Katja Millay's Blog
November 5, 2012
An Awful Lot of Rambling
To quote Josh Bennett, "I’m going to say this and it probably won’t sound good or eloquent or whatever and I’m probably going to ramble, but just let me say it, okay? Will you listen?"
Yes? Okay, thanks. Here goes.
So I've been sitting on this for a while now, but it's kind of an open secret so I'll just come out with it.
When I started to write this book, I wasn't even sure it would be a book. I didn't know that I'd ever finish it. It was written completely out of order. It was written in spiral notebooks, on index cards, scraps of paper and the back of old receipts. It was written with a pen or a pencil or sometimes the broken piece of a crayon I found under the seat of my car. It was written before I rolled out of bed in the morning, when I woke up in the middle of the night and as I ran out of the shower dripping wet before I lost the thoughts in my head.
When I finally reached the point where I had a first draft and it had begun to form some semblance of a book, I had to decide what to do with it. I edited it until I was afraid if I edited any more I would kill it and in the meantime, I tried to figure out how to self-publish it. I felt ignorant and lost throughout the entire process, but I survived.
The day I sent it to the formatter at the end of August, I sat down and cried. I felt like I had cut off my arm. When I released it in September, I wasn't sure that I would get ten people to buy it and my only hope was that people wouldn't hate it.
I don't have words to properly describe what has happened since then. These past two months have been incredibly surreal and often overwhelming. I came into this not knowing a single person. Not one author. Not one book blogger. No one at all. I have met some of the most generous, wonderful people throughout this experience and I am richer in ways I never imagined for knowing them.
To the readers who read my book and have spent the past several weeks badgering everyone they know to read it too - thank you. This book is a testament to the power of word of mouth and I owe you all for that.
Remember when I told you there was an unanticipated hold-up with the paperbacks? I have a good reason! I promise! I have been in the process of signing with Simon & Schuster/Atria to publish The Sea of Tranquility. They will be releasing the book in paperback in June of 2013.
My goal for this book has always been for people to read it. No one is closer to this story and these characters than I am and I want to do what's best for them. I believe the amazing people at Simon & Schuster have the ability to get this story into more hands than I would be able to on my own and I am so excited for that to happen.
This has been an amazing, unexpected experience and I am so grateful for all of you. I am humbled every time I hear from each of you about how you've been affected by this story. I feel incredibly blessed and I thank you all for being a part of this with me.
Yes? Okay, thanks. Here goes.
So I've been sitting on this for a while now, but it's kind of an open secret so I'll just come out with it.
When I started to write this book, I wasn't even sure it would be a book. I didn't know that I'd ever finish it. It was written completely out of order. It was written in spiral notebooks, on index cards, scraps of paper and the back of old receipts. It was written with a pen or a pencil or sometimes the broken piece of a crayon I found under the seat of my car. It was written before I rolled out of bed in the morning, when I woke up in the middle of the night and as I ran out of the shower dripping wet before I lost the thoughts in my head.
When I finally reached the point where I had a first draft and it had begun to form some semblance of a book, I had to decide what to do with it. I edited it until I was afraid if I edited any more I would kill it and in the meantime, I tried to figure out how to self-publish it. I felt ignorant and lost throughout the entire process, but I survived.
The day I sent it to the formatter at the end of August, I sat down and cried. I felt like I had cut off my arm. When I released it in September, I wasn't sure that I would get ten people to buy it and my only hope was that people wouldn't hate it.
I don't have words to properly describe what has happened since then. These past two months have been incredibly surreal and often overwhelming. I came into this not knowing a single person. Not one author. Not one book blogger. No one at all. I have met some of the most generous, wonderful people throughout this experience and I am richer in ways I never imagined for knowing them.
To the readers who read my book and have spent the past several weeks badgering everyone they know to read it too - thank you. This book is a testament to the power of word of mouth and I owe you all for that.
Remember when I told you there was an unanticipated hold-up with the paperbacks? I have a good reason! I promise! I have been in the process of signing with Simon & Schuster/Atria to publish The Sea of Tranquility. They will be releasing the book in paperback in June of 2013.
