February 15, 2010 - 10:21 am
The day has arrived to submit the manuscript for my first book and … I’m at a loss for words (ironic, no?). I’m happy, I’m excited, I’m relived. I’m curious about all the work I still have ahead of me. I’ve already sent the manuscript off to my editor at Turner Publishing. My entire life for the past 2 months is in his hands.
Next month, I begin investigating all the ways I can promote the book. I’m sure there’s more editing ahead as well! I hope to share an official release date with you in the coming weeks. 
February 8, 2010 - 10:14 am
The past 6 weeks have been a crazy blur of research, e-mails, and writing, writing, writing! I would have posted more blog updates about the process, but there just wasn’t much to say. I wrote the book for an hour or two each weekday morning, going step by step. Having the organized time line and specific schedule made the process immensely easier!
Looking at the printed manuscript of nearly 15,000 words (waiting to be edited), there are numerous emotions buzzing around my mind: joy, love, trepidation, curiosity. This has been an amazing journey … and it is just starting! Having the first draft finished is a huge sigh of relief & a marker for the beginning of the editing phase. After that, book design and ever-important promotion. Bring it on!
Mon 2/8: SEND manuscript to yoga teachers for accuracy review & EDIT!
Tues 2/9: EDIT!
Wed 2/10: EDIT!
Thurs 2/11: WRITE author bio & acknowledgments
Fri 2/12: ADD quotes from interviews & EDIT!
Sat/Sun 2/13-14: relax – get a massage or pedicure & enjoy V-Day with the hubby!
Mon, 2/15: FULL MANUSCRIPT DUE!
You can be sure all you rockin’ fans & blog readers will be the FIRST to know what the book looks like, when it hits the shelves, & what my promo tour schedule will be. Stay tuned!
January 15, 2010 - 12:03 pm
I’ve been writing my first nonfiction book for 3 weeks now and have only ONE MONTH LEFT until the full manuscript is due. So far, I’ve stuck to the schedule & written nearly 7,000 words … whoa buddy! I’m 100% sure that making a formal schedule has helped me stay on-track.
That being said, I need to change the schedule. A few of the yoga teachers I interviewed for the book have been gracious enough to offer to read the final manuscript for accuracy. I promised to give them a full week to read it over & make yoga-related comments. Under the current schedule, that wouldn’t be possible. So … here’s the new schedule!
Mon 1/18: WRITE #11
Tues 1/19: WRITE #12
Wed 1/20: WRITE #13
Thurs 1/21: WRITE #14
Fri 1/22: WRITE #15
Sat/Sun 1/23-24: relax, if on-schedule; if not, catch up!
Mon 1/25: WRITE #16
Tues 1/26: WRITE #17
Wed 1/27: WRITE #18
Thurs 1/28: WRITE #19
Fri 1/29: WRITE #20
Sat/Sun 1/30-31: relax, if on-schedule; if not, catch up!
Mon 2/1: WRITE #21
Tues 2/2: WRITE #22
Wed 2/3: WRITE #23
Thurs 2/4: WRITE #24 & 25
Fri 2/5: WRITE #26 & 27
Sat/Sun 2/6-7: relax, if on-schedule; if not, catch up!
Mon 2/8: SEND manuscript to yoga teachers for accuracy review & EDIT!
Tues 2/9: EDIT!
Wed 2/10: EDIT!
Thurs 2/11: WRITE author bio & acknowledgments
Fri 2/12: EDIT!
Sat/Sun 2/13-14: relax – get a massage or pedicure!
Mon, 2/15: FULL MANUSCRIPT DUE!
Now that I’ve gotten into the swing of writing the book in the morning then taking a photo for Project 365, something comes along & throws a wrench into the mix: college. My spring semester starts up next Friday (the 22nd). Thankfully, all 4 of my classes are online this semester. Unfortunately, that means I will need to be all the more strict with myself, ensuring that the book is written well, finished on-time, & ample time is dedicated to my college courses each day.
