Finally

Remember this? I don't blame you if you don't. It's been a while.

In April 2008, I worked the salt water taffy line at Shriver's in Ocean City for an article into which I then poured my heart and soul.

It never ran. I'd rather not get into why it never ran, or steam might come out of my ears.

I almost sold it to another publication, which loved loved loved the piece, but it didn't fit their schedule since I pitched it to them so late in the summer season. So I tossed it in the archives and figured it would never see the light of day.

Until now. It's going into the second edition of the book - updated and revised, of course.

Writing can be a tricky business. I don't think the essay was bad. I still don't. The fact that another publication seriously considered buying it tells me that, and when the book comes out in April 2011 - a full three years after I wrote the piece - I'll offer it as excerpt to magazines.

I hope you enjoy it - when it finally comes out in April 2011.

Talk about full circle, too. Marc, who took the picture above that was SUPPOSED to run with the story, is taking my new headshot on September 19 on the Ocean City boardwalk. He's been doing great shore work lately, too. Check out his latest photos here.

Shore Tunes

Writing of The Jersey Shore: Atlantic City to Cape May, Edition 2 is in full swing. I'm pulling apart the first edition of the book and shuffling the order of things, rewriting entries, cutting out places that have closed or I don't think are worth mentioning anymore, updating and revising the history portions and marking where I'll need to take photos.

Even though it's technically a revision, this is a lot of work, and I usually can't do this kind of work without some kind of musical background. In the last month of writing the first edition, I listened to Guster On Ice - Live From Portland, Maine 25 times. Yes, 25. In fact, I'm listening to it right now, and turned it on as soon as I set in on revising Atlantic City History, which was my project for the morning.

What tunes do you use to get you through the day? I've used Pandora a few times for a mix, but I'm more of an album person. matt pond PA and Pete Yorn also work for me. What suggestions do you have?

P.S. to Guster. Could you rush that new album along so I can have it by my writing side this summer? K, thanks.

Flashback

So it's 11pm on a weeknight. I'm working and listening to Guster's Portland: Live on Ice. I haven't done this in a while -- not since I wrote the book. My routine then was to work all day, eat dinner, make coffee, come back upstairs, and work until about midnight. When I was done writing, I'd get a beer, come back upstairs and answer work emails, using Guster to pull me through.

But this time I'm up late signing and mailing copies of that finished book to family and friends. I'm starting to get feedback, too -- mostly of the "I can't even imagine how much work this took." I have a shelf full of research materials stuffed into folders and rough drafts full of edit marks to show how much went into the book, but I don't think I'll ever be able to get my head around how much time is poured into those 262 pages.

It's hard to believe that this book will be out and available for sale in less than a month, let alone that I have a stack of copies on my desk. I worked on it for far over a year. It's a wow moment.

My dad asked me tonight if I'd ever do another travel guide. I don't know if I care about any other part of the country enough to put that kind of blood, sweat and tears into a similar project (yes, blood -- I cut myself on a shell). But never say never!

A Mini Book Party

You have to do something special the day you get your first book in the mail, so last night me, my mom and my sister noshed on pizza, an Entenmann's Danish Raspberry Twist (a regular dessert from our shore days) and champagne.

This is my sister's "look, my name's in the acknowledgements!" pose:



Me and my mom:



And Emily's overwhelming enthusiasm:



She was just pout-y because the party wasn't about her...and no one would give her a pizza crust.

Hey, There She is Again

And the hits just keep on coming.

I wrote an article for the May issue of Oxygen magazine about why you should work out in pairs, and the best way to do it. As if it weren't cool enough to write a feature for a fitness magazine, they even published my headshot (which I call the "toothpaste ad" picture) and a short interview with me. I'm in the bottom left hand corner (the pasty one with her shirt on).

Most of you know this already, but in case you don't: writing about the shore isn't my full time job (though wouldn't that be nice?) I'm a freelance writer, meaning that I write articles for magazines and newspapers. A lot of that is fitness writing, as the above picture shows, but I also write about books, finance, sustainable living and, of course, the great state of New Jersey.

This career of mine is on my mind since I gave a talk this week at Rutgers University-Camden about my job, and I was interviewed yesterday by someone writing an article about me for when the book comes out. In both cases, I talked a lot about what it is I do.

