Dear Team Practical,
So, last month I told you that I’d quit my job to go fulltime on writing APW. Well. There was this one other small thing that I failed to clue you in on: I sold a book.
More specifically, I sold the APW book and it will be published by Da Capo Press, and imprint of Perseus Books in December 2011. (It’s actually due to the publisher on June 1st. JUNE FIRST!! Which is soon. Soon!) Now that the contracts are signed, and to the publisher, and and and (publishing is a slow industry), I’m finally FINALLY able to tell you all about it. Eeep! So let me back up, and walk you through all this.
The Book
First, what is the book, exactly, you ask? Well, when I started looking into writing a book two years ago, I was really convinced that the book that I wanted to write had already been written. I mean, it was such an obvious, sensible book, that it had to have been written, right? Well. After lots of digging around on bookstore shelves (which involved some horror, puzzled looks, and lots of hilarious laughter), I realized it really didn’t exist. I mean, don’t get me wrong, there are a handfull of really good wedding books out there, but not this book.
I wanted to write a wedding planning handbook for normal people. A book for those of us that don’t have six figures to throw at our wedding and you know, have jobs, and don’t have infinite time for crafting. And I didn’t want to write a ‘budget wedding’ book, because it makes me irate to think that those of us who have worked hard for our budget (or whose parents have worked hard for our budget) are condescended to by being told that our wedding is a ‘budget wedding.’ I didn’t want to write a memoir, I wanted to write the no-nonsense, dead useful, wedding planning guide that I couldn’t find.
So the book, working title, A Practical Wedding: Graceful Wedding Planning That Won’t End in the Poorhouse or the Madhouse, is a how-to book, that walks you through planning a wedding in a super sane way. Like, for example, when you tell your parents that you’re not getting married in a Catholic church because you and your partner have talked it through and don’t believe in God, expect to cry a little, but know this is normal and good setting of boundaries. And, here are all the ways you can get an beautiful wedding dress for under, um, a grand. And here are ways to build a day-of wedding planning spreadsheet, so you know your wedding is organized and you can relax. And NO, of course you don’t have to feel guilty about not having X, Y, and Z nonsense because none of this was traditional in the first place. In fact, lets talk about what is really traditional…
Plus, there will be lots of quotes from wedding graduates, of course, so expect me to get in touch with you guys on that.
The bottom line is that blogs are good for lots of things. They are good for inspiration, they are good for community, they are a good real-time way to recommend businesses that are helpful. But they are terrible for actually helping you plan in a step-by-step way, because that’s not the way they are structured. Plus, you can’t hand a blog to your mom to calm her down when she’s freaking out about “what the books say”, and you can’t give a blog to your girlfriend when she gets engaged.
I started APW because I was planning a wedding, and I’d worked as a non-profit event planner, so I knew how to tackle an enormous event, plan the sh*t out of it, and get it to come out well on a ridiculously tiny budget. The book is my way to pass on a lot of those event planning skills to you, plus all the information I’ve learned writing APW for three years, boiled down in a way that makes sense, and you can reference easily when you need it.
Oh, AND I’M GOING TO BE A PUBLISHED AUTHOR. So. Let’s talk about THAT.
How It Happened
{Valentine’s Day Weekend last year: Proposal writing begins}
I decided to tell you about the book on Valentine’s Day (happy Valentine’s Day!) because this is the one year anniversary of when I started, um, lying to you about what was going on.(I am paranoid about jinxing things, so I never want to give out information early.) Last year I wrote a post about weighing hopes and dreams, and about how we were going away for Valentine’s day weekend to do nothing. This was not strictly true. We were going away for Valentine’s Day weekend so that I could lock myself in a room and do nothing but write a book proposal.
I did pretty well, and walked away from that weekend with 25 pages of rough draft. We put in a call to an interested agent (we used to work in professional theatre in New York, which means we were still plugged into talent agents), and she wanted me to send it over.
{Editing in the park on my 30th birthday}
So I stalled a little. I freaked out. And then, on the afternoon of my 30th birthday last April, I decided enough was enough. We went to Golden Gate park, I spread out all of my notes, and I edited that proposal. On the evening of my 30th birthday I sent it to the agent, who suddenly became MY agent (crazy!)
So all last summer, when we were getting ready to go to Italy, and I seemed like a crazy stressball, and I was working 70 hours a week? The real secret is, I was revising my book proposal (on top of working full time, and writing the blog by myself, and trying to get two weeks’ content ready so we could go on vacation). I remember sitting there one Saturday, with a horrible sinus infection, with my book proposal spread out all around me, wanting to cry, and I kept thinking one thing, “If I ever sell this d*mn book, I am going to tell everyone one thing. When you look at someone and think, ‘Wow, their star is really rising!’ What you don’t know is that they are hauling up the star themselves, by hand.” And that’s great news (on days you’re not overworked and crying with a sinus infection) because it means we all have access to success.
