Why am I an insecure writer this month?
Because I’m just about finished with the edits suggested by my editor.
Now that may seem like a strange reason to be insecure, but with that hurdle almost cleared, I’m nearly done with the writing phase of this journey and about to move into the publishing phase.
(Shudders)
Before I can publish, I need to find a cover designer, a proofreader, and either find an formatter (both ebook and paperback) or learn how to do it myself.
I have to decide if I want to stick with Amazon exclusively or go wide with all the major retailers.
I need to write the back matter content, sign up for accounts at all the retailers, and decide if I should go through each store separately, or go through a distributor such as Smashwords.
These little details probably don’t seem a big deal to those of you who have published multiple books, but right now, it seems as if there’s just as much to learn about the actual publishing process as there was for the writing part of it. I’ve been scanning publishing blogs for tips and tricks on the subject, and it seems there are traps and pitfalls everywhere. I'm quickly learning that I don't know what I don't know.
I know I can go back and fix any mistakes later, but I’d rather just do it right the first time, especially for my debut book.
What kinds of problems did you have when you published your first book?
March 2 question - Have you ever been conflicted about writing a story or adding a scene to a story? How did you decide to write it or not?
The only conflict I've had in this regard was deciding whether or not my story needed an additional scene to tie up loose ends, and if that scene was strong enough to stand on its own. Nothing worse than an unnecessary, bloated scene bogging down a story.
Take care everyone, and stay safe!
ChemistKen