If you'd like to learn more about this sort of job (and it ain't all sitting around watching The Price is Right while eating bon bons), check out www.therenegadewriter.com and www.allisonwinnscotch.blogspot.com.

On Taxes and Shore Research

I've spent the last few days working on my taxes (pictured above, along with coupons from Sunday's paper), and, believe me, it was work. Even though I have a CPA, I do the counting -- from every pay stub to every receipt, and for good reason: I write off everything I possibly can.

Yes, I’m one of those annoying people who holds up the line so she can get a receipt for her airport coffee. But if you had to pay another 15% slice of your pay to the government for the ‘privilege’ of being self employed, wouldn’t you want to count those $2 toward your deductions?

So I had a lot of counting to do, and most of those receipts were related to my shore book. Here’s what I found:

-I drove many many miles in the name of research.
-I spent the most money in Cape May, followed closely by Avalon.
-I really liked eating at the Ugly Mug, the Concord Cafe, Green Cuisine and Wawa.
-CVS was a great place to get office supplies while living down the shore.
-Renting a house with 9 other people in Avalon is much cheaper than paying for a hotel.
-I hate taxes.

So that last one wasn't exactly shore related, but I loathe doing this every year. Not only is it annoying and time consuming, but it forces me to look at my year through financial goggles. In non-shore information, health insurance cost me over $6,000, and I wasn't even sick (something I wrote about, as most of you know, for the Philadelphia Inquirer).

But I cut my magazine and book tab, and I slashed my electric bill in half by moving to a well-insulated home instead of renting the second floor of a poorly-insulated house. If you take out the 60+ mile trips to and from the shore, I drove a lot less, too, by moving to the center a pedestrian friendly town. And I've never felt better by going with a 30-year-fixed rate mortgage for that house, not just because I sidestepped the sub prime mortgage mess (I'm a contributing editor at Interest.com, so this kind of stuff is almost always on my mind), but because I get to write off all the interest on my big, heavy tax bill.

Anyway, this tax review also reminded me of all the work I put into writing my book. I should have copies in my office within two weeks (though it doesn't go on sale until May 3). I'm being interviewed tomorrow for an article about me and the book, and my publisher already sent me post cards that will be sent to those folks listed in the book. It's a bit scary to think that I'll be holding the book in my hands soon. So, authors, what was your reaction to holding your book for the first time? I imagine it'll be something like the first time I saw my byline in the New York Times, though this is obviously a much bigger project. Thoughts?

Shore Break: Report on the NBCC Event

Click on over to Critical Mass, the blog of the National Book Critics Circle, for my write up of Wednesday's event. The direct link is here.

Special thanks to Daisy Fried, Kermit Roosevelt, Frank Wilson and Ben Yagoda for being part of the panel; and to Joseph Fox Bookshop and Friends Select for sponsoring the event.

DON'T STOP THE PRESSES!

Big day today: my book's going on press! I approved the final cover yesterday, so off it goes. If you're a shore business and have any ideas about closing, retiring, or changing in any way shape or form -- DON'T! Just kidding...I know the book can't be perfect because everything changes. I was made updates up until a few weeks ago, so I did the best I could.

To honor this wonderful occasion, I wanted to post the clip from that episode of Reading Rainbow where good ol' LeVar Burton took us to a printing press to see how books are made. It's one of my favorite episodes (as are those that take gave us behind the scenes looks at how crayons are made and how Star Trek the Next Generation was made). But I couldn't find it on the depths of Youtube, so I went with this clip instead. Butterflies in the sky, people. Butterflies in the sky.



Anyone else watch this clip and think: gee, this is ripe for a Scrubs parody? Donald Faison would make a wicked LeVar Burton. Make a note, Scrubs writers.

Article: Self-employed, and going it alone

My apologies for two non-shore posts in a row, but it's 8am, and I've already received four emails about an op/ed I wrote for today's Philadelphia Inquirer.

It's about the struggle self-insured folks have in trying to find affordable health insurance and how, at least in New Jersey, it's almost non-existent (depending on how you define "affordable.") I also know a lot of writers read this site, so it'll probably interest them as well.

You can read that commentary here.

Retro Down the Shore with Jen

Got some good news last night: I'm writing an essay for the 2008 issue of Cool Cape May, which is a fab hardback book that goes into a lot of Cape May's B&Bs, inns and hotels (and is also available for sale online at the Exit Zero store, which is located in Congress Hall).

