Birthing a Book: Chronicles of My Journey to Publication

PLUS Final Cover Reveal and Preorders!

The timeline pictured below is everything you ever wanted—or never wanted—to know about what goes into publishing a book (at least as much as can be captured on a timeline.) I had NO IDEA what went into writing a book, let alone what it takes to get it on shelves, before starting this process. Would I do it again if I’d known? I’ll never tell!

I’m sharing my publishing journey because so many of you have asked about it and to pay it forward to other writers. I would not have gotten to this place without all the help and feedback I got from my writing group and so many people in my Facebook Binders’ groups—not-so-secret groups of women writers that generously share tips (so-named for Mitt Romney’s infamous 2012 “Binders Full of Women” comment about pay equity). I regularly wonder how people wrote books before social media and before computers that allow for the hundreds of versions of a manuscript.

Book Timeline from Conception to Publication

TL;DR The whole process from writing the proposal to getting published was (will be, if all goes well) 3.5 years. Or 7.5 if you count that I conceived of the book four years before that and started writing articles on the topic. It took nine months to get an agent…nine months to write a full draft…are you sensing a theme here?

This timeline doesn’t capture the 10,12, sometimes 14 hours/day, 7 days/week I worked writing and researching on top of seeing patients, with a little parenting thrown in there too. Like I said—no idea. It doesn’t capture the bazillion emails and tiny decisions either. I lost credibility with my family because I said, “It’s done!” too many times. I worried about boring my friends with too much book-talk, but it was hard, at times, to think about anything else.

Everything about this book process was made easier by having an amazing editor and agent — both of whom are far more decisive than I am but still listen and take my concerns seriously. In my acknowledgments section I write about how lucky I am to have teamed up with this literary dynamic duo and I mean it. It makes everything easier when the key players in your book orbit are supportive and responsive. One thing that surprised me was that you really are the author of your book and, for better and worse, given the last word on content.

Until recently, I couldn’t say the word marketing without rolling my eyes. I’m not a salesperson. I’m not a social media presence. I’m most comfortable sitting-one-on-one with someone in therapy, hanging out with my kids, having dinner with a small group of friends, or toiling away in front of my computer screen. But I finally get it. For one, it’s my job. When you sign a book deal, you’re agreeing to make your book known to the world. And here’s the thing, it’s important to me to find my readers—parents who are interested in equipping their daughters and gender nonconforming children to deal with the sexism they’ll inevitably face and helping them refrain from internalizing it. I put everything I have into this book and I hope it starts a parenting revolution. So yeah, I’m going to be shouting it from the rooftops for awhile!

Final Book Cover!

In a previous newsletter and on social media, I took a poll to gather everyone's favorite cover choices, and then combined the results. Using an ampersand rather than the word ‘and’ was the big winner. As for colors, it was (of course) a tie— A third voted for the dark purple (my personal favorite), a third for the light purple, and a third for the red. Not helpful guys!!

In the end, I went with what the whole design team, my editor, the publisher and the president of Rodale/Harmony all liked best. These people know what they’re doing!

So without further ado, I give you the bright, bold, modern SEXISM & SENSIBILITY:

I'm cooking up some great and helpful bonus gifts for a preorder campaign (and book launch team!) that will begin in July. That being said, if you just can't wait to preorder the book, you CAN do so now from your favorite book retailer. Just keep your order confirmation or receipt because you'll need that to access the bonus gifts when we launch.

And because I'm now launching my author career, I needed a great website home base to showcase my work and the book. My new website, JoAnnFinkelstein.com is now live!

Two other books taking on the patriarchy that I recently preordered:

1. It’s Not Hysteria: Everything You Need to Know About Your Reproductive Health (but Were Never Told) by Karen Tang, MD (

   GynoMight with Karen Tang, MD
   )

2. BoyMom: Reimagining Boyhood in The Age of Impossible Masculinity (out June 4th!) by

   Ruth Whippman
   .

A picture of me after picking up It’s Not Hysteria from Women and Children First Bookstore

I’m so excited to be on this journey with you, eradicating the toll sexism takes one child at a time.

xox Jo-Ann