We were issued practice jerseys when I played basketball in high school. For some people, they got their corresponding game jersey number, but for whatever reason, I was handed the number 43 and then just kept going with it. Come to think of it, my game jersey numbers were kind of all over the place. Preferably 42 or 24, but sometimes a 35 or 5. Never 43. I don’t think we even had a number 43 game jersey. What does this say about me? Probably something.
There is no point to this story other than to explain what the number 43 means to me. It’s like associating with a dream or an illusion, but it’s an association all the same. Hey, maybe that’s why I like reading and writing fantasy novels.
We’ll never know.
So . . .
I’ve been reading Jeff Tweedy’s World Within A Song this week. Jeff Tweedy is the frontman for my favorite band, Wilco, and the author of the best book on songwriting I’ve ever read, How To Write One Song. World Within A Song is a fascinating read for me. Snippets of songs and how they’ve influenced someone who I believe to be one of the best songwriters of all time (we don’t need to rank, but here we go: Lennon/McCartney, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Prince—you know on second thought, this is too time-consuming and kind of distracting).
Anyway, I’m a huge Jeff Tweedy fan, so I can’t get enough of this type of stuff. If you’re not a musician or Wilco fan, this book may not be for you, but if you’ve ever wanted to write (or finish) a song, then go check out How To Write One Song. There literally is no better book on songwriting.
Want a GILM! update? If so, just keep reading.
The proofs for the print version arrived this week, and they look fantastic. I don’t feel like it’s bragging since Ellen Lampl designed the cover and Jessica Reed formatted the interior, so I hope it doesn’t come off that way. They did an amazing job, and I’m so proud of the end result!
So, what’s next?
I’m putting together media kits to send out to press outlets and bookstores. I printed a bunch of 5.5 x 8.25 sheets of stickers to match the dimensions of the book, and this week, I ordered cardstock of the same size for cover letters. I’ve never tried this type of approach before, so I have no idea if it works.
I’ve seen all sorts of custom unboxing videos on booktok, bookstagram, and booktube—but I don’t have that type of budget. Maybe I’ll draw some lightning bolts on the envelopes for a little more flair.
Only three more monthly twelfths until launch. Wish me luck. Please.