Scary self-publishing research and a reasonable chunk of writing/final drafting

Oh my goodness….who knew that self-publishing was so complicated. 

It’s a good job I’m not easily put off, because, frankly, the wealth of (useful/interesting) information out there is truly overwhelming.

What with employing a professional editor and cover designer; needing to plan your marketing strategy 6 months in advance; using Facebook adds (which you do how exactly?); plan a book launch etc, etc, etc I am wondering if a year off is enough and feeling rather trepidations (which I’m not sure is actually a word).

So do I go for the ‘self-publishing’ company option?  

These seem to come in many varieties, from the well known Matador, to the small local businesses, and from what I’ve read/heard (through my fabulous writing tutor) there are a multitude of pros and cons for each.  

I haven’t looked into this enough to even consider making a short-list, but I think that on balance just sticking my first novel on Amazon/Smashwords is not the way forward for me.  I really have no idea where to start with marketing.  

So that was the scary research and there will be lots more to follow. On a brighter note, my first week of final drafting/writing has gone pretty well 😀. 

As alluded to in my first post jammydodger I fell out of love with my first novel after drafting and redrafting it for about 7 years, with invaluable guidance from my writing tutor. He has published multiple novels and plays, and has (very politely) taken absolutely no prisoners with my writing. His input has been great. My writing has changed and improved dramatically, and it needed to! Novel one has been a massive learning curve, which is how it is with learning anything: you try, you get advice, if you have any sense you get over your ego and take the advice, you adapt, you get better (must remember to make that into a PowerPoint slide for my students when I go back to teaching).  

The only problem is that when I read what I last drafted 2 years ago (it’s been a slow process what with work and a small boy to raise), I am not happy with it! And I want it to be the best it can be, because I’m like that. As a result I have had a bit of a tussle with chapter 3 this week, but progress has been made. I wouldn’t say it’s quite there yet, but it’s better. Hooray 😀. I wrote a chunk of novel 2 as well, so all in all a fairly productive first ‘proper’ week of freedom.  

I’m now off on a solo adventure to swim 5k round lake Buttermere in the lake district (it’s an organised event I’m not the only nutter) 

My aim whilst I’m staying in