S.G. Browne

So when I get home today, I find a thick, padded envelope from my editor sitting on top of the mailboxes in my apartment building.  I know what’s in the envelope because my editor e-mailed me two days ago to tell me it was on the way.  But I don’t rip it open right there.  I have three bags of groceries from Trader Joe’s with me.

So I put the padded envelope in one of the grocery bags and head up the two flights to my apartment, open my front door, put the groceries on the kitchen counter, then remove the envelope and tear it open.  And into my hand falls the first honest-to-Jerry, final published version of my novel.

By the way, if you’re wondering about the “honest-to-Jerry” bit, you’ll have to wait for my next novel.

Having the ARC of BREATHERS in my hands was one thing, but having this, the final product, with dedication and acknowledgments and back cover copy with a blurb from Kirkus, is a completely different sense of accomplishment altogether.  Of course, there’s the little matter about the lack of an author photo and bio on the inside back cover, which is obviously a disappointment, but I figure it’s just a lesson to still enjoy the experience even if everything doesn’t quite turn out the way I expected.

What’s really fun is seeing the spine of BREATHERS sitting among some of my favorite authors and novels sitting on my bookshelf next to my desk:

                                                                                                                                       Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go bathe in a little self-indulgence.