Yesterday my first book got Kindled. When I got the email to say it was ready I confess I got the shakes a bit. There’s no going back. It’s not a huge 100,000 word blockbuster rather a modest twenty-odd thousand words of self-help type but it’s mine and I’m proud of it.
I’ve lived with this book for more than six months in between the day job – first in the research and then the writing. Sometimes it flowed easily; sometimes it was sluggish. But the most fiddly part was the editing and like the guy in Camus’ The Plague I got stuck writing and rewriting the same sentence. Then I was gripped with this fear that I might have inadvertently nicked someone else’s words or phrases. The subject of the book – making time for the things you want to do in life – is by no means original and the internet is larded with articles, blogs and references. I know I’ve read some of them. I spent last night checking over the mss for possible copyright breaches – for the third time.
All that is left now is for me to write a few persuasive sentences for the advertising blurb and decide on key words for searches. Despite all the anxieties and neuroses it’s brought out in me I feel…not exactly satisfied – I’m never that – but perhaps elated. I’ve done what I set out to do, as well as I could do it. Whether it burns with a bright flame or fizzles out remains to be seen.
I’m also relieved that I can move on. For sure I’ve got work to do in marketing and selling the book but my head’s stuffed full of other ideas and projects all crying to get out.
Clearly I can’t give my Oscar speech since I ain’t sold a single copy yet but I would like to publicly thank Steve at http://www.kindlepublishmybook.co.uk for his support and help. I gave him the worst possible example of a mss for Kindle – full of formatting, tables, illustrations – all the Kindle no-no’s. He took it all on the chin and worked his magic in no time at all.
Now, I need 5 or 6 sentences to promote the book – how hard can that be?
Congrats and good luck with your book!
Thank you opinionated man – you haven’t succeeded in offending me yet (as per your blog) but since you’ve kindly decided to follow my blog there’s plenty of opportunity to do so
If I don’t offend you that just means you have a sense of humor. Remarkably… the world normally does not.
Naturally I’ve a sense of humour…I’m a Brit
Have a lovely opinionated day and I look forward to reading you next post.
Sheila
Cheers, you too!
Great achievement- well done
Thanks ET and thanks for following the blog. How’s your novel coming along…oops is it still a secret?
Congrats! Being “Kindled” is what caught my attention. I’ve been thinking of going the self-publishing route for awhile now and wanted to see how it turns out for you.
Hi ladyguff – I’ll keep you posted. So far it’s been painless (the anxiety is mine not part of the process) and affordable. I’ve been lucky in picking a really supportive publisher to do all the techie bits.