Summer has come and gone and with it, my deadline. Two years and nine months ago I started this project. I have to say, I’ve felt more anxiety about getting my book to a publisher now more than before. I think it’s mostly because I had all these intentions of sending it off to the agent before summer was over, yet life seems to get in the way.
My editor had my manuscript longer than she intended. Her life had stumbled upon some bad times. Completely understandable. However now, the weeks I had free to do the final edits slipped away and by the time she was done with it, I was already back to work at the public K-7 school where I’m the librarian. Now finding the time is exponentially more difficult.
So what have I learned? Writing a book and having it published in the traditional way means you are in the waiting game. I’d still have had to have it professionally edited even with self-publishing it. That’s a given because I will never put out a project that isn’t my very best. But I wouldn’t have the anxiety of the connections I originally made in the publishing industry months ago might now be long forgotten. You know the saying strike while the iron is hot…well, I’m worried it’s cooled by now.
I can only hope that when I’m done with the final edits, that my book will get enough interest, that the memory of them wanting it won’t be necessary. I can’t even imagine the dozens of manuscripts they’ve read since I last spoke with any of them. UGH!
So I plug along and continue to make the final edits as my editor sends the pages back. At least it’s going much faster this time. With this edit it’s more word choice, grammar, and making cuts if necessary. Content and timelines were addressed in the other edit so that’s good. I gotta say, knowing what I know now, I will approach my next book with a better understanding, and hopefully not have to waste so much time learning the process.
That’s it for now folks, because AFTER THE FIRE, needs my attention instead of the book blog.
Thanks for continuing to follow my progress, and I look forward to being able to say…AND IT’S OFF…when I send it out to the agent with my fingers crossed.
Have a lovely week friends.
