So while I was waiting…and waiting…and still waiting for my husband to read my book, I started spending my lunch break reading up on things to do when writing a book. 

There is a lot of stuff out there.  Really lots.  I was feeling overwhelmed….

I found a couple of sites that I liked and searched through them and found some articles about writing a book.  I browsed a couple and pulled up one and started reading.  This one was a list of things to do when writing a book.  How come every time I did this it made me feel like a failure? 

This particular list had several things I had done and some I had not. 

• Create a timeline and outline of the book.  I had done that.  – Almost after the fact, but I had one.
• Create a list of characters to use as a reference as you write.  It could get clouded as you write and this will give you a reference and keep it clear as you write.  – I had that.  I had actually done that on my own before I read anything on the internet.  Mainly because my memory stunk and it was a necessity.

There were several more that I had not done but did not feel like I needed.  A little farther down on the list was ‘Write the second book.’  I think my jaw hit the floor.  I hadn’t even got the first one done and now they are saying I should have a second!

I sat there at my desk shaking my head.  After I picked my chin up off the floor, I read the rest of the description on that item.  It said that when you read a book and finish it, you are primed for the next book in the series and if it is available, nine out of ten readers will buy the next one to start reading when they finish the first.  You should have the second book ready.  Well pooh.

Here I was thinking I was done and could get something out there.  Now I wasn’t sure.  I had actually written the ending of the book so that I could do a second book and maybe even another after that.   I just had never thought about even starting another yet.

Heck, I couldn’t get my husband to read the first one.  Argghhhh.

Now I have read that I needed a second book…before I ever published the first.  Well, the second was not even started yet…not even thought about yet.   Dang.

I think I pretended I hadn’t seen that and went on to the next article.

I clicked on another link about being an ‘author’ and writing a book.

It said congratulations on writing your first book.  You are now done with about  10 percent of the process.  I think I screamed out loud!  Ten percent??  Are you kidding me?

After I calmed down and caught my breath, I read through the article.  I expected some of it was stuff I had actually done.  Re-reading it, checking for timeline issues, and such.  Nope, this was actually after that as well!  Maybe I wasn’t as far along as I had thought.  Heck, I couldn’t even get my husband to read it, maybe that was a sign.

The first step was to design a cover for the book that would make it stand out.  Shew, I had done that and was happy with what I had created.

The rest of the steps dealt with public speaking (yuck), publicity (yuck), writing groups (yuck), book signings (I didn’t have a book published yet), and social media (I was trying but not getting very far).

It went on to talk about how if you did not do any of this you could only expect to sell copies to your friends.  Now I had to decide what I really wanted to do.  This writing thing was becoming much more than I had ever envisioned.  It was supposed to be a ‘hobby’ and something I did in my free time.  It was becoming much more than that and growing exponentially in using up my time.

What do I do…..

 

 

This blog will be continued with weekly updates.
Click on the subscribe button to be notified of new posts.

My book is now available for sale on Amazon.
I appreciate your support!