Monday, June 20, 2011

On the brink

Lots of fun stuff has happened since last I showed my face 'round these parts. The biggest news is that Three Girls and a Baby is finished. Like, done. For real. I can hardly believe it. It's been critiqued, beta'd, revised, edited and proofread several times over and I'm now at the point where I'm happy with it.

Mostly.

To be honest, a huge part of me is terrified that I've missed something, that I've made a mistake somewhere, that there's something I could have done to make it better. But I'm sure I would have felt like that no matter what. I think, for me, fear is the nature of the beast. So now the book is ready to be released out into the world--where it will be the subject of much acclaim and success, I can only assume.

In addition to a finished manuscript, I also have a lovely book cover. I hired Tamra Westberry, a wonderful graphic artist, to design for me, and I'm very happy with the results. I think the cover is cute, eye-catching, and screams chick-lit.

So the next step is formatting. Basically, when you publish to these various channels (print on demand paperbacks, kindle, nook, ipad, etc.), there are very specific formatting guidelines you have to follow. I decided to start with my paperback because it will take some time to get the proof (sample book that I need to approve) back. I figure while I'm waiting I can work on formatting for kindle and nook. If the proof copy of the paperback looks okay, I will approve it and...the book will be on sale the first week of July. That is such an exciting prospect I almost can't stand it!

In fact, the excitement is making concentration very difficult. I should be getting an approval from the printer in the next few days, letting me know the proof is ready to be shipped and I cannot.stop.checking.my.email. It's horrible. I need to be put out of my misery.

The best way to stop thinking about one novel is to focus your attention on another. I need to get my energy flowing in a productive way, and stop with all this waiting around. I need to start writing again.

So tomorrow I am heading up to the cabin, where there is no internet to distract me (or TV, for that matter). I plan to stay there for about two weeks. And during that time, I am going to finish the draft of the sequel, Three Girls and a Wedding. Finishing the draft will require me to write about 55,000 words. That's a lot. Like, really a lot. It's a crazy, huge, overwhelming, crazysauce kind of goal. But you can't be a writing rock star without kicking some ass. And that's what I plan to do these next two weeks.

And hopefully when I get home I will have a first draft in my hands...and a shiny proof paperback, all ready to be approved.

7 comments:

  1. You're my hero! You can have a draft done in two weeks! And you will. 30 and out!

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  2. Fantastic post!! You certainly work hard to get your books out! They sound fab... I'm looking forward to seeing the final product. Will it be available as an ebook? (I'm kindle obsessed at the moment!)
    Goo luck!
    Best wishes
    Suzy Turner
    http://suzyturner.com

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  3. Oh my gosh, you have a CABIN to go to!!?? I'M SO JEALOUS!! I guess you'll get my comment when you come back :) I just now saw your reply to my post on KindleBoards! Sorry! So, when will your book be out? SO SUPER exciting!

    Also, I have an idea brewing in my head for networking with other Chick-lit authors and was wondering if you would be interested! I"m reading John Locke's book "How I Sold One Million E Books in 5 Months". Have you read it? Anyway, he says to reach your target audience, and know where they are and who they are. I thought, if we could get other indie chick-lit authors to chime in, we could have a nice little network/fan base for readers to come to! (and enlarge the fan base for everyone else). Let me know what you think or if you would be interested!

    CONGRATS on finishing!! I'm wrapping mine up in the next 3 days! Off to editor next Sunday! I'm looking at a late July release :). Hope to hear back from you soon! Happy Cabin Staying/Writing :)

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  4. Hey Lacy! Thanks for stopping by! I just responded to your blog so I hope to chat with you soon. Good luck with the book wrap up-SO EXCITING!

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  5. thanks Suzy! The book will definitely be available on kindle and nook. Thanks for stopping by!

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  6. I love the titles of your novel. I see it's been several months since you've blogged but I do hope you're still around. I'd love to see what you've done with the books! They sound right up my alley!!! If you return do stop by my blog Unedited! I'd love to visit again and see what you've been up to!

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  7. Good luck....hope the time up at the cabin is productive.

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