I’m still learning this whole self-publishing (and self-disciplining) thing when it comes to my writing. Sometimes laziness gets in the way, and sometimes life itself gets in the way. I thought with my final edit before passing things along to beta readers would be the final edit before sending it to my editor. FALSE. On so many levels! My beta readers gave me excellent feedback, and I made a list of the things that were mentioned most and did a bit of a rewrite to include those suggestions. But now it means I’m editing again! Yes, again! With the next book I’ll definitely have my house in order, with all the things I’ve learned along the way this time around.
I hate working against firm dates, as it’s not flexible for the emergencies of life, or when you just want to relax on a week’s vacation in a warm spot away from the frozen tundra that is Michigan in the winter.
So I beg of you to bear with me as I push my publication date, yet again, to sometime in Q2 of 2025.
My beta readers are special people. They saw plot holes and loose ends I’ve overlooked or felt like they didn’t need a definitive answer. If the story in my brain didn’t think it was too important and was just a distraction technique, I didn’t think to follow through with a conclusion. Until the beta readers said they needed a resolution. Resolution provided.
This extra work also added extra words. So I’m going through and trying to cut some of it out without damaging the integrity of the story. I’ve already been told my work is extra long for a potential category I may list it under, so I’m also working to get it closer to that word count as well.
But that’s what editors are for right? Even if I edit this to the best of my ability, my editor is going to find some things that make no sense to have in at all, thus cutting hundreds to possibly thousands of words.
Once I get that advise back, it will be back to editing. I’ll hand it back for a proofread and polish, and once that’s done, Midnight Splash will hit the market!
There are more tantalizing tidbits coming your way in the coming weeks and months, too, so keep an eye on the blog and my Facebook page for announcements!
Is there anything you’ve done you thought you had completed, only to find out there is a step or two you’ve missed? How did you go back and fix things, or did you push forward to completion and then go back to fix it? What kept you motivated to finish? Let’s talk on Facebook!