The editor sent me to my mother's photo albums to find a few retro Jen shots to include with the essay. In these pictures, I'm 3 years old, then 7 years old, then 16 years old.






Fortunately, these bathing suits aren't frightening, unlike every Easter dress I wore from about 1983 through 1998.

The Cover! The Cover!

Here it is, kids, the cover to the book. I'm told that this will also be up on Amazon within the week.

Congrats, Wildwood, on making the cover!

Get Your Copy! Or at Least Schedule to Get Your Copy!

Big day in the offices of Jen A. Miller. The Jersey Shore, Atlantic City to Cape May: Great Destinations: A Complete Guide: Including the Wildwoods (Great Destinations) is now up for pre-sale on Amazon.com.

It's a bit surreal to see that considering the proof, with my marks, is still on my dining room table. But now if you ask me when you can buy your copy, there's the answer. Of course, you won't actually get the book until May, but it's a start!

Fish Out of (or Without) Water

I'm finally, after a series of delays and debacles, back from Arizona. It's a shame my wonderful trip was capped off with terrible service trying to get back from Phoenix (Delta, expect a letter of complaint soon).

In any case, I had a good time, and I was fascinated by just about every aspect of the trip. I'd never been so far west, or even seen a mountain that was not part of the Appalachians. As you can imagine, I was shocked by the size of those in Arizona, from the moment I landed -- heck, even before! As we flew into Arizona, I was like a kid with my face plastered against the airplane window.

If you'd like to see my pictures, and what I'm calling my fish-out-of-water-story-told-through-pictures recount of the trip, the Flickr set is here. Notice the address in that link -- I've created my own "Down the Shore with Jen" spot on Flickr, and I hope to be adding shore pictures soon. And if you're still not enticed, maybe this picture will grab your interest:



For the full story, check out the Flickr set.

I went on this trip for work, so I was asked a lot what I do. When I said anything about "travel writing," most people wanted to know about all the exotic locales I go to. They're shocked when I say that my main focus, travel writing wise, is New Jersey (and those jokes about Newark and Joisey, which is not even how we pronounce it in South Jersey, are really lame, especially after the fifth time I heard them last week).

Why travel write about your own back yard? Because it's my own backyard, and who knows it better than I do? There's only so much you can learn on a short trip -- while I visited a lot of different places in the Phoenix area, I wasn't able to find that corner BYOB that demands reservations even for lunch, or who has the best bike tour in the region. There wasn't enough time. With New Jersey, especially South Jersey, I'm a life-time expert. I was born here. I live here. And I'll probably die here. Who better to delve into the nooks and crannies and figure out what would be of interest to a traveler? I guarantee you that if you looked within a 10 mile radius of your home, you'd find something of interest to a visitor. So take a closer look -- you'll be surprised at what you might find.

This also reminded me of my grandfather. After returning from World War II, he vowed that he wouldn't go overseas again until he saw all 50 states in his own country (and he was close to reaching that mark before he passed away in May). What a neat idea. And after my short trip out west, I've realized that he was right -- our own country, which is a very big backyard, has a lot of wonders to be seen.

With that, I'm off to edit. As I mentioned, the page proofs of The Jersey Shore, Atlantic City to Cape May: A Complete Guide are on my dining room table. I'm through the Atlantic City chapter already. It's a bit scary to think that this is the absolute last chance I'll have for changes, but exciting, too. It'll be nice to see the dang thing in print.

And Now for Something Completely Different

Hello from Arizona! This is the view from my room out in the middle of nowhere. Well, sort of. I've never been to the desert before, so this feels like the middle of nowhere. And isn't that mountain amazing? I've never been this far west, so I'm seeing something new everywhere I turn. Right now, though, I'm trying to stay awake and adjust myself to the time zone out here -- I'm having moderate succe...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Kidding. I'm still awake. I won't be posting again until Monday, but I did want to point you to an interview I did at The Urban Muse blog. It's about writing (and the book, of course), so check it out.

Also (and here's how I stay on topic): in giving introductions today, I mentioned the book and how much I love Cape May to a room of people who are from everywhere from New York to Texas to California. The response? At least four people said "Oh, I love Cape May. It's so beautiful there," and a discussion about how buys they are in the fall and spring ensued. It just goes to show that you can take the girl out of Jersey, but you can't take Jersey out of the girl...

