SELF-EDIT/FORMATTING

Since I am consumed with my new contract and making deadlines, it is only reasonable that would be the topic of my next few posts.  There are many misconceptions about what it means to be a writer and what a writer's life is like.  Maybe this blog will give some insights.

True, I am not a writer like Stephen King or Jan Karon.  Still, I am a published writer and have been paid for my work.  --And I have never paid for my work to be in print.  I have always held to the principle that money should flow to the author, never away from the author.  It is how I have managed to wander through the minefield of publishing scammers.

Anyway, I have learned so much by working with Desert Breeze and I haven't even seen anything in print yet.  One interesting thing I was asked by the publisher was to do a search and find on my manuscript.  My first search was on the word that.  I was amazed!  It literally took hours to correct the overuse of the word that.  Then I looked for the phrase as if.  That only took about 45 minutes.  Then I was asked to search for words ending in ly--yes, those nasty adjectives.  That took another 6 hours.

What a learning experience!

THE CONTRACT ARRIVES

Did I tell you?  The contract finally arrived.  It is real.  Deadlines are real. First there was a delight, as if all my writing dreams were coming true.  Then there was fear--panic.  Would I be able to do all that was required?  

Then I took a breath.  God had not brought this far for failure.  I could do this.  I would do this.

With the editing done, all that is left is formatting--which I am very poor at, by the way.  Still, it will be done.

The next hurtle is book #2 in the series and promoting book #1.  Such is a writer's life.