Sightlines: A Poet's Diary by Janet G. Riehl

Sometimes letting go is harder than getting there.

Amazon.com

Powell's Books

Question: "What was a misstep that you (or your publisher) made with publishing your first book--and how would you do things differently?

 For my first book "Sightlines: A Poet's Diary" everything went off like a dream from composing the 90 poems to shaping the book and bringing it out.

The one thing I'd do differently would be to have some one else proof read the galleys. It's very difficult to proof your own work. I might have gone through fewer proof rounds if I'd done that. And, now I know, too, that no matter what, you'll always find something else you'd have liked to change.

 My most difficult step was letting the book go. I'd felt the entire project blessed by its mission to be useful. But, when the time came down to sign off, I got terrified. Only a good writer friend holding my hand and saying, "Let it go, Janet. You've done everything you can to make it a good book. Now let the book do the work it was meant to do."

I'll always be grateful for that advice.

Janet Grace Riehl