I'll Make a Mock Out of You

Well, it came today: the mock up of my book. This is more than just a manuscript -- it's a replica of what the book will look like, maps and pictures included.

I almost didn't open the package. I'm leaving for a trip on Wednesday and thought that, if I opened the FedEx bag, I'd worry about the changes for my entire Arizona trip. But how could I resist? So I ripped open the package and did a little jig around my dining room table. Why? Because I'm one step closer to seeing the darn thing in book form.

What's the next step? I'll read through the book one...last...time. If there were a god of good grammar, I'd be lighting candles at her alter in hope that she would lend me guidance in making sure there are as few errors as possible in the book. Hopefully the picture of a nun on a surfboard on the facing title page will distract anyone of any little mistakes.

What I'm Listening to: In Our Bedroomm after the War by Stars.

Quick reminder: if you haven't already, drop your email into the "Subscribe!" box if you'd like to get "Down the Shore with Jen" right to your inbox.

Getting the Word Out

Good news on the book front -- we're almost at proof stage, which is when I'll see a mock up of the book with the words, pictures and maps (provided by my brother) all rolled into one. I'm so excited to get that package in the mail. It's one step closer to seeing this dang thing in print!

In the meantime, though, I've been working on getting the word out about the book. I don't want to do TOO much advance PR, but I'm setting into motion things that could pay off in the long run. To start, I'm reminding my editors when I email them about the book, and about this blog (which is in my email signature). I'm averaging more readers a day here than I ever thought, so thank you again for visiting!

To start, I took Sandra Beckwith's most excellent book PR class. It's online, it's a great value, and it's given me plenty of ideas about how to get this book in the hands of readers.

I've also put together a list of magazines and newspapers that might want to write about me, as well as a list of local radio and TV stations that might want to feature my face or voice. I had a chance to sit in on a day of Preston and Steve (which, if you pay attention to the ends of these posts, is a morning radio show I listen to a lot). My mother wanted to know why I was going if I wasn't promoting the book yet, and I said, well, because I thought it would be cool to meet these guys, and going now will make it that much easier to send out an email when the book comes out to see if they'd like to put me on the air next time.

I'm also talking to some of the presidents of the Chambers of Commerce about what we can do together to get the word out; I'm pitching articles about the area to magazine, and I've been assigned quite a few so far; and I've started planning both my book launch party and a few signings (hint: Collingswood's Second Saturday will be involved). A book website is being designed, and I've started to plan my "blog tour."

But my brain can only storm so much. What do you think I could do to promote the book?

What I'm Listening to: In Our Bedroom After the War by Stars.
What I'm Reading: Oh, the Humanity! by Jason Roeder

Checks and Balances

This summer, I tried to train for a half marathon. Yes, this would be the same summer that I wrote the Shore book. Why I thought this would be a good idea, I don't know. Superwoman complex? Mega type-A? Whatever the reason, I couldn't do both at once, so I dropped out of training and finished the book.

I didn't completely stop, though. I run three to four times a week to stay in shape (and to clear my head -- running is great for that). I quit because running stopped being a mental relief and started being another job, not something I needed while trying to write my first book. Still, I couldn't read last Monday's Philadelphia Inquirer, which was chock full of articles about the Philadelphia Marathon. It was too much a reminder of what I didn't achieve.

Why post this now? Because today I ran Haddon Township's Turkey Trot 5K, and I placed second in my age group. I ran almost as fast as I ran a 5K when I trained with a running coach for a magazine article. I was shocked to see my time, and even more stunned when I was called up for a medal.

Even though I didn't run the half marathon, and even though I didn't win, I'm darn happy with how today went. I have to remind myself that perfection is not always an option (something that I'll need to keep in mind when the book comes out and people start pointing out what I didn't include). I was so happy with how this morning's results that I couldn't taken the medal off. I wore it as vacuumed the house. I still have it on. Why not? How often is it that you win a medal?

This would also be a good time to point out that there are loads of races down the shore every spring, summer and fall. I hope to be part of a lot of them, especially the annual Tim Kerr 7 mile run, which spans Avalon and Stone Harbor. The Ocean Drive Marathon will be held on March 30, too. I won't be training for that one, but I'll probably sign up for a shorter version of the race. Who knows. Maybe I'll win medal #2.

