Author's postpartum depression?

I diagnosed it last Thursday when I returned from my early morning visit to Curves, ate breakfast, and went back to bed. Fortunately I remembered I had a client coming, so I was showered and dressed in time to see her. So, is there such a thing as author's postpartum depression?

I guess publishing a book, apparently especially a book of fiction, is like giving birth to a child. You just want everyone to tell you it's the most beautiful baby that was ever born -- well, at least among the most beautiful. And the truth is, she has received some really nice complements. Take what Pastor Brenda Legred had to say, for example. I quote, with her permission, "I just finished Mrs. Job and loved it! The dialogue is so real and so beautiful. The depth of relationships is profound. Thank you for gifting this book to the world!" And she didn't have to send me that e-mail. I have to admit, though, that she is herself a walking halo.

But then there's the woman who planned to refer to Mrs. Job, even read some parts from it, when she did devotions at a friend's shower. She actually requested some to take along to sell to others. Or there's the friend who bought five copies to give for gifts and took some along to sell. So, that's pretty good, right? And I had a really good time at a book sale as part of a program at Shepherd of the Hill Presbyterian Church up the hill from me here in Chaska. And some books even sold. So, why am I so greedy?

People ask me how sales are going, and I have to answer that I don't know. Locally Mrs. Job is certainly not being rejected, and I guess I won't know about the rest of the world until I get a quarterly statement in April. And I hope people will catch on that Mrs. Job is a good read -- not a religious document. And I certainly won't sell a lot if I don't get on with the marketing. But I hope my royalty check is a little larger than the $1.69 I received recently for "Forgiving One Page at a Time."

Ah, marketing! iUniverse has sent out 186 press releases to media sources. Now I'm supposed to follow up with phone calls. Ooh! That does feel overwhelming. Not that I haven't done anything about it. The publishers of my forgiveness books have agreed that they will send copies to media sources if requested, so now it's my job to make sure I mention them as well as Mrs. Job when I make those calls.

How did I get here anyway? I'm a college professor, a therapist. How did I get into this author business? But that's what makes life so delightful, isn't it. We just don't know where our callings will lead us. And I am having fun.

But tomorrow I'm off to enjoy my son and my granddaughter, music of the Minnetonka Choral Society, dinner out, and a trip to St. Olaf to return KJ to school after her Spring break with her mom and dad.

Life is good. I have my work cut out for me. I doubt that I'll be heading for bed again during the day. But I will go for afternoon naps on my black leather couch.

Thanks for listening/reading... I'll keep you posted.

Mona