Memento of First Sale

I bought a watch with some of the money from my first-ever sale (a "Star Trek" story in one of the Strange New Worlds anthologies).

I have a large photocopy of my first check. It's sitting around somewhere and has been for almost 20 years. I need to find it and get it framed. Maybe that will motivate me.

The local chapter of RWA I belonged to at the time gave me a crystal heart box with an inscription of my name and the date of "the call" when I made the sale to the small press back in 1999. Subsequent sales gets roses.

Another writer's group I belonged to, back when I was with my ex, gave out coconuts when you made your first sale under the idea "Once you've cracked the publishing nut, there's no harder nut to crack." When my ex got his first short story published in an anthology, I gave him a coconut. He cried. It was great. He drained the milk and still has it on a shelf by his desk.

Another writer's group I belonged to (Genre Romance) does old fashion charm bracelets--first sale is the bracelet and a #1 charm. Every book gets another charm and they try to find one that has some relevance to the book. Always thought that was very cool.

Momentoes! A plot bunny! And, no, you can't have it back, ink.

As for first sale mementoes, I'll let you know when it happens. I've only gotten copies so far.

I have a printout of the first advance check - my agent emailed the scan of it to me, before she sent me my portion. It's on my cork board.

Love the inscribed crystal heart box, DeleyanLee.

For my first book, I bought myself a fabulous cherry coffee table; very large, looking like stacked books. The book spines are pull out drawers. At the time, it was unique. Hadn't seen anything like it and I absolutely loved it. Now, of course, you see such things all over. Still, I haven't seen anything exactly like it, and it's more upscale than the Pier One or International Market stuff/ Besides, it has gobs of meaning and I'll probably keep it til I die.

Suggestion: keep a bottle of good champagne in the fridge all the time. You never know when it will be needed. It was great fun when husband popped the cork and poured the glasses while I was still on the phone with the agent for that first book. It would have been greater fun if it had been drinkable. I'm still not sure why we had a bottle of $2.99 J. Roget in the first place.

I have a forty-year old copy of Lapidary Journal somewhere.

Trying to think of a funny definition for "momento" without being horridly snide...failing...drat. *chuckle*

The original, signed contract.

I framed my first short story acceptance. It's still sitting around my parent's house somewhere.

I have the fountain pen I bought with my first sale - I can no longer hold a fountain pen, but I still have it. And a copy of the contract & magazine, too!

A copy of the magazine.

I wish now though, that I'd saved some of my newspaper columns which pre-dated my magazine stuff.

MeowGuy gave me the best memento of my first sale: he took a copy of the magazine and had the cover and the first page of my article framed in a beautiful arrangement. He even included a litle plaque that said "MeowGirl's First Published Article" and the date.

Please: MEMENTO. Sorry to be a curmudgeon, it's one of my pet peeves. I have no mementos, not having made a sale as yet.

inkkognito said:

On other threads I've seen people discuss momentoes of their first sale: a copy of the check, a saved dollar from their first cashed check, and the like. So what's the most common momento? Do most of you actually have one? Anyone have something unusual?

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Never even thought to do that. Of course I have no idea who bought my first book. I don't even remember who bought the first copy at my launch - it was kind of a blur. I DON'T HAVE A MEMENTO.
Linnea

No mementos. Just stacks and stacks of edits. Do those count?

I don't think I have any momentos - it didn't occur to me. the Brit kid's author Jaqueline Wilson buys a ring for every book - she can barely lift her fingers.

Oberon said:

Please: MEMENTO. Sorry to be a curmudgeon, it's one of my pet peeves. I have no mementos, not having made a sale as yet.

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I can fix that.

I don't think I even have a copy of the magazine my first short-story appeared in. Hmm.

For the first copy of my book I received (or the advance reader's copy), my publisher designed a collage of newspaper articles (my novel has a few faux newspaper articles) and bits of text from the novel and wrapped it up before sending it. I kept that.