Author Horror Story #3: The Moving Target

After a decade-long stint as a technology advisor at a prominent consultancy, Valerie decided to hang her own shingle in 2006. She slowly and steadily built her client base, mailing list, and web presence. Maybe a book could serve as the ultimate professional credential—a business card on steroids. A few of her colleagues had become published authors and seemed to benefit from their new bona fides.

She worked on a proposal, sent it to some publishers, somehow avoided the slush pile, and soon inked a deal with Acme to write her first book in 2010. (The publisher's name is obviously a pseudonym.)