And so, I can finally hold my novel in my hands. Four cartons of books arrived yesterday. After eight years of research and four years searching for a publisher, it is hard to believe that Line of Flight actually exists. But here it sits on my desk in front of of me. At 320 pages, it has heft. When I flip the pages, they release the slightly tangy scent of digital press ink. The cover is even more beautiful than I envisioned from proofs. And the words on the page are mine.
I only opened the first carton, full of my complementary copies from my publisher, Köehler Books. And no, I have not yet done the obligatory carton-opening video for social media, although our elder daughter, who is home for a spell, pulled out her iPhone and took some funny clips for later use. The three other cartons are for my book launch on November 17, also my publication date, at the Museum of Worcester. For those who live in and around Central Massachusetts, I hope you can join me! Details here.
Up until now, I have only been able to see my words on my computer screen. A good friend had made bound copies of earlier drafts for me as records of my progress. But this is the real thing, the final version—if any work of art is ever finished—after so many rounds of copyediting for publication to be certain that every word was correct (and I undoubtedly still missed some typos).
There is something transformative about seeing my words on pages in a book—pages that can be turned, that can have their corners dog-eared and margins annotated, pages that can have passages underlined. It is simply a very different experience to read a work of bound paper, as opposed to scrolling through words on a screen. A book paces you through a story by the very nature of its physicality.
Sequential pages force you to read in order. They hide what came before and what comes next. You can’t do a search for a particular word with the click of keys. You actually have to skim to find what you’re looking for. And you have to keep the story in your head as you turn each page.
You can also see your progress through a physical book, because your bookmark or dog-eared page separates what you’ve read from what comes next. You can curl up in a chair or couch or bed to read with just a light as needed. No emails or text alerts interrupt the story (assuming you put your phone away somewhere or silenced it). And then the magic happens. Your mind transports you into a dreamscape.
All of this is true for any physical book, of course. But to actually see my words filling pages, my chapter headings at the top of a new page, my sections as single pages that announce a new phase of the story—the rhythm of the novel is palpable. Even though it’s silent, my book now sings.
For more about Line of Flight and to preorder, please click here. You’ll find links to vendors and more background about the novel. I’ll be speaking about my research and reading an excerpt at my book launch on November 17. And, of course, there will be copies for sale.