Book Review: Vacuuming in the Nude and Other Ways to get Attention by Peggy Rowe
Genre(s): Non-fiction / Humor
I want to start off by saying that this book was given to me by my husband. It’s a book about one author’s struggle to get published, and I can 100% relate. I didn’t have to wait until I was 80 years old to see my first book published as she did (which is why I went indie), but I understand the query pain all too well. I’ve been there. It’s frustrating, stressful, and time-consuming, with very little to show for it. My husband thought some humor about the situation was needed, so he bought the book for me.
Side note: Peggy Rowe is Mike Rowe’s mother (yes, that Mike Rowe, from Dirty Jobs.) He wrote the forward to this book. I don’t usually read forwards, but I made an exception here. This one was definitely worth reading.
I was amazed time and again as I read this book by how much I can relate to some of the things mentioned. From the getting up at 3am to “make a few notes” or “write a chapter,” to the frustrations of querying and never feeling like my writing is “good enough” after years of rejection… I understand it all. I’ve been there.
But this book was more than just a humorous take on writing and its industry. Many short stories were included, some of which she’d published previously in magazines or newspapers, and others that were only published for the first time in this book. She says from the outset the book isn’t meant as a guide or advice, but as inspiration. And it succeeded, at least for this writer. I think it has reaffirmed that I’ve chosen the right path forward.
Particularly enlightening was her story about the Random House exec who spoke at a conference regarding slush piles—and what they did with those manuscripts. It confirmed some of my long-standing suspicions of the process, but also left me feeling angry for every writer present at the conference who attended that talk. “Know your audience” holds true for speakers just as it does for writers…
I encourage anyone with a passion for writing or an aspiration to publish to pick up this book and read it. Sometimes we don’t need another book on advice or craft, but we always need inspiration. This one provided it, along with a lot of laughter. It was a great way to finish my year in reading.
Author Website: mikerowe.com/momsbook (I couldn’t find a website specifically for Peggy Rowe for this post, but this link is on Mike Rowe’s site and includes info on all of her books)
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