Cruising Past Seventy: The Inner Journeys: Wonderings on Wanderings: Submitting my Book!

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Wonderings on Wanderings: Submitting my Book!

revised cover
The time has come. I signed up with iUniverse last March 14, my editor sent me her Round 2 comments on April 5, and now, three weeks after, I am poised to submit the 82,000 word manuscript plus the accompanying 50 images. I am also submitting the following 200-word back cover copy that, hopefully, will interest book lovers shopping around:

“As a travel book, Carolina Cruising is packed with interesting facts about wildly beautiful places, first-hand insights about many encounters, and innovative how-to guides. Unlike similar works, however, it is not only a retirement story but also a daringly different love story. Written by a jet-setting corporate executive from the Philippines, at 55 Carolina became an American immigrant and at 59 new bride to a 63 year-old Caucasian American. Cruising for more than a hundred thousand miles in four and a half years, they traveled to forty-nine American states (no highway to Hawaii), nine Canadian provinces and six Mexican states. On their charming third tries, they were not looking for love but to stay in love.

Thrust into a largely white community, Carolina immersed herself into the beauty of American geography, its liberating culture, her groundbreaking history, and loved the journey. Within the cozy confines of an RV, lessons came as fast as scenes changed. She not only learned to become a wife without losing her identity but also to be an American, without losing her roots. This book is about her ultimate adventure, cruising in America to feed a fascination, find a friend, and fulfill a fantasy.”

These will also be submitted: 50-word author bio, 25-word elevator pitch, 8,000 character (including spaces) free preview, the above idea for a Cover design with the suggested Title and subtitle and my complete penname as copyright holder, audience level targeted, key search words to be used, book format desired, list of contributors, and royalties desired.

What this means is that, depending on my speed of reporting back to them when they have questions or suggestions, the book may come out in three months. Since there will be an editorial evaluation which means a third round of edits through me and my editor, I would have to add two to three months to that. And, since Bill and I are leaving on a three-month European trip in less than three weeks, I should add another month or two. In other words, the earliest the book can come out will most probably be in six to seven months from now, i.e. October or November. Given this, I will target launching the book on my sixty-sixth birthday on November 25, 2014.

 At this point, I would like to thank all those who helped make this book possible. This will be the Acknowledgment Page, unless I have forgotten some people:

“There are many people without whom this book could not have been written nor seen publication. My husband’s idea of RVing in North America gave me the opportunity to write about something many dream of but have little chance of doing. He was not only my gallant travel companion; he edited my first drafts ad infinitum. I could not have started my blog nor transformed it into a book without him.

From the Philippines, my editor Chit Aldave-Tribiana, a former colleague at the Institute of Advanced Computer Technology, gave me useful insights and cleaned my manuscript in three rounds. Author friends from America, Linda Hermann of Parents to the End, Roberta Dolan of Saying It Out Loud, Linda Kennedy of Brooke’s Miracle and Merry Binkley of Travelblog.org, from thePhilippines Raju Mandhyan of The HeART of Public Speaking, and from Australia Tel Asiado of Inspired Pen all gave me wonderful advice.

Thanks to Silly Willy and Fluffy for teaching me blogging basics that started it all. Liz Kranz, Conchita Derkits, and Suzanne Harper, thanks for your comments, too! Blog readers wrote in tips and Facebook friends enthusiastically participated in polls about the title, the cover, and photos. Author photo is by my accomplished friend, Tony Nievera, and cover design is by my talented son-in-law Deejay Aberion.

I am also grateful to those who visited with us, making our travels more interesting. What would a writer do if not for all those who inspire, encourage, and support? Writing a book would also have been quite an arduous task if not for all those in the technology field who gave us all the tools. Lastly, I salute all the travel writers who wrote classics, giving birth to this genre that I now so happily belong to!”

7 comments:

  1. Looks like quite a story! I may just have to buy a copy! Like the cover, btw.
    Nice touch --- thanking so many people.

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  2. Love it Carol. You know how I feel, from my blended "ruthless yet gentle" private comments you asked. Go for it Carolina! *I pronounce "Carol-lie-na." Am looking forward for my signed copy. Will launch it in some of my webs, for you. ;)

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  3. Love it Carol. You know how I feel, from my blended "ruthless yet gentle" private comments. Now, go for it Carolina! (I pronounce "Carol-lie-na.") Will launch "C, Cruising..." in some of my Inspired Pen webs. ;) Looking forward for my signed copy. ;)

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  4. from Auckland New Zealand, Congratulations Carol !!

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