I finalized the cover art this week and received the copy-edited version of the manuscript. Yes, things are beginning to happen. The revised version of Desert Ice will be a reality sooner rather than later.
I’ve worked through the edits recommended by the editor, and now I needed to do a final read. Once that’s complete, the next step will be sending the manuscript off for interior formatting. I’d love to be able to do that myself, but that’s a little more than I’m capable of handling at the moment. After that, it should just be a matter of publishing it! The reality is I could conceivably have the book ready to publish by the end of October, just in time for Halloween. I’ll know more about my official launch date once I contract for the formatting. This means I need to start thinking about marketing. I’m not sure where to begin, but I wasn’t sure where to begin with self-publishing either. So, I guess I’ll figure it out. This will be the next part of my adventure. My plan is to use Kindle Direct Publishing at first and then see what resources I can leverage there. I’ve also made a list of a few websites to reach out to about promotion. Of course, I hope that writing regular updates on the project has helped generate some interest. In any case, whether I’m ready for marketing or not, this is happening. The pieces are starting to fall into place. RM
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I suffered a profound personal loss this week. It was unexpected and has shaken me hard. I’ve lost someone who was one of the “pillars” in my life. They were someone who shaped me as a person. Unknowingly I think they helped me on my path to becoming a writer. We shared a love of puns and played word games with each other, and we were always testing our vocabulary looking to find just the “right word” when we talked.
If I have any eloquence at all in expression, it’s in large part because of them. One thing that has comforted me is how proud they were of me for publishing Desert Ice in the first place. They never read the book or even knew what it was about. They were just proud I’d done it. They were also proud I was republishing it on my own. Our last conversation was about all the decisions I had left to make. This has doubly committed me to see this through. Ironically, I got the second draft of the cover art the day I found out they died. I told the artists I needed a few days before making any decisions. I’m also due to get back the manuscript the day after my loved one’s funeral. I know what they’d want me to do. Don’t pause. They’d want me to just keep moving forward. So that’s precisely what I’m going to do. People say there is no right or wrong way to grieve. Republishing Desert Ice has now become part of my process. RM Writing is a struggle when I try and force a story rather than just letting them tell the story. I’ve been in a battle on my current project because I’m getting too hung up on what I think or believe needs to happen instead of just letting it happen.
I guess that’s because I’m a pantser and not a plotter. Don’t get me wrong, I know where my story begins and ends. I know key points along the way, but how I get there is usually a mystery. So I let the characters and the story unfold organically. Sometimes that brings its own frustrations. I’ll find I’ve written myself into a “box” that I have to figure out how to get out of, but those are fun challenges. However, what I have been doing recently is repeatedly writing, rewriting, and writing the same chapter, which isn’t as enjoyable. The reality is, I’m not letting the story tell itself. I’ve gotten hung up on these preconceived notions of what I think has to happen, and my writing process just doesn’t work that way. So I need to do the daunting task of backtracking to that point in the story where I can relaunch and throw out “the plan” and just start telling the story. So I guess what I’m saying is I surrender. One final unrelated note, I’m still on a holding pattern for Desert Ice. Waiting for edited manuscript and cover art concept. RM So when I decided to revise and self-publish Desert Ice, it seemed daunting. Just the idea of revisiting the story and seeing what could be written better or what new content should be added was overwhelming. When I added trying to figure out the entire self-publishing process, it felt like the impossible dream. I guess it’s a good thing that was my christening song.
I haven’t done something like this, and despite all the videos, blogs, and even lunch with my self-published friend, this is not easy. There are a lot of elements to pull together and decisions to be made. As a Libra, there just aren’t enough coins to toss. However, I stated at the beginning of the process that I was going to take things one at a time, so let’s review where I am. Manuscript off to the editor for review. Check. Cover art ordered. Check. You’d think that would be about it, right? Nope. I still have to figure out, am I going to pay someone to do interior formatting or attempt to do it myself? If I do it myself, which software do I use? I’ve already ruled out Kindle Create, and Vellum isn’t an option. Do I want to stay with just Amazon or try and distribute wide? Do I want to try and do print on demand? If I include print on demand, that means revisiting the cover art decision and updating the order. Do I want to buy my own ISBN? If so, do I buy one or bite the bullet and buy ten? I haven’t even thought of marketing options or settled on pricing. There are still so many decisions to be made and unknowns that it almost feels too much. Yet, here’s the thing. I have about four weeks before I get my manuscript back. The only thing that has to be decided between now and then is revisions to cover art. The reality is, that once the manuscript is done, the other decisions will start to fall into place. I might not like the budgetary options, but the path is clear. I know what has to happen to make my goal achievable. What is exciting is that my timeline is looking more and more like I should be able to get the revised version of Desert Ice published by the end of the year. I am reaching the unreachable star. |
Rose MaefairAuthor, geek, gamer, and avid coffee drinker. Archives
November 2022
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