The longest wait

[ElaineViets]

There's nothing scarier for an author than getting this e-mail from your agent:

"PW is going to review your book Monday, March 26."

It is Friday, March 23, and I know I am in for the longest weekend of my life.

I e-mail back my agent, "Gulp. If it's good, do they tell you in advance?"

He e-mails me, "Good or bad, you wait."

So I wait, telling myself there's no reason to worry. It's going to be fine. And even if PW hates it, I'm past the stage where one bad review can hurt me.

I remain calm, cool and adult. I go back to my work. Life will go on.

It does, too. Except that every five minutes, I ask my husband, "Do you think they'll like the book?"

"What's not to like?" he says.

I can think of lots of things.

"It will be fine," he says.

"You're sure?"

"Of course I'm sure."

That keeps me quiet for at least five more minutes, until I ask him again.

Monday morning finally rolls around. I hear a loud silence.

"PW hated the book," I e-mail my agent. "It's so awful everyone is afraid to say anything."

"Publishers don't get their copies until Tuesday or Wednesday," he e-mails back. "It will be fine."

"You're sure?"

"Of course I'm sure."

At three p.m. today my agent called. "I have a copy. I will read it to you now."

He did.

They liked it.

[ElaineViets]

Aww, shucks, Joe.
Elaine

[ElaineViets]

Dear Candy:
(1) I still haven't found the nerve to say, "Don't tell me."
(2) Personally, I'd have those words tattooed on my forehead. You can always hide them with your bangs.

[Candy Calvert]

Hurrah, Elaine--I can truly relate.
Which reminds me of a couple of things I'd been pondering:
1) how do we tell our agents that it's best not to share "upcoming review news" in advance? And . . .

2) would it be too tacky to have my own little PW tidbit " smart, snappy prose" tattooed somewhere?

Many congratulations and much cyberchampagne!
Candy