The next month is going to be “interesting”, but I’m (somewhat) ready for it. Writing 27 Things to Know About Yoga has been a true labor of love thus far. A bit of that initial “I can’t believe I’m writing a book!” excitement is still buzzing around in the air & inspires me to write a bit more every day.
December 28, 2009 - 10:22 am
Christmas was extra-special this year! I received approval for my book sample the same day that I submitted it (December 23rd). Not much else was included in said approval email – just a straight-forward response, but still a positive one. 
Now that all of the early approval steps have been achieved, it is time for the big show: writing the entire book! As of today, I have 7 weeks (49 days, including weekends) to write no more than 30,000 words covering the 27 “things” I included in my outline.
Taking this project seriously, I created a specific schedule for making my first book a reality:
Mon 12/28: establish schedule, print book elements so far, collect contact info for yoga teachers, & update blog (sample approved & schedule made)
Tues 12/29: contact all yoga teachers (via email)!
Wed 12/30: WRITE TIP #2
Thurs 12/31: enjoy New Year’s Eve!
Fri 1/1: enjoy New Year’s Day!
Sat/Sun 1/2-3: relax, if on-schedule; if not, catch up!
Mon 1/4: follow-up with yoga teachers to make sure they received my email
Tues 1/5: complete any extra research &
Wed 1/6: WRITE #3
Thurs 1/7: WRITE #4
Fri 1/8: WRITE #5
Sat/Sun 1/9-10: relax, if on-schedule; if not, catch up!
Mon 1/11: WRITE #6
Tues 1/12: WRITE #7
Wed 1/13: WRITE #8
Thurs 1/14: WRITE #9
Fri 1/15: WRITE #10
Sat/Sun 1/16-17: relax, if on-schedule; if not, catch up!
Mon 1/18: WRITE #11
Tues 1/19: WRITE #12
Wed 1/20: WRITE #13
Thurs 1/21: WRITE #14
Fri 1/22: WRITE #15
Sat/Sun 1/23-24: relax, if on-schedule; if not, catch up!
Mon 1/25: WRITE #16
Tues 1/26: WRITE #17
Wed 1/27: WRITE #18
Thurs 1/28: WRITE #19
Fri 1/29: WRITE #20
Sat/Sun 1/30-31: relax, if on-schedule; if not, catch up!
Mon 2/1: WRITE #21
Tues 2/2: WRITE #22
Wed 2/3: WRITE #23
Thurs 2/4: WRITE #24
Fri 2/5: WRITE #25
Sat/Sun 2/6-7: relax, if on-schedule; if not, catch up!
Mon 2/8: WRITE #26
Tues 2/9: WRITE #27
Wed 2/10: WRITE author bio & acknowledgments
Thurs 2/11: EDIT!
Fri 2/12: EDIT! (dentist appointment!)
Sat/Sun 2/13-14: relax – get a massage or pedicure!
Mon, 2/15: FULL MANUSCRIPT DUE!
I’ll be posting an update on Friday, January 15th, one month before the manuscript is due. We’ll see how well I’ll be able to stick to the schedule 
December 23, 2009 - 10:38 am
Now I can finally sit back & enjoy the holidays! The sample of 27 Things to Know About Yoga has been sent to the publisher, containing a first draft of my introduction & the 1st tip.
Before 2010 arrives, I need to set-up a schedule to help manage my time for writing the book, including interviewing yoga teachers & other yoga book writers … but that can wait until after Christmas.
Next due date: Monday, February 15th, 2010 – the entire manuscript is due!
