On June 30, 2025, my book, My Heart In My Mouth: Finding the Next Words was published by Archway Publishing, or I should say, by me with the extensive help of many folks at Archway Publishing. I am hosting a Virtual Book Launch on Monday, July 7th on Facebook Live at 4:30PM PDT. I hope you can come. Seeing these words spill out onto the pages of my blog is a little surreal. A little like celebrating the Fourth of July in our country right now. Talk about a Heart in My Mouth moment.
Anywho, as a self-publishing author, marketing and promotion is on you. This has been a serious wake up call. Here you think you’ve completed the difficult process of writing, and editing and getting the book out there, and surprise, there are 6-11,000 new books published each day. What makes your book stand out?
Mine is a book that is part memoir/love story, part stage management exposé.
There are a lot of stage management books written and some truly outstanding ones available to anyone with interest in stage management. A few of the most respected authors include Lawrence Stern and Jill Gold, Stage Management, now in its 12th edition, published by Routledge Publishing. Lisa Porter and Narda Alcorn came out with an excellent book in it’s 2nd edition now, entitled Stage Management Theory as A Guide to Practice, published by Focus Press. Tom Kelly’s book, now in it’s 3rd edition, The Back Stage Guide to Stage Management, 3rd Edition: Traditional and New Methods for Running a Show from First Rehearsal to Last Performance has one of the best descriptions of what a stage manager does, which I used for years while teaching. Peter Lawrence’s more niche book, Production Stage Management for Broadway: From Idea to Opening Night & Beyond addresses the nuts and bolts of “breaking into” Broadway, arguably the brass ring for stage managers. I say arguably, because there are thousands of stage managers happily affiliated with regional theaters across the country who have no interest in going to New York to stage manage.
My book can be offered as a supplement to them.
None of the afore-mentioned books has a chapter called “Worst Practices.” Or “The Show and You Will Go On.”
I have truly enjoyed writing this book, which has taken me about seven years to complete. I consider it to be a companion book to my dear husband, actor James Greene’s book, A View From The Wings. I was annoyed at the time he selected that title back in 2016, because it was such a perfect stage management book title, right? I watched him as he diligently constructed his story about sixty-five years in the theater at our dining room table, writing on yellow pads, from the birth of Off-Broadway, to his final and third production of Endgame when he was in his eighties. The thing that I think links our books was a shared passion for how to live a life in the theater. Jimmie and I were married for almost thirty-four years, coincidentally, nearly the distance between our ages. That, in and of itself, I suppose could be a reason to read the book. But it doesn’t end there. I look forward to sharing more on Monday.
I hope you will come on Monday, July 7th at 4:30PM to Facebook and look for my event. Here’s the link to the event. I have an excellent stage manager, Lisa Toudic, assisting me behind the scenes on this event. I’m excited to share the book with you and will read some excerpts and open for questions at the end.
This is all so new to me and as in all new things, it is a learning space. A space filled with curiosity and purpose and intentionality. To those of you who have already purchased a copy (or ten) of the book, I say thank you! If you haven’t read Jimmie’s book, please grab a copy to read in tandem with mine.
Just a final word about the theater as a balm for these difficult times we are in. As theater practitioners, we collaborate, and we (for the most part) treat each other with respect, kindness, and compassion. I have had some powerfully healing experiences in the theater in the last few months, most recently, at Parade at the Ahmanson Theater. You have one more week to get over there. Don’t miss this performance!
lifeinthethe8tre 
Hi sorry to miss the zoom Ouida reported th
Hi, Sally! Event went well. You can still see it on my FB page – it’s recorded for posterior. 🙂 Hope you all are having a ball!