Guest Post from Amy Koko

I would like to thank Amy Koko for taking the time to write this lovely guest post 

One of the questions I receive most since my book has been published is, “What did you learn from the experience?” Well, first off, I learned DO NOT have the big Congrats! You sold your book! party until you actually have the contract in hand. So embarrassing having to give back the Chihuly fountain pen and the beautiful leather bound journal and all the other gifts presented to me at the party, after the first deal fell through. Luckily, another deal appeared and was successful, but you know, by then the bloom was off the rose.

Another very hard lesson I learned is that just because your book is on Amazon, does NOT mean you are going to get a movie deal and get to meet Meryl Streep and be on the Ellen show. My book came out and I immediately blasted it out on Facebook and Twitter. Then I waited for the phone calls, shout outs, inquiries. I did have the local neighborhood paper call me but it was because my cat kept getting out and laying by the neighbor’s pool. Could I please figure a way to keep the cat indoors? What I wanted to say was “Hey did you know I wrote a book and it’s on Amazon? Amazon!” What I did say was, “He has a mind of his own but I’ll speak to him.”

I learned that you have to believe in your work and may have to make a few sacrifices to get it out there. And by a few sacrifices, I mean, you could lose friends and anger family members when they appear in your book. My kids were not thrilled that in my book, I exposed the little pot parties that were taking place in my garage, when I assumed they were in there playing Twister and eating popsicles. But, you know, I had to explain what was happening in our lives during that time, so it had to be told. They forgave me in time.

Finally, I learned that I have to write. There is always a story to be told. I have a need to be heard, a need to connect to other people, but I hate big groups and get really weird at parties, many times just sitting in the bathroom with a glass of Pinot playing Solitaire on my iPhone. So, writing is the best way for me to communicate, for me to put it out there to, my way of saying “Hey! listen to this!” And of course there is always the hope that Ellen and Meryl will invite me up for a few days to hang out. What? It could happen…