It’s been quite some time since I wrote a blog about my book and you’d be forgiven for thinking that it may have fallen by the wayside. But it hasn’t.
It’s felt like the book has been in hibernation. I’ve roused it a couple of times over the last few months. Once, when I wrote a proposal for a publishing house, and again, when I entered it into a competition. Both times I only played around the edges with it.
In the interim period, I have not only written another book, but I have published it as well. (Daily Yarns, Riding the Lockdown Roller Coaster of Emotions.) This was as much of a surprise to me as to anyone! I didn’t plan to write it. I started a daily post on social media, and this soon took the form of a social diary of the lockdown, and as the restrictions eased, it made sense to put it out there. You can watch a Livestream of the mistakes I made whilst I attempted to self-publish via Amazon!
I also started a new programme for writers which is now in its second iteration. But I digress.
Last October I put the book to one side. Every chapter had been reviewed and edited based on feedback that I’d solicited from friends and a professional editor. The chapters had been organised into a structure and the book felt like it was complete. I knew that it needed another development edit and a line edit to check for grammar and punctuation, but other than that, I thought that it would be ready to publish.
Now I know that’s not the case. Over the last few months I have written some more pieces that are possible contenders for the book. They need a review and at least a couple of edits before I make the decision. The new pieces need to be incorporated and this will have an impact on the other chapters, which means a further review of the structure. And I realise there are now other factors to take into account before it is ready to publish.
During this period of hibernation, I have explored the professional world of authors and publishing. There are two fantastic resources that I signed up to and boy am I pleased that I did. The first is JerichoWriters.com, in particular their Summer Festival, and the second is the Hay House Online Writer’s Workshop. Both of these provide so much information it’s enough to send you google-eyed! But it has been worthwhile to take the time to plough through it. The advice and guidance is brilliant and there is so much that I’ve not looked at yet. Sometimes it can make the journey look a little more daunting, but one step at a time I say!
As I’ve navigated these waters, I’ve seen that there are more steps on this journey than I first imagined. Many of them are optional, but the more I take, the better the chance of success I give my book when it is launched.
Inspired by a good friend of mine, I intend to approach a book doctor, who will review my synopsis and the first chapters and give me some objective feedback from a professional publisher’s point of view.
This journey has been longer than I anticipated, with many surprises along the way, but I’m learning so much and excited to keep taking the steps which will get me closer to the final product.
As always, I will keep you posted.
If you would like to read more about this journey you can read my previous blogs here.
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