The Duration

Okay, so publishing is like this giant roller coaster. And it spans from California (hi Christine!) to Alaska (hey, Paul) to Ohio (hola Lisa and Laura) down to the Carolinas and the deep south (hello Beth and Katie and Sarah and Shelli and Scott). It even crosses oceans (hi Amy).

There's loops. The kind that turn you upside down. Big hills with traction chains. Small hills. Deep drops. Sharp turns. The whole she-bang.

And after you've been on the ride for a while, you realize you're strapped in for the duration. That seatbelt is cinched and you're holding on for dear life.

And there's a lot of screaming.

Some tears.

Some intense chats and flurries of emails.

Lots of anxiety -- especially up those tractioned hills.

But you know what? I've come to learn that the roller coaster isn't always going up or down, but sometimes there's these straight stretches where you're just sitting there, waiting for the next high or the next low.

I hereby declare these straight stretches "The Duration."

And on The Duration, there's screaming. Some tears. Some intense chats and flurries of emails. Sometimes part of the track is missing, and you take a big breath as the car leaps...

And through it all, you're smiling because you're so dang happy to be on the ride at all.

And that is the ride that is publishing.

What do you think? What would you compare publishing to? (And don't say imprisonment. *wink*) How's your journey been so far? So many of you are new here, so take this chance to fill us in.