Look what came in the mail! A royalty check for a book I forgot I wrote!
The back story: I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007. My maternal grandmother and her daughter – my aunt- both died the disease in their 50s. It bypassed by mother (until she was in her 80s) and I just knew it would find me one day. I’d been diligent about mammograms through the years and assumed that, when it came, it wouldn’t be life-threatening because I’d been so careful about annual exams.
And so, there it was. Breast cancer. I set out to beat it and beat it I did. 15 years clear. I know there’s a chance it may visit again.
I blogged throughout my treatment and turned the blog into a book. I called it “My Breast Cancer Sally.” I chose the word “sally” because it had such personal meaning to the situation (a sudden charge out of a besieged place against the enemy).
I was pleased with the result, even with the typos (I’m famous for those) and the places where I should have done better editing. I was anxious to get it out and didn’t take the time with it that it deserved.
I self-published in 2009 and was ready to start a promotional campaign. I donated a copy to my local library and was going to send one to Oprah (I had visions of being on her suggested book list). The promotion dreams flew out the window a few short weeks later when my daughter died.
Her death rearranged every aspect of my life. Thinks that had been important had held no value. I forgot about the book, and I forgot about trying to get on “Oprah.”
Now and again the book raised its head. Someone was diagnosed, or someone knew someone who’d been diagnosed. Someone wanted a copy. If I had one, I wrote a personal note on the cover page and sent it along. Other someones went on Amazon or the publisher’s site and bought a copy. Now and again a small royalty check came in the mail. I donated book sale and royalty proceeds, small as they were (not complaining) to breast cancer research.
Going through chemo and radiation taught me that I can do it again of I have to. Self-publishing a book taught me that I can do it again if I want to. I’ve always intended to do a second book, about healing from the trauma of my daughter’s death. This nice little check with proceeds for Q4 2022 sales might just be in the incentive I need.
Proceeds from the new book will go to The Pretty Girl’s memorial scholarship fund.
The Third Page 