By Guest Blogger Iris Waichler, Author, Riding the Infertility Roller Coaster
http://www.infertilityrollercoaster.com/
I was sitting in the audience of my favorite bookstore listening to the feminist author, Naomi Wolf, discuss her book, Misconceptions. She described her frustration with doctors that wanted her to have a C-section. She discussed feelings of anger and outrage at the loss of control of her body. I felt myself fading away. I became lost in my memories. I had experienced multiple miscarriages and years of infertility treatment. Anyone who has had infertility immediately understands the sense of failure and outrage attached to the inability to become pregnant. I was lucky enough to have a daughter on our final attempt. I had made a promise to myself that if I did have a child I would do what I could to help others experiencing infertility.
While I drove home I remembered my promise. I began to think of topics I would address in a book about infertility. By the time I had gotten home I had the outline for a book in my head. The first thing I always do before writing a book is see what has been written on the topic. It doesn’t make sense to write about something that has already been said. I do my research. I pay attention to publishers that published books on the topic I am addressing. I use this as a guideline about which publishers to pitch.
I noticed the books I saw did not address the range of topics I was looking at. I also realized that there were no men’s voices in the literature. Men and women approach infertility in different ways. I decided it was critical to interview men and women and get their candid insights. It was also significant to talk to people making different choices regarding their infertility. I spoke with couples who adopted, used a variety of infertility treatments, and a woman who chose to remain childless. The mixture of personal experiences of these couples and me combined with my clinical expertise as a licensed social worker was original and appealed to me.
In my experience, writing a book can be easier than getting it published and marketed. I contacted 60 publishers. Some had gone out of business and some told me that infertility was not a topic that interested people. I knew they were wrong. Nancy Cleary was a 
publisher at Wyatt MacKenzie publishing company. She believed that women, especially stay at home moms, had important things to say. She took a leap of faith and helped my publishing dream become a reality.
Eighteen months after hearing Ms. Wolf, I found myself standing on the podium she had stood on in that same bookstore. This time the room was full of my family and friends. They were cheering me on at my first author event promoting my book, Riding the Infertility Roller Coaster: A Guide to Educate and Inspire. I looked out in amazement at their smiles and tears as I read from my book and fielded questions and comments. I had come full circle.