And I think that’s what I really want to say today. Over the past year, what I learned is that luck is yours to make. I always had the perception that bloggers suddenly started getting big, and then agents and publishers started throwing themselves at said blogger, and said blogger became an adorable, talented superstar. And that’s not the way it works in real life. In real life, you decide you want something, and then you go out and you work yourself into the ground trying to get it. You ask for what you want, you get told no, and you ask some more.
So in September, the week before Mighty Summit, my agent started shopping my proposal. In mid-October, things didn’t look good (and I wrote a post about continuing to knock on doors). By mid-October plus one day, things suddenly started looking better. By Halloween, I knew the book was going to sell. By early November, there was a small flurry of interest. By the end of November I had a contract in hand. By Christmas we were in contract negotiations. And by the week of Alt Summit, the contract had been signed.
And now, every single week, I’m writing 6,000 – 8,000 words, on top of the writing I do for APW. The whole book is due, totally finished and shiny and wonderful, to my editor on June first. I am by turns elated, frustrated, rage-full, productive, and delighted. I am working hard. But I think Cate Subrosa said it best last week when she said, “whenever we really want something, it always seems that by the time we achieve it we’re so busy thinking about where we go next, we don’t really stop and congratulate ourselves properly.”
{Me at Alt Summit, shortly after signing my contract}
So now, a year after starting my proposal, three-and-a-half months after finding out I was going to sell the book, two-and-a-half months after first getting my contract, and a month after signing it, I can finally tell you: I’m writing a book. And I’d like to stop, just for a day, and congratulate myself properly. This is a big deal, and I did it. And I couldn’t have done it without you (And without all of the many ladies of the internet, who supported me every step of the way. You know who you are.)
Which reminds me. There will be a book tour in January 2012, and I’m excited to meet all you APWers in person, and thank you.
MWAH! And keep on hauling up your stars!
Meg
PS To help celebrate, I finally updated the APW about page, which now has my full bio, and full name (!), and Lauren and Alyssa’s full bios as well. It makes things seem official around here.
Congratulations! I can’t wait to buy the book! You deserve to celebrate this achievement!
February 14, 2011 4:37 am
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Congratulations! Amazing!
February 14, 2011 4:37 am
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Well damn woman! Talk about achievement!!! Once again you keep inspiring to get my sh*t together and chase those dreams.
Many happy congratulations!!
And I swear I’m sending my license transfer forms to Florida tomorrow. I WILL do this.
February 14, 2011 4:41 am
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Huzzah! Huzzah!
Congratulations!!!
February 14, 2011 4:41 am
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“When you look at someone and think, ‘Wow, their star is really rising!’ What you don’t know is that they are hauling up the star themselves, by hand.” This is going to be an excellent book.
oh, and book tours?!?!??! YES. a million and one congrats, Meg. this is huge.
February 14, 2011 4:42 am
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Congratulations! This is such wonderful news, both for you, and for me! I won’t be getting married until late 2012, so I’m so excited to hear that your book will be out well before that, so I can pick up a copy for my wedding planning :D
February 14, 2011 4:44 am
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Dear Meg,
You are awesome. WELL DONE. Happy Valentine’s Day indeed!
Cate x
February 14, 2011 4:46 am
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I was wondering when you were going to announce you were writing a book. It just seems like the logical extension of everything else you’ve built.
Congratulations – it truly is something to be proud of. My husband is currently shopping for agents for his book, and we’re cautiously optimistic that he will a. find an agent; and 2. get the thing sold, but we also know that these are no easy feats.
February 14, 2011 4:46 am
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“and you can’t give a blog to your girlfriend when she gets engaged.”
I have to disagree Meg, when two of my friends got engaged (one last summer, and one this Christmas) the first thing I did (after congratulating them) was to send them a link of A Practical Wedding, saying “READ THIS”. So yes, you can give a blog, I did!!
Congratulations Meg!!
February 14, 2011 4:47 am
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Um, yeah. I have a pre-engaged friend (though we could argue if she is engaged…he technically hasn’t asked and they haven’t announced it to the fam…but a ring has been purchased for the purpose) and she totally knows about APW. Because I told her. (Unfortunately, we’re among the last of our friends to be doing the whole engaged/married thing, but anyone else I find about, I’m sending to you, Meg!)
February 14, 2011 4:55 am
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Yup, I’ve been handing this blog all gift wrapped and pretty to all my newly engaged girls.
BUT, advance orders on the book please? Can Team APW get first crack at it?
CONGRATS!
