Tuesday, July 24

Posted by Laurel Garver on Tuesday, July 24, 2012 18 comments
My 400th post seemed like the right time to share something that has been brewing since last fall.

My young adult novel, Never Gone, will release in September.

I'm publishing it as an e-book and a paperback. Little old me. It has taken me a long time to move from being reconciled with the decision to being extremely excited about it. Cautious, perfectionistic person that I am, I've already grown in ways I'm only beginning to understand since I made this decision. Like learning to own who I am and what I think, without backpedaling or wilting in the face of criticism--real or imagined. 

I have confidence in the power of this story. Confidence in the opinions of the 30+ people who read some version of it and encouraged me to pursue publication. Confidence that every professional and creative experience I've had this far in my life has prepared me to make the leap from writer to publisher. Confidence that God will grant me grace each day to walk through the process, faithfully giving it my best effort, if I leave the results to Him.

In the coming weeks, as I busily prepare the edited manuscript for print, I'll share a little about my decision-making process and, of course, news about the book itself.


As part of this transition from writer to author/publisher, I've joined forces with a group of writers of realistic fiction called "The Rabble Writers." Our new site describes us this way: "We're storytellers who play in the shadows, aware there is no compassion without pain. No laughter without silence. No sorrow without love. We celebrate the intimate, the personal and profound. We are the rabble-writers."


Our site not only posts poetry daily, we also engage in conversations about a wide variety of topics we're passionate about. Come on by and say hello!


Did you suspect this news was coming, or have I totally surprised you? Are you naturally cautious or does risk-taking come easily? 





18 comments:

  1. That's wonderful! congratulations on the upcoming release ... it seems you are on top of all that comes with such an important move. How exciting!!

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  2. Congratulations, and good luck for the future, Laurel.

    Yeah to Rabble Writers! :D

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  3. Yay! I am so excited for you!

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  4. Congratulations, Laurel! I'm so excited for you! I'll be on the lookout for your upcoming release.

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  5. Congrats! I'm looking forward to future posts about the status of the book :).

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  6. Congratulations! That's exciting news!

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  7. That is very exciting news! Having been impressed with your writing and your insight on this blog for a long time now, I'm confident that your book will stun me too. Can't wait to hear more!

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  8. This is so very exciting! Congratulations Laurel :)

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  9. Wow, awesome news! Can't wait to hear more about the story.

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  10. Congratulations. You must be very excited.

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  11. Congratulations! Enjoy the ride--and getting to steer the car yourself!

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  12. Wow! Exciting news and surprising, but at the same time not really because it's become such a viable option. I LOVE your description of the Rabble-Writers, storytellers who play in the shadows, aware there is no compassion without pain. eager to hear more.

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  13. You took me by complete surprise! Congratulations. this decision is awesome and exciting. Good for you!

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  14. Congratulations, Laurel!! I'm looking forward to the cover and the release date so I can add you to my Blog Buddy Must-Reads page! How exciting!!

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  15. Exciting! Yes, when you first announced it I was very surprised only because you'd shown no hints of even thinking about it! Congrats!

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  16. Thanks so much, everyone, for your well wishes and support. Honestly, not everyone I've talked to about self-pubbing has been so enthusiastic and I've had to learn to be OK with that.

    While still on the query-go-round, it was necessary to stay quiet about the seismic shift in my thinking. And I wanted to be sure I could really commit to becoming my own publisher before going public.

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  17. Happy 400th post!! LOL, the "query-go-round"--great phrase for it. :) Best wishes for your book!

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