One year ago today I signed a contract with She Writes Press to publish the memoir that was then called My Mother’s Cross: Cancer, Kink, Sex, and Death, and is now Bound: A Daughter, a Domme, and an End-of-Life Story. In that year, I’ve learned so much about book publishing, publicity, and marketing.
I’ve learned about holding on tight when things get hectic and letting go of expectations or ideas that no longer have a place in the project.
I’ve learned patience, or at least that I need more of it.
I’ve learned about the enormity of the book market, and the democratization of publishing in the face of increasing control by a handful of large corporations.
I’ve learned about feminist models that bridge the familiar gap between going it alone and submitting to an oppressive system.
Today, three weeks before my publication date, I’m sitting in front of a box of books that represent five years worth of work, and I’m astonished that these little packages of words, ideas, and experience are going to make their way into the world on their own, meet people, and change lives.
Thank you for helping me bring this book to life.
Elizabeth Anne Wood, Ph.D. 