Gifts of Grace 3 Is Born!

Joins 1 and 2

My third book in the Gifts of Grace series will be off the press in time for the International Book Fair on September 12 to 17. It went through the eye of a needle.

Let me change that to a metaphor that is closer to home: It’s like giving birth to a child, thrice.

First, writing. You go through months of uncontrollable writing—akin to an insatiable food binge. Everything seems scrumptious and you can’t pause lest you miss out on the whole spread. In the case of Gifts of Grace 3, there are chapters that have been written and re-written for years. Finally, after the last chapter is done (deadline, not appetite, completes it), you send it to your publisher.

Second, publishing. In the publisher’s office, the manuscript goes through review, review and more review, then finally, editing. The details you are not privy to, but you know. The references have to be triple-checked, and the subheads, blurbs, and paging have to be just so. And the cover! The templates, the photos—they need to be re-worked and re-analyzed and researched by committees. Before it goes to press, there are four to five layers of proofreaders, including you.

Third, launching. Here, a marketing guru, or a magician, has to have his head on broad shoulders, not necessarily his. He has to have a magic wand. Books are unlike your shampoos and soaps which are part of the repertoire of daily living. Books are, well, books. Out of 85 million Filipinos less than 2% read them on a regular basis.

And so here it is! Together with its soft launching at the fair (there will be a scheduled formal launching, to be announced later) is the re-launching of Gifts of Grace Books 1 and 2:

Published in 2002 and 2003 respectively, they will sport a new look and a new section called “Reflections.”

How does it feel to have a book published? Ask any mom about how it is to give birth to one’s precious child. Now, triple that wondrous, glorious feeling! Why, it calls for a triple thanksgiving. Please come to the Book Fair and celebrate with me.

ooo

For more details please check out the announcement at omflit.com. Let me post the ongoing promotion of OMFLit’s new titles:

Just post this image in your blog, Multiply, or Facebook with a link to www.OMFLit.com and send the webpage link to Promo@OMFLit.com.
 We'll randomly select 5 winners who will each get to pick one newly released book of their choice.