When I made the decision to publish my books, I really did not have any idea what that would entail. I was one of those old-fashioned romantics who believed all I needed to do was write a good book and everything else would magically fall into place. Right?
I’ve spent years writing my books: rewriting, editing, sending manuscripts to professional editors, rewriting again, editing, sending to professional editors, rewriting again, editing, attending writer conferences, joining writer critique groups, participating in writer workshops and university classes…
Surely, the hard work was done. Surely, a traditional publishing house would want my unique story and then they could do all the rest: design the front cover, prepare a beautiful interior layout, print both a hard and paperback copy, guide and orchestrate the book marketing and public relation arena. I’d be famous in no time.
Wrong.
Publishing companies are businesses and they need to make money to thrive and survive; choosing wisely to stay in budget, cutting expenditures, exploring fees and rates and so on. They have no time for quixotic visions.
If I wanted to publish, I needed to create a website, learn how social media and authoring go hand in hand, think publicity and promotion, gather endorsements, understand the new rules of press releases, find and identify top influencers, blog, engage with writing communities, and so much more.
As my book consultant said, “it’s a marathon, no, it’s a series of marathons.”
Each day I wake up to tackle one of my many publishing tasks in front of me. Some days are better than others. However, I find the most joy when I can just sit down and write –letting the words flow out of me.
Comfort in writing words.
How did you find solace this week?
Sharon
© 2021. Sharon Kreider. All Rights Reserved
One thought on “Joy of Writing”
I’ve always felt like untold stories would scream at me until I wrote them down. Characters who needed pages and words devoted to them glaring me down until I gave them their proper spotlight. Often times writing feels like talking to an old friend. I wonder that’s why we find such solace in writing?
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