Don't worry, be happy!

Tip of the Day: The Pulse Blogfest starts TODAY. For the next 14 days, teen authors will answer questions that have been submitted by teens. You can check it out RIGHT HERE.

You wait and wait and wait for that BIG sale. And then, when it happens, you start to realize there a million things to worry about that you never thought of.

Can I revise the way my editor wants me to?

Will I like the cover?

Will people like the book?

Will reviewers like the book?

Will it sell?

Will it sell well?

And if it doesn't, what can I do to help that?

I could easily add ten more things to the list, but I'll stop there.

I've been fortunate in that most of the worrisome questions on the list have ended up with a positive answer this time around. Reviews have been very positive. It's selling well, and in fact, has already went into a second printing. I even learned this week we had our first foreign rights sale. It's going to be translated and sold in Poland!

But about the point where I breathed a sign of relief about all of that, a new set of worries appeared. About the next book. Mostly I wondered, will there BE a next book?

I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME is a very unique book. And I think that's a good thing. But as the author, it's also difficult because when people say, please write more books just like this, I secretly go - okay, I'll try, but I don't know if I can!

Fortunately, I had already started another novel-in-verse before I started getting e-mails telling me they wanted "more books just like this." Otherwise, I may have gotten too caught up in trying to have all of the elements from the first book in the second book, and I don't think that's necessarily what people mean when they say that. I think people just want a good story. Okay - more than that. Something that touches their heart so strongly, that the next day, they're still thinking about the book. I think sometimes we get too caught up in worrying about plot points and character traits, and forget that crucial element. The book has gotta have heart.

So, this past week, I got the news that I've sold that second verse novel, tentatively titled FAR FROM YOU!! Yes, I'm extremely excited! And I hope my editor and I can create a fabulous book that people will love, love, LOVE.

Still, when I should be happy and dancing with joy, can you guess what I'm doing now?


Can I revise the way my editor wants me to?

Will I like the cover?

Will people like the book?


Here we go again - wheeeeeeee!!!

~Lisa, Miss Pinch Me I'm Pubbed