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Dr. Cane laughed. “They’re a great publisher. Small, but that means that everyone is dedicated to each and every book they publish. One of my dearest friends has a few books with them and only has great things to say.”
“A small press is absolutely perfect.” She wasn’t looking for big accolades or fame—she wanted what she had here atThe Outlet: a fulfilling experience, even if her reach wasn’t big. Publishing this book was going to be just the same.
“I’ll email you with more details and connect you with your editor,” Dr. Cane said. “I’ve got to get going, unfortunately, but we’ll talk soon!”
“Thanks!”
Alissa hung up and held in a shriek of excitement. Instead, she darted into the hall and into Dane’s doorway, startling him.
“Dane, my book got picked up by a publisher!” Alissa blurted.
“Really? That’s incredible, Alissa!” Dane stood up and crossed his office. “Congrats.”
He pulled her into a hug, and Alissa squeezed him tight.
“Thank you.” Alissa let him go, but he kept his hands on her waist. “I had to try so hard not to scream. My hands are still shaking.”
She held her trembling hand in between them, and they both laughed.
“What’s the publisher? Do you know when your book will come out or anything like that?” Dane asked, still holding onto her.
“It’s a small press, Seashore Press. My professor said they had a great reputation and her friend who had a few books with them really loved it,” Alissa said. “I don’t know anything else yet but my professor is going to email me with all the details soon. I want to check right now.”
“Let’s go check.”
They went out into the hallway and caught Josie’s eye.
“What’s the news?” Josie asked.
“My book got picked up by a publisher!” Alissa said. The words were still surreal to her.
“No way! Congrats!” Josie rushed over and gave Alissa a hug too.
“We’re about to see if my professor has connected me with my editor yet if you want to come.”
The three of them squeezed into Alissa’s small office. Dane and Josie looked over Alissa’s shoulder as she hit refresh on her email. A new one was at the top from Dr. Cane and a woman named Mandy. Alissa opened it, her heart pounding.
The email was lovely, an introduction to both Seashore Press and her editor, Mandy. Since the book was already edited, they mostly had to work on its cover, a final title, and some marketing efforts. Seeing all of the information in front of her made it all so much more real. This was finally happening. She was going to be a published author.
“This is amazing. I’m so proud of you!” Josie said. The phone rang at her desk up front. “Sorry, let me get that.”
Josie slipped out of Alissa’s office, leaving her and Dane alone again. Dane didn’t smile a lot, so when he did, it touched Alissa’s heart like nothing else. The warm, tender smile he was wearing almost brought tears to her eyes.
“I can’t believe my dreams are coming true,” Alissa said. “It’s so much all at once. The book, the magazine, us…”
Dane sat on the edge of Alissa’s desk, tucking a wild curl behind her ear. “You deserve it all.”
“Thank you.” She took his hand and squeezed it. The excitement spread from just her book to her entire future, especially the magazine. “I’m so excited. I think getting my book deal has inspired me in everything, especially the magazine. I want it to be great, something that people can revisit beyond the month that it was published.”
“Like a coffee table magazine, almost?” Dane asked.
“Yeah, just like that! I was thinking that as much as I love having my name in print withThe Outlet, the idea of having my name on something more long-lasting was even better. The magazine can fall somewhere in between.”
“That’s a great idea. Plus it’s so beautiful here that we could have amazing photos and spreads that show off the beauty of the island,” Dane said. “I’m sure we could find a great photographer around here.”
“Yeah, maybe someone who took photos for the surf competition?” Alissa grabbed a pen and paper. “That would be perfect. And speaking of the surf competition, I was thinking of interviewing Michael and getting his story.”
“Yeah? I thought about doing that for the paper ages ago, but honestly, I don’t think I could get the same stories out of him that you could.”