Let's Take it Way Back

As a freelance writer, I spend a lot of time marketing myself, whether it be sending emails to editors to remind them that I'm alive (hi there!), or taking ideas that never quite hit the mark, revising them, and sending them to other magazines (to get the skinny on how to do this really well, check out www.therenegadewriter.com).

Part of this process involves going through my "My Documents" folder and pulling up old queries. While doing that this morning, I came across a file labeled "countrymanpres_pitch," which I created on April 14, 2006. The heart of that document is this:

"Have you considered a guide to Atlantic City? I write about Atlantic City for Philadelphia Style and Inside Magazine, and the changes in our playground down the shore have been big. Since the Borgata opened its glossy doors, Atlantic City has become a new East Coast hot spot. Jay Z located his 40/40 club there, and the House of Blues has taken up shop in the Show Boat Casino. There’s lots to see and do: gamble (every casino has done something to spiff herself up), shop (a new $175 million pier of top tier shops and restaurants is opening across from Caesars this summer), relax (spas, spas and more spas), indulge (a $1,000 brownie at Brulee) and be entertained. Plus, there’s the Steel Pier side of Atlantic City that families can enjoy."

And that, readers, was the seed that grew into the book that you will (hopefully) be reading in May. Granted, That paragraph wasn't all I needed to do to land the book contract. The idea was revised to include all of the South Jersey shore, and I wrote a 16 page proposal before getting the thumbs up in the fall of 2006.

The neat thing about reading this today is that not much has changed about my vision for the book, or at least the Atlantic City chapter, which I just re-read this week (except Brulee closed this summer). It also reminds me that, when the book's published in May, it'll be two years ago that the idea for the book started. No one said publishing was a swift industry!

Stay tuned for an excellent "Down the Shore with..." on Monday. This is the guy who, indirectly, gave me the idea for the series (and it's Halloweened themed!)

What I'm Listening to: Dulcinea by Toad the Wet Sprocket

First Thumbs Up for the Book!

"One thing I love about my job is that I get to learn so much about so many different things--especially from fine writers like you! You write so well and with such enthusiasm about the place that it makes me want to go there--which of course is the whole idea. Bravo."

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Granted, this is from someone who works for my publisher. BUT -- he's edited about 40 projects for them, so his comments mean a lot to me, and went a long way in calming my nerves about getting back edits from the publisher.

Still, I'm far from perfect, as I learned by going through the proposed changes to the Atlantic City chapter this evening. How did I not get that misspelling? Or how could I have possibly thought anyone else would get that reference? I know that the book will never been 100% perfect, and I'll open it in final form and go "how could I ever write THAT?!?!" at least once -- or 10 times. I've been warned about this by other authors, so at least I'm normal.

Funny -- I haven't worked this late at night since I wrote book (and, no, reading books for book reviews does NOT count). But I surrounded myself with the same physical accouterments (which I spelled wrong in my manuscript, by the by): I'm wearing my camouflage baseball cap, my father's old blue zip up sweatshirt, sweatpants, and a ratty t-shirt. I started the editing job with a cup of tea by my left hand. Music's the same (see below). My dog has tried to distract me the entire time I've been working. My shoulders and back are stiff, but now that I'm done with this chapter, I'll head downstairs to grab a beer and watch some TV or flip through a magazine while drinking it. The only difference is that I'm not cranking the AC, I'm swearing sweats instead of shorts, and I'm wearing Uggs instead of sneakers. Us writers really are creatures of habit.

What I'm Listening to: The Break-In by Ari Hest

The Miller Clan

This post is shore-related, trust me...

I am blessed to have an incredibly supportive family, even if sometimes I want to poke them in the eye (isn't that the case with all families?). So I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight the work of my siblings.

Mike rants...I mean writes...at musingsofaredheadedmastermind.blogspot.com. Pity the boy. He's a Phillies fan in Mets country.

Jim has just started blogging at flashmapper.blogspot.com. And here's why this post is book related -- Jim is making the maps for my book (and hopefully other Countryman Press books down the line). He also designed my website, which I love, and is going to create a book-focused website for me as well. Plus, he's had his maps, and picture, in Sports Illustrated. Don't let him know this, but I think that's pretty damn cool.

My sister, Tracy was a major help this summer in both watching my dog while I was away, and fact checking part of my book. She is not an active blogger, but she is going to culinary school to become a pastry chef. And who doesn't need one of those in the family? You can see samples of her cakes on her myspace page.