April 2006
A few years ago, I attended the Mt. Hermon Writers’ Conference and was randomly assigned Deb Coty, a cute little tennis player from Florida, as a roommate.
Deb and I hit it off famously. We were both at that writing career point where we’d developed our skills through writing for magazines and were ready to try writing books. But just because we knew where we wanted to head…it didn’t mean the industry was helping us out much. (The publishing world is not looking for you.) We were both experiencing our fair share of rejection. And I can’t speak for Deb, but I remember feeling riddled with insecurity at that conference as I mingled with hot shot authors and editors and agents.
Anyway…after we returned to our homes, Deb and I kept up our friendship via e-mail.
A lot of e-mails.
We’ve sent each other our work-in-progress for a lookover or an edit, shared tips and ideas, grumbled together and encouraged each other along the way to hang in there. And we celebrated with each other as we signed our first book contracts.
With two other authors, Deb and I co-authored a book for writers, Grit for the Oyster, all via e-mail.
August 2009
Fast forward a few years. Today, Deb and I both have agents, a couple of books under our belt, we still feel as if we’re just starting to make our way in this publishing gig, and we both are very, very grateful.
Deb has published a couple of books, most recently: Moms Need Chocolate (Regal)–a collection of humorous stories about motherhood. She’s also launched herself as a popular national speaker. If you liked Erma Bombeck, well, Deb is funnier.
So…drumroll please…tomorrow, Deb is going to be on Daytime on NBC affiliates! Sometime between 10 and 11 in the morning, EST. She taped two weeks after angsting over her outfit for the entire week before that. Had trouble finding a cute outfit that fit a Size 2. (I know…I know. My heart is bleeding for her, too.)
It’s so much fun to watch Deb’s success. I am so proud of her! And meeting her during that rainy week in April at Mt. Hermon was no accident. It was one of those divinely orchestrated appointments.
So my DVR is already programmed. Watch it with me and cheer on my friend!
