, but I have finally come to believe this is not my own creation.  This book is a compilation of papers and workshops that I created in answer to calls from the church and church organizations for papers and workshops.  In that regard I believe this book is an answer to God’s call in my life, to share the Good News and Power of God’s Love and His ability to help us overcome the world.  He never told anyone it would be an easy or comfortable task, but Christ promised to be with us in our lives and in our work.

So becoming an Author with God’s help is a little more comfortable than trying to do it alone.  For me, becoming an Author is an act of faith, hoping to bring other people into a closer relationship with God through Jesus and giving them knowledge about how the power of the Holy Spirit can help.

In any case, I’m still in the process of becoming an Author and I’m praying my way through this process.  There are two verses that inspire me – Psalm 45:1 and Psalm 102:18.

One more thing – I do believe that God is the Author of our Lives, Jesus the Perfector of our Faith and the Holy Spirit our Comfort and Guide.  We are all becoming something, using the skills and talents he has given us, to do the work he has prepared for us to walk in.

So who and what are you becoming and how is the journey going for you?