I doubt I’ll ever get used to seeing my work in print. At the start of my career I figured it would eventually become second nature, but no matter how much I write and publish, receiving contributor copies from the publisher still makes me feel like gravity has stopped working.
It’s been over a week since I was notified that my copies of the upcoming release, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inspiration for Teachers (101 Stories About How You Make a Difference), are on their way.
Writing non-fiction is what landed me my first paying gig. It’s less of a passion and more of a way to reach out and give others insight into how I’ve been able to make my way through the insanity of life.
Writing is always personal, but writing about your experiences is like turning yourself inside out in front of everyone. It’s emotional and terrifying. I can’t wait to see what the entire collection looks like!
I have no flight instinct. I learned to fight early on and when I get nervous or scared it makes me want to rush headlong at my fear. It’s odd to consider publishing scary. It’s a gift and every acceptance is a true accomplishment. But there is always that lurking worry in the back of my head, the one that questions if I could have written it better or if someone will get offended. (Sometimes I want to offend people, but not in this case)
This piece is more of an ode to the teacher who kept me going. For every setback, there has always been at least one person to help out. Whether it’s a kind word or a roof for a night, I’ve been very fortunate. Being afforded the opportunity to be included in this book makes me go all warm and squishy. Haha
It’s annoying, I know. My apologies. But this will be the first of my writing that is carried in major bookstores…WORLDWIDE.
I didn’t even think of that until after editing was approved. I’m glad I didn’t or I may not have submitted.
Funny how that works.
Writers spend so much time chasing the best deals and when we get one, we don’t even realize it until it’s done. I’m no household name by any means; I often doubt that that is even possible, but every step leads the way forward.
Pushing forward. Rushing into the unknown has been my entire life. I don’t intend to stop now.
I promise to annoy all of you and bombard the internet with pictures and maybe a kooky song as soon as I get my stock in and read through it. (But not until I get a copy to my high school English teacher-cuz…it’s really for him.)
Jessica Marie Baumgartner 