New York

Posted by Lynne Griffin

Manage your expectations. Be grateful for whatever support you’re offered. These mantras played through my mind as I shopped for the perfect jacket and the right accessories the day before I left for New York to meet my marketing and publicity teams. I was excited but I was nervous too. Was Life Without Summer really a lead title? And what does that actually mean?

My trip was full of highlights and surprises. The first one came before I left, when my husband called me from work to say he’d like to come with. He said he knew the meetings would go well, and he planned to take me out on the town; we could enjoy a night together in the city.

Once in NY, he checked us into our lovely hotel, and my first stop was to meet my fantastic agent and her newborn son. More beautiful than any of his pictures, her baby is a little prince. Next stop, the neighborhood bistro next to her apartment where we eat marvelous food and talked about my work-in-progress. I am blessed to have an agent who offers kind yet honest, spot on editorial guidance as well as support in navigating the marketplace.

Our lunch flew by and suddenly it was time to grab a cab and head to St. Martin’s Press, located in the Flatiron Building. Elisabeth and I had been told we’d be meeting with the publisher, Sally Richardson. I was excited to meet her, still I told myself anything can happen. She’s busy, she’s the publisher; something could come up, don’t get your hopes up. The next thing I knew, my editor, my agent, and I were sitting in her historic office. She talked about how much she loved my novel and how excited everyone in house was about publishing it. I owed my speechlessness to her stellar view of the city, where the east and west sides meet, where if you look as far as the eye can see, there's Central Park.

In our next meeting with Vice President and Associate Publisher, Lisa Senz and her enthusiastic assistant, Sarah Goldstein, we viewed and discussed cover art. Evidence of my team's hard work was everywhere in that office. The collective refrain was how important it was to get everything from the cover to the marketing efforts just right. I’ve been grateful at every step in the process thus far and I've tried as best I can to convey my appreciation, but in that moment I was in awe of how much my input is valued.

The house support for my novel is humbling. Editor-in-chief, George Witte joined our meeting, as did publicists, Dori Weintraub and Colleen Schwartz, each sharing his or her enthusiasm and strong commitment for the novel as well as the unique role each plays in bringing Life Without Summer to readers. Before leaving, I met the foreign rights director responsible for my sales to France, Holland and Germany. Parting gifts of the books, Sarah’s Key, by Tatiana de Rosnay and Bitter Sweets, by Roopa Farooki, rounded out the afternoon. I can't wait to read them.

Hours after arriving at St. Martin's Press, I walked out of the building, my high heels barely touching the pavement. My novel is going to be published in April 2009. As I write this post, it’s a full week later and I still wake up each morning in need of a good pinch. My writer’s dream is coming true.