My goal for this book has always been for people to read it. No one is closer to this story and these characters than I am and I want to do what's best for them. I believe the amazing people at Simon & Schuster have the ability to get this story into more hands than I would be able to on my own and I am so excited for that to happen.
This has been an amazing, unexpected experience and I am so grateful for all of you. I am humbled every time I hear from each of you about how you've been affected by this story. I feel incredibly blessed and I thank you all for being a part of this with me.
November 4, 2012
If I get arrested for stalking Mollie Kay Harper you now know why.
Last night I decided to shut off my computer and actually sleep. Apparently this was a mistake because whenever I do that I miss everything good. I woke up this morning to an e-mail account overflowing with notifications and this is why. I had NO idea this was coming and I was floored. FLOORED. And I cried and I didn't even feel stupid about it. And then I called my mother and said (or maybe shouted) "YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS!"
So, if you haven't had the opportunity to see the book trailer that Mollie Kay Harper of Tough Critic Book Reviews made for The Sea of Tranquility, you need to go watch it now. Not because it's about my book but because the woman is incredible and amazing and generous and seriously talented and EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW THAT.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Iygnu...
So, if you haven't had the opportunity to see the book trailer that Mollie Kay Harper of Tough Critic Book Reviews made for The Sea of Tranquility, you need to go watch it now. Not because it's about my book but because the woman is incredible and amazing and generous and seriously talented and EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW THAT.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Iygnu...
October 9, 2012
A Thank You, an Explanation and a Promise
In the past few weeks I have been receiving an amazing amount of feedback and support from readers and I need to take a moment to tell you how much this has meant to me. I may be a writer, but I am at a loss for words that will properly express how grateful and humbled I am by the outpouring of love this book has received from you. So I will simply say thank you, sincerely, and hope you understand.
Next, an answer and explanation to the ever-present sequel question. First, I want to say that there is no greater compliment you could give me than to want to spend more time with these characters. And there is nothing I would like to do more than to be able to say yes. But that would be unfair to the story and the characters themselves. I feel like I put these characters through a true amount of hell and the only way to write a sequel would be to put them through more. Without going into detail as to avoid ruining it for anyone who hasn't read, I will say that I believe I left the characters exactly where they were supposed to be and to manufacture conflict for them at this point would be to negate the ending of the story.
I am working on a concept now that may be connected, though in no means a sequel, to The Sea of Tranquility. I need to make sure that the story is there and that I can tell it properly before I make any announcements about it. When I know whether or not I will be able to execute the idea and give it the respect it deserves, I will be able to provide more details on that.
Lastly, paperbacks. I know I have been promising that these would be available soon. I encountered an unanticipated hold-up in the production of the physical books and so it will take a little longer than originally planned. I promise there will be paperbacks and as soon as I have an estimated delivery time I will let you know. I'm very sorry for the wait.
That's all for now! I'll keep updates posted here and on my Facebook page. Thank you again for reading and for all of the support you have shown for The Sea of Tranquility. You are all truly amazing!
Next, an answer and explanation to the ever-present sequel question. First, I want to say that there is no greater compliment you could give me than to want to spend more time with these characters. And there is nothing I would like to do more than to be able to say yes. But that would be unfair to the story and the characters themselves. I feel like I put these characters through a true amount of hell and the only way to write a sequel would be to put them through more. Without going into detail as to avoid ruining it for anyone who hasn't read, I will say that I believe I left the characters exactly where they were supposed to be and to manufacture conflict for them at this point would be to negate the ending of the story.
I am working on a concept now that may be connected, though in no means a sequel, to The Sea of Tranquility. I need to make sure that the story is there and that I can tell it properly before I make any announcements about it. When I know whether or not I will be able to execute the idea and give it the respect it deserves, I will be able to provide more details on that.
Lastly, paperbacks. I know I have been promising that these would be available soon. I encountered an unanticipated hold-up in the production of the physical books and so it will take a little longer than originally planned. I promise there will be paperbacks and as soon as I have an estimated delivery time I will let you know. I'm very sorry for the wait.
That's all for now! I'll keep updates posted here and on my Facebook page. Thank you again for reading and for all of the support you have shown for The Sea of Tranquility. You are all truly amazing!