December 16, 2009 - 9:51 am
Break out the milk & cookies! The production manager at Turner Publishing has officially approved the outline for my book. And here she is:
Acknowledgments
Introduction [still trying to think of a catchy name]
The “Things”
1. Yoga Defined
2. For One and All!
3. Basic Sanskirt
4. Not a Religion
5. Benefits Galore
6. Pain-Free
7. Simple Supplies
8. Safety First
9. You Are What Your Eat
10. The Teacher Makes the Student
11. Mind Your Manners
12. Keeping Costs Down
13. We are Family
14. More Than Asanas (Poses)
15. Yamas aka Everyday Ethics
16. Niyamas aka Everyday Actions
17. Pranayama aka Nothing Beats a Good Breath
18. Pratyahara aka Withdrawing the Senses
19. Dharana aka Cultivating Concentration
20. Dhyana aka Meditation
21. Samadhi aka Becoming Balanced
22. Come Into the Light
23. Savasana is Significant
24. Put it Into Practice
25. Take a Getaway
26. Yoga Pro
27. Read On
Author Bio (back cover)
You might have noticed that, unlike the original book title of 37 Things to Know About Yoga, I’ve only included 27 “things.” This fact officially changes the tentative title of my book to 27 Things to Know About Yoga (duh).
Next due date: Wednesday, December 23rd for the Sample (Introduction & 1 of the tips)
December 15, 2009 - 10:16 am
The due date for the book sample (yesterday) has come & gone.
The publisher & I are still finalizing the outline, which we can hopefully finish today (or at the very least, the end of the week!).
I assume this means we will be revising the due date for the final manuscript.
More details (& a final outline) coming soon!
December 3, 2009 - 10:08 am
After all the excitement of announcing the writing of my first book, it was time to get down to business. My first due date: Friday, December 4th for the book’s outline.
I’ve been working on the outline (a.k.a table of contents) for the book a little at a time. I’m also delighted to say I had the ability to consult with some of the many certified yoga teachers that I know. They are a wealth of information & perspective that I look forward to acknowledging in my book’s “thank you” section. The toughest part was deciding what elements should be included & what might be a bit overwhelming for new yogis.
A day early, I’m done with the book’s outline & just sent it off to my contact at the publisher. Once we have a final outline decided upon, I’ll post it here for y’all to peruse.
Someone pinch me … this is really happening!
Next due date: Monday, December 14th for the Introduction & 1 of the “tips” (of which there are currently 27)
November 16, 2009 - 10:00 am
If you’ve been following me on Twitter or Facebook, then you’ve seen mentions of my SECRET BIG PROJECT for the past 2 weeks. Driving you nuts yet? Breath a sigh of relief. The time has come …
After signing the legal documents & getting the a-ok from “the powers that be”, I’m elated to announce that I AM WRITING MY FIRST BOOK!
Come on – this is big news; do a little dance with me! OK, you can stop. People are probably staring at you.
On Friday, I signed the publishing contract with Turner Publishing (@TurnerPub) & received the time-line for the book:
- Outline due Friday, December 4th
- Sample due Monday, December 14th
- Manuscript due Monday, February 15th, 2010
Before you jump in, I know what you are going to ask: what is the book about? Tentatively titled 37 Things to Know About Yoga, my book is a simplified introduction to the many aspects of yoga. The book will be a perfect gift for anyone who has thought about starting yoga, has just taken their first few classes, or as a basic reference guide for experienced yogis. It will focus more on the knowledge, concepts, and misconceptions of yoga, not only the postures.
It is possible the # of “things” may change … we’ll see how my outline comes together. No release date is set, but the publisher plans to have it on shelves in 2010. The book will be an uber-affordable $9.99 per copy, quaint at 6.5″ x 5.5″ in size, & roughly 160 pages (30,000 words).
So … yeah … I’m going to be a publisher author. Pretty freakin’ sweet.
You can bet your bippy that I’ll be writing about the experience of growing from writer to author RIGHT HERE on my blog. I’ll talk about the struggles, triumphs, making deadlines, and even asking for your input! Plus, I’ll be giving away a few copies of the book and letting you know when its available for pre-order on Amazon. I might even be doing a book signing near you. (tentative areas: Hartford, New Haven, Providence, Boston, NYC, San Francisco) If you know of a yoga studio or bookstore that might be interested in having me visit, let me know!