February 14, 2011 6:00 am
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Firstly CONGRATS! And second-yea just like Lor et all, whenever a new friend gets engaged I send them a link to APW. Or whenever I meet someone asking me why I’m so zen about planning I send them to APW. Totally possible!
But now I can give them a book! Wheee!
February 14, 2011 6:28 am
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Yes TOTALLY. I have sent the link to near-strangers. If there was an APW Affiliate Program I would be on my way to Free APW For Life (err wait…)
February 14, 2011 6:37 am
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Agreed – I “give” your blog to all my newly engaged friends. But a book will be easier to gift wrap. Congratulations!!
February 14, 2011 8:30 am
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and I love gift wrapping. :)
February 14, 2011 11:33 am
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My problem is every time I try and “gift” APW to a recently-engaged friend, they are already a huge fan!
February 14, 2011 3:42 pm
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YAY!!!!! I can already tell that this will be my new gift to all of my friends who get engaged in 2012. And I’m going to get “we all have access to success” made into one of those cheesy vinyl wall cling things and I am putting it over my desk.
February 14, 2011 4:49 am
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Congratulations on getting your book published, and all the hard word it represented. I only feel badly for the people who will become engaged and have completed most of their planning before your book hits the shelves! Felicitations!
(And totally up for the book tour. And didn’t you mention that you were hitting New Orleans in April…of 2011?)
February 14, 2011 4:53 am
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Hooray! I have a friend (who was my maid of honor actually), who will probably be getting married in summer ’13. This sounds like a fantastic gift for her! Also, I will be living in the Austin area come January 2012, so I sure do hope your book tour has a stop there!
February 14, 2011 4:56 am
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OMG THIS IS AMAZINGGGGGG!!!! I’m so glad you understand that you deserve this because it makes sharing in the joy that much more exciting. GAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
For serious, you know you just made us all feel like we won the lottery, right?
February 14, 2011 4:57 am
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FYI I reserve all caps for only the *most* special of occasions. :)
February 14, 2011 4:58 am
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A thousand congratulations, and Happy Valentine’s, Meg!
This blog has been my bible, and I can’t wait to actually have a step-by-step physical book!
Kudos for pulling up that star.
February 14, 2011 5:02 am
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Wow. Wow wow wow. This is huge. Congrats, Meg! And congrats to the APW community. Wooooooohooooo!
February 14, 2011 5:05 am
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AHAHAHA WHEEEE! This is so fabulous and wonderful and exciting! You are amazing. I feel like one of those women at my mom’s office who would see me as a teenager and say “I remember when you were a baby!” Well, I remember when APW was a baby. And I’m getting a little verklempt.
February 14, 2011 5:07 am
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Incredible! Congratulations, Meg!
And this “what I learned is that luck is yours to make” is what makes my entire world go ’round.
February 14, 2011 5:09 am
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I actually am tearing up a little. I am sometimes concerned that my affection towards this blog verges on creepy-stalker-like affection. But I honestly do just feel proud and fortunate that I am part of a community that is helping people achieve dreams and be true to themselves.
So the person that started it deserves all the success in the world.
February 14, 2011 5:12 am
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Exactly doesn’t even begin to explain how true this is.
February 14, 2011 6:16 am
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I couldn’t agree more–both with concerns of verging on creepy and being insanely happy for Meg.
February 14, 2011 6:42 am
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Congratulations Meg! I’ve been reading APW for a year and a half & it’s been fun to see it grow! And sharing your story with us as your star is rising and your business growing is inspiring.
February 14, 2011 5:12 am
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Of course the best wedding planning book will come out long after I’m married… doh! J/k the book will definitely be the first thing I buy for other future brides, and I’m happy to be able to do it! Congrats, Meg! You deserve it.
February 14, 2011 5:14 am
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As if you weren’t already my role model.
Really great job Meg.
February 14, 2011 5:15 am
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Congratulations! That last picture of you grinning your face off says it all I think. please bring the book tour to Scotland.
February 14, 2011 5:18 am
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Whoops, just wrote basically the same thing without reading your comment first. Great minds. And I enthusiastically second the request for a Scottish tour!
February 14, 2011 5:23 am
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YAY!!! Congratulations!! You are wonderful and amazing.
This reminds me a lot of a quote that was hanging in my house growing up (and is now in my apartment, to help me through grad school):
“Happy are those who dream dreams and are willing to pay the price to make them come true”,
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
February 14, 2011 5:18 am
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Your smile in that picture says it all. Happy happy happy. Congratulations a million times.
If only this book had been around when I was engaged (although I did have fun reading aloud the more ridiculous paragraphs of the wedding planning books I was given, so there was that…)!
