The House Is Burning...

and Grandma is combing her hair...



Thursday, that is yesterday, Tarta the Great (the renowned Tartakover is the recipient of last year's Israel Prize and the artist who designed, among others, the logo for Peace Now) - sent me his design for my upcoming, Once She Was A Child, book's cover. and at the same time, almost simultaneously, the last step in the pre-printing process was done with.

Never has this publisher suffered more than during those excruciating weeks, three weeks.



So, what is the moral:



1.

Never accept a deal without a time schedule in writing.

2.

Try to avoid the holiday season, even if it leaves you with just a few options.

3.

Never accept inserting the photographs, if any, otherwise than by day one.

4.

Consider only the artistic value, ignore the price and budget (easier said than done).

5.

Make all the decisions prior to handling the material, free of pressure.

6.

Ask for a detailed schedule backward from the last day to the first one.

7.

Get a PR person (easier said than done).

8.

Invest in fundraising time, rather than in Pr-ing the book yourself, which is time consuming and horrible.

9.

Keep working on the following book daily, at least two hours and first thing in the morning, when the mind is clear and relaxed.

10.

Find and never tire of searching for the best distributor.

11.

Find and never tire of searching for the right person to work your Itinerary.

12.

No matter what, never answer the phone when you're writing.

13.

Before asking others to respect your time, respect it yourself.

14.

Limit phone calls to three minutes at the optimum, the rest can be done by e-mail or fax.

15.

Get out to a movie/play/concert once a week, even if it means skipping a few meals. It won't kill you. It

might even save you from overweight.

16.

Organize a daily schedule and do your utmost to respect and follow it no matter what.

17.

Take time to think ahead and re-evaluate decisions, daily.



Quite a long list. It will get longer probably, the more I'll think of it...

This is what Passover is all about:

Memorize traumas.