Remember when I started this newsletter, way back in the early days of February, in the year of our lord 2020? Back in those giddy days of the afterglow of finishing my manuscript, I said to myself, I can get this done in a month. After all, it’s just finishing touches at this point, right?
LOL
Yeah, so no. I’m coming back from being sick for almost two weeks, and I’m still not 100%. During that time I’ve done very very little in terms of forward progress. There’s nothing quite so frustrating as my brain not working like I want it to, like I know it can. But what’s worse is trying to force it when it’s just not happening. So I didn’t. I’ve learned at least that much throughout this process.
In fact, the only reason I’ve gotten this far is by knowing when not to work. I have found through much effort and anxiety that (for me at least) this project is much like a wizard in Lord of the Rings. My book will not be late. It will arrive precisely when it means to. I don’t generally subscribe to the notion of personal muses, or external forces of destiny at play when it comes to writing, but it’s helpful to think of it that way anyway. It allows me to disassociate and contextualize without feeling guilty.
I’m not behind schedule because I’m a bad person. It’s not finished because it’s not ready yet. That’s it. Every single phase of this project I’ve tried to put deadlines on and every single phase I’ve blown right past them. That’s just how it goes. Bottom line, end of February is not gonna happen.
Settle in for the (indeterminate time) haul
If you’ve come this far, it won’t kill you to wait a little longer, right? I hope not, because I don’t want to live with that kind of pressure. And, you know, I’m just not gonna. I’m sick, I’m tired, and goshdarnit, it’s just not ready yet.
At the very least, though, I can let you know where I’m at in the process. I have decided to go the series route, based on y’all’s feedback. Thanks for that, by the way. In order to get each volume (and the mega-compendium) ready, I have to do the following:
Slice up a little to manage for a better flow in each volume. Just beginning and ending stuff, mostly, but I need for each ending to feel like a good ending.
Format everything well, and add things like dedications, etc.
Finalize the cover art
Write book descriptions (holy hell, by the way, this one)
Upload everything and do a quality check for both printed and Kindle versions
Throw a goddamned party
The slicing and format stuff is tedious but relatively straight-forward. I outsourced the cover art cuz I don’t do that so well (thanks Nic!). Uploading should be fine, and I cannot wait to throw the party.
So really, the only daunting task left is the descriptions. I think I’ll have a follow up post this week about that, because it’s become a nightmare. Here’s a tease: how do you summarize in 4000 characters or less the thing you’ve spent five years writing into 240,000 words?
Seriously, wtf is that all about? They say the book description is an ad for your book. Well I have a background in marketing, so should be easy peasy right? NO, WRONG. It sucks and I don’t want to do it. Please send me your pity.
Okay that’s it for today. Just wanted to let you all know where things were at, and thank you from the bottom of my heart for sticking with me this far. I love you all.
Toodles,
Loren