February 14, 2011 5:20 am
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Congrats, Meg! That’s amazing! You should spend the whole week celebrating. That is definitely big news. :)
I can’t wait to buy the book!
February 14, 2011 5:24 am
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I don’t comment very much, but I wanted to take this opportunity to one, congratulate you on your very real and big achievement, and two, thank you for creating and guiding this community to what it’s become. I’m not engaged yet, but I’ve still been able to (with the help of APW) really think about what’s important, not just in terms of the wedding, or even just marriage, but life in general. And for that, I thank you! :)
February 14, 2011 5:27 am
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Congratulations and, as someone afraid to leap for the stars, thanks for the wise words.
February 14, 2011 5:29 am
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Amazing! Congratulations!! I remember saying that you should write a book ages ago, and I got a “we’ll see” email; I had a feeling it would happen sooner or later. You deserve this so much!!
February 14, 2011 5:30 am
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This is great news! I will LOVE having copies to give away to newly engaged friends :) Yey for you!
February 14, 2011 5:32 am
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Congratulations! That’s wonderful news and hugely well deserved!
February 14, 2011 5:38 am
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Holy amazing wonderful! This is SO awesome– you should be proud!! You deserve this so much.
And I LOVE this: “When you look at someone and think, ‘Wow, their star is really rising!’ What you don’t know is that they are hauling up the star themselves, by hand.” YES. YESYESYES.
February 14, 2011 5:38 am
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That’s wonderful! Congratulations!!
February 14, 2011 5:46 am
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Holy shieettt! Congratulations! What a SURPRISE!
February 14, 2011 5:50 am
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Congratulations! That’s fantastic!
February 14, 2011 5:53 am
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You did it, you did it huzzah!! I hope you do one or twelve happy dances today as the congratulations-we-are-so-proud-of-you-Meg! comments roll in — cos you know this is going to be a 300+ comment kind of day.
Hip, hip — Hooray!!
February 14, 2011 5:57 am
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ahhhh! YAY MEG! I haven’t even finished the post, but I’m SUPER EXCITED and had to say so right away. =D
February 14, 2011 6:00 am
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huzzah and congrats!
February 14, 2011 6:02 am
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Congratulations! I only wish my wedding wasn’t before publication, but I (and we) have this here blog. And thank you for saying that bloggers getting picked up for publications haul up their own stars. I thought that they just wrote their posts and someone happened to notice it one day and POOF. Star. It’s good to know that you can make it for yourself. You’re awesome!
February 14, 2011 6:03 am
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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Meg, you are truly inspirational! Thanks for being so amazing and giving the rest of us a little insight as to how you do it. Congratulations!
February 14, 2011 6:06 am
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Congrats! That’s absolutely amazing!! I can’t wait to read it and recommend it to others!
February 14, 2011 6:07 am
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Congratulations, Meg! This is great news! And thanks for sharing with us what it REALLY takes to do what you’re doing. Helps me remember that hard work is order in my own life.
Cheers!
February 14, 2011 6:10 am
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Congratulations!!! I figured you must have had something up your sleeve besides site improvements when you quit your job. ;) I’m so excited to know that there will be such a great resource out there to gift to friends and my sisters when they get engaged!
February 14, 2011 6:12 am
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Over the weekend, I turned to my partner and said ‘Why doesn’t A Practical Wedding have a book deal?’ and she agreed and thought maybe y’all were holding off on announcing it.
Being right is awesome. CONGRATULATIONS.
February 14, 2011 6:12 am
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Fantastic! Congrats!
February 14, 2011 6:13 am
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This is so huge and so awesome and so exciting! Congratulations, Meg – you absolutely DESERVE this! Can’t wait to read it and buy it for people and all of that :)
February 14, 2011 6:14 am
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Congratulations!!! Such exciting news – you really make me feel like its all possible. Which is how I want to begin every Monday, frankly.
and BOOK TOUR!!! Can’t wait :)
February 14, 2011 6:22 am
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Wow, I am weepy I am so excited for you. Mountains & mountains of congratulations, Meg. You deserve all of this, and more!
February 14, 2011 6:23 am
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CONGRATULATIONS! This is amazing, fantastic and much-deserved news, though I can’t say I’m surprised (I was pretty sure it was only a matter of time). You are just what the publishing world needs when it comes to weddings (I thought of you the other day when I spotted a book that was subtitled something like “How to be the perfect bride” – barf). Knock ‘em dead.
February 14, 2011 6:24 am
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Ahhhhhhhhhh. Hell yes.
February 14, 2011 6:26 am
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Wow and well done Meg!
I loved APW secretly before I got engaged and publicly after. I’m getting married in a little over two months but I am SO buying your book, because I already know I love your work.
February 14, 2011 6:29 am
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