What makes me an Insecure Writer this month?
All the things I have to do before my book comes out.
Those of you who stop by this blog on a regular basis know I’ve started a new series of posts chronicling my journey into book marketing. Now that the first draft of my debut urban fantasy is finally finished, I’m entering a whole new world of publishing. There are editors to find, email lists to build, social media sites to conquer, cover designers to interview, a dedicated author website to construct…
And here I thought editing my novel would be the hard part.
So, if you’re interested in seeing how I approach this book marketing stuff, stop by every now and then and I’ll keep you updated. Comments and suggestions will be welcome. Who knows, maybe you’ll pick up a few new tricks along the way, too.
I took a little break from writing these last couple of days and focused on getting my office back in order. The first order of business was to dig through the huge stack of papers handed to me by my critique partners over the past year and confirm I’d added all their suggested changes to my manuscript before tossing the papers away. Yes, that empty space on the shelf looks really nice. Too bad it'll probably fill up again soon.
I also cleaned up the filing system on my computer. I had too many versions of each chapter. Before crits, after group 1’s critiques, after group 2’s critiques, plus a slew of other variations. To be honest, I wasn’t completely sure where the most recent version of each chapter was located. Now that’s all taken care of and it feels good.
Anyway, the year is one twelfth over, and if last year was any indication, this year will fly by so quickly I’ll need to maintain my focus to get my book out the door before it ends.
ChemistKen
Just getting organized really helps get you back on track.
ReplyDeleteNow the real work begins, Ken. That's why I wrote a book about it because there is SO much to do.
ReplyDeleteAnd I saw your comment about reviewing Lost Helix and sent you an email from DLP last week - did you get it?
DeleteI just handed my manuscript over to my editor. This is a strange new part of the journey for me as well. I'm trying not to think about all the stuff I still need to do. I'm just trying to deal with one thing at a time.
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to do some house cleaning, digital and otherwise. I use yWriter for my bigger works of writing, so I tend to keep all the older versions of my scenes, just marked as unused and thrown into an Unused chapter. Copy scene FTW!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to seeing all the things you conquer!
Cleaning up computer files creates room for more stories. :)
ReplyDeleteYou've reminded me that I must tidy up those old versions.
ReplyDeleteIt feels good to be a writer, doesn't it? Sounds like you're doing great!
ReplyDeleteCleaning up the computer files really is important. It seems to declutter the mind, as well. Best to you on your next steps. It's an exciting journey!
ReplyDeleteSounds like you're conquring the important stuff. Stay strong. It's a long road. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnna from elements of emaginette
I will absolutely be following along as I have everything to learn. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences. Best of luck!
ReplyDeleteI need to get rid of all the many different versions of my mss. It's actually comical how many variations I have of each book on my laptop. AHHH! I better get crackin' Like you said, this year is plugging away!
ReplyDeleteThat's good to get organized first. I have to watch not to get too many versions of chapters too.
ReplyDeleteWhew, good luck as you move into marketing! That feels like the true gauntlet to me, most of the time. May 2020 treat you gently as you dive in!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! Now the fun begins. :) Okay, so maybe not so much, but be ready to learn! Organization is key!
ReplyDeleteCongrats. I get confused trying to sort my computer files half the time and end up keeping them all. Happy IWSG!
ReplyDeleteCleaning up those files always feels so good! I need to do that again!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to need some of those tips as well as I'm about to release my Dementia project out into the world!
Good luck on your journey! Getting organized is a great way to start. I always feel better after my writing space is cleaned!
ReplyDeleteWww.alliebock.com
♥
ReplyDeletegood luck with the publishing endeavor—let me know if you want a hand!
ReplyDeleteand 1/12th over already?? wow, never thought of it that way, but it sure flies!
Tara Tyler Talks