Back in the spring, my father (a former high school teacher of 34 years) virtually introduced me to Karen Grose, a colleague of his who is also a published author. We had a lengthy phone chat one evening and it hugely opened my eyes to the nuances of publishing and the importance of choosing the path that best suits your desired destination. It was also a great reminder of how fellow writers need to lift each other up.
To further guide my publishing journey, Karen recommended Step-by-Step Publishing Guides by Judy Penz Sheluk, a two-in-one tome of her exceedingly helpful books Find Your Path to Publication and Self-Publishing: The Ins and Outs of Going Indie.
As evident by my heavy use of sticky tabs, I dove head-first into these guides. Just as my conversation with Karen was invaluable to my publishing journey, Judy's detailed book has been instrumental. I have already implemented some of her suggestions, most notably creating this blog.
However, ignorance was somewhat blissful, especially after reading about the business side of self-publishing. To be completely honest, I'm scared out of my pants. But has fear stopped me before? Well, yes...I have an anxiety disorder, BUT it will not stop me from chasing my dream of sharing my stories with the world.
Before I fully commit to self-publishing, I'm going to wait to hear back from the rest of my queried agents; 5 down, 5 to go! In the meantime, I'm still working away at Book 2 and I've made (very rough) mock-ups of what I'd potentially like my book covers to look like. I've been exploring book cover websites and I would love to have someone professionally illustrate my covers.
In terms of keeping up with my teens and TeNoWriMo, a busy month, both personally and professionally (plus dealing with multiple migraines) has all but sealed the deal on me not reaching my 25,000-word goal by December. After dealing with an incredible amount of guilt, I am pushing on! On a positive note, the first draft of Book 2 will likely be completed before the arrival of the new year.
What sort of advice has sculpted your journey to publishing? Was there anyone or anything that you are especially thankful for?
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