Back to the Blog
Yes, I have been delinquent in updating my blog. But, I have very good reasons. I am making headway toward seeing my book, “Dreams Thrown Away“, placed in my eager hands. I was so excited to see my galleys, the book cover (front and back), the manuscript in the format it will appear in my book, and my written word. The self-publisher I chose has been very responsive and very professional. I have no qualms or complaints.
However, when I saw my galleys I became infected with that “gotta make it better” bug. I re-edited my manuscript one more time. That means my manuscript has gone through eleven edits. After forty years of the proverbial trip around the same mountain to get to this point, I had no idea of the hard work it takes to bring a book to life. Nor did I realize how much fun it would be. I wish I had done this a long time ago, instead of letting all of my manuscripts gather dust. But, I am not mad at me. I know that I am a much better writer now and am ready to release my stories to the world.
I used to have a negative view of the self-publishing world. My knowledge of it was limited to vanity press. But then, I received an announcement from a friend who had just self-published her second book. That struck a chord. Not taking anything away from her talent, but I thought that if she could I could. So I began to research what was available. I found limitless possibilities.
To help me determine which company and which package deal was best for me, I started a spreadsheet comparing self-publishing companies and their print-on-demand packages. There were many that were similar, but there were a few that were ahead of the game. Even with my research, I made a few mistakes. My first mistake was that I chose cheap over quality and was disappointed before I got out of the starting gate. The staff at this self-publisher was non-responsive and made promises they did not keep. They had asked for the money upfront promising a certificate that took weeks to receive, even when I complained to its chief executive. So my advice to you, avoid that route. I did get my money back though not when it was promised.
My second mistake was submitting my manuscript, the description, and excerpt before I was completely satisfied, thus the eleventh edit. I have this habit of rushing, need to learn a little patience. When I became infected with the bug to publish, I should have taken a breather and let everything sit for at least a couple of days.
And my last mistake, I am making up for every chance I get. I need to keep you updated and get my website on track before passing out any more business cards. Hope sharing this will help the next author out there, who wants to see a book in print without going through the traditional publisher, surpass these hurdles.
Look for my book “Dreams Thrown Away”, a romantic mystery, by Dilsa Saunders Bailey real soon.
