Tuesday, November 18, 2008

PBW Turns Ten

Today I celebrate my tenth anniversary as a professional novelist. Since 1998 I've written fifty-two novels, sold and/or published forty-four of them (four are currently in various stages of production), and accomplished three out of the four major personal career goals I planned to pursue ten years ago (I'm about six-eight months away from reaching the fourth, final goal.)

Ten years ago I also sold this article about the near-disaster that resulted in my first contract. I hardly recognize that goofy, hopeful writer I was, but I'm glad I was able to laugh at myself even back then. That turned out to be quite helpful over the next decade.

It's a nice coincidence that the official/final version of the cover art for Stay the Night arrived in my inbox today:



That line under my byline on the cover was my third career goal, the one I was never supposed to achieve, the one they told me to forget about, that like the rest of my goals would never happen to someone like me, etc. It's a nice wrap-up for this ten years in the biz.

From here? Onto the next ten. Or Paris. What would you do?

41 comments:

  1. like it lots...congrats

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  2. Very nice. Mmmm hmmm.

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  3. Congratulations! It's so inspiring to see that as a writer you got to your goals. Here's to another 10 prosperous years.

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  4. Well, since I'm going to Paris next month, I'd probably continue on with the next ten years. ;)

    Heartfelt congratulations! You deserve all the wonderful things coming your way. :)

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  5. I think becoming a NYT's Bestselling Author in ten years is awesome! Congratulations!! So glad you kept at it and didn't let anyone keep you from achieving so many of your goals.

    Love the cover art too.

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  6. Great first article, I can soo relate to it, although hubby just fixed the printer for me, so we'll see how it goes with my multiple submission I'm printing off tonight.

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  7. Damn, I love your covers. Yum. And huge congratulations on the anniversary. :D

    From here? Onto the next ten. Or Paris. What would you do?

    Me? I'd try for both!

    But I hope you'll go for the next ten. After all--we'll always have Paris. ;)

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  8. I am so freaking proud of you and happy for you for all of your accomplishments. You work so hard every day and manage to stay dedicated and positive and insanely creative at the same time.

    You are truly an inspiration to me. Go, Lynn!

    P.S. Gorgeous cover! And heh, I think I would take my mom to Italy because rewarding yourself with travel is always a great idea. :D

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  9. Happy ten years! Here's to ten more! (And as to what I would do... maybe spend the ten years in Paris? Or at least start them there?)

    And that is one lovely cover. Yum.

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  10. Wow, that is really awesome that you've been able to achieve almost all of your goals and are so close to reaching all of them. I'm very impressed. :)

    And I love the cover. Cannot wait to read it! I'll have to reread all of the others to get myself back up to speed. It's been awhile. :)

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  11. Come to Paris it's beautiful when it's not raining :)

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  12. Congratulations! The cover is gorgeous. Your success is well deserved and your work ethic (in case you didn't know) is inspiring.)

    And I vote for Paris sometime in the next ten.

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  13. Congrats. I'd skip Paris, but that's me. I'm probably the only person who could groan to co-workers, "I don't want to go to Paris" and mean it. It totally baffled them.

    I went to Paris in the first week of December; it was fine. Had a lovely tiny room with a view of the Eiffel Tower. Have some nice video of it lit in Christmas light glory. As is typical of late night hotel viewing in Europe (if you're not in an American-badged hotel), there was rather interesting video to scan through on the lodging TV after 10pm.

    Other than that, typical subway travel, ok food, and nice walking around weather. My favorite was the ham and cheese sandwich from the vendor near the hotel. But I was chintzy on per diem.

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  14. It looks beautiful on that cover. And it's well deserved! I'd go to Paris and think about the next ten while drinking coffee at a cafe.

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  15. Anonymous8:35 AM

    Congratulations it really is a pleasure to see you come into your own in the writing world.

    Especially being an aspiring writer it is so frusterating. Thank you for that little pick me up. And god bless, you have done great work..

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  16. You inspire me every day.

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  17. You inspire me so, so much. Congratulations! :)

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  18. Paris first! Then onto the next ten with maybe some new inspiration. :)
    That NYTBA line looks just perfect under your name. Well-earned and definitely timely.

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  19. Anonymous9:28 AM

    Happy Anniversary! *throws confetti*
    I hope you'll still be writing, but I'd say blend it with vacations too! Paris, Germany, Rome, Spain (very nice Spain is...) -- heck, Iceland and Finland too. Oh, Greece too. Take the kids too. My dad travelled with us and it was one of the best gifts he could have left us. A love of learning, an appreciation of other cultures and home, and wonderful memories and lots of pictures of smiles now that he's gone. :)
    JulieB

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  20. It's important to set goals, or so my life coach is telling me. Congrats on reaching yours!

    From here? I'd be going to Disneyland!!! ;p

    — Bonz

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  21. Congratulations Lynn! You've earned every bit of this success, so enjoy it.

    And thanks for inspiring the rest of us dreamers.

    Here's wishing you another 10 years, Paris, Rome, stories and all that you can dream...

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  22. Work on the next 10! But in Paris ;).

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  23. Anonymous11:58 AM

    You so ROCK! Thanks for the inspiration. I believe that I've learned more from you on this website than I learned from most of my professors in college.

    KTB

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  24. Congrats!

    And why choose? What rule is there that you can't write while in Paris over the next ten years?

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  25. Happy Anniversary! Like that cover a lot.

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  26. That's a whole lot of awesome.

    I love it when hard work shacks up with talent and proves people wrong.

    Conrats!

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  27. Congratulations! Your 10 years are a gift to us.

    Paris or the next 10? Both, silly!

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  28. Congratulations on achieving three of your four goals so far! I'm sure you'll get that last one!

    I love the cover, by the way.

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  29. Congrats on ten years, P., but Paris? Well, there are places of historical significance, but other than that? Meh. Much more interesting places out in the countryside.

    Stay a coupla days, then zip out of the city. But then, I'm a fan of the off-tourist routes.

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  30. Anonymous5:09 PM

    Is here with my party hat and noisemaker thingy and congratulatory candy bar, which I will now eat for you *nom nom nom*.

    Onto the next ten. Or Paris. What would you do?

    The next ten IN Paris?

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  31. Happy Anniversary, Lynne! Can't wait to get my hands on STN. I'm with whoever said- go to Paris and muse about the next ten years while sitting in some little cafe.

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  32. Congrats! And why can't you have both? Start your ten years with a visit to Paris!:D

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  33. congrats and yep i say go to paris and celebrate and then come home and write for another 10 yrs ll

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  34. Congratulations on ten very successful years. Keep hitting them where it hurts!

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  35. I don't deserve you guys. Thank you all.

    I think I'll save Paris for next Spring and for now do a bit more writing and celebrating. :)

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  36. Congrats on the Tenth Anniversary!

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  37. Wow, that's pretty incredible, Sheila :).

    And aren't you supposed to go to Disneyland?

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  38. Happy Anniversary! Here's to ten years of even more awesome books. That's an awesome cover, especially the line under your name. :)

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  39. Congratulations on the firt ten being so successful. Here's to the next ten years!

    P.S. Sorry to be commenting on this so late.

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  40. Congratulations!!! NYTBSA under the title...that's fabulous! *hugs*

    You deserve all the happiness and success in the world. You've earned it every single step of the way.

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  41. Lynn --

    Congrats on hitting the 10-year mark this month! It's mine as well, my first book was published in November 1998, but comparing my stats with yours, I feel like a veritable slacker!

    Onward and upward to your fourth out of four career goals....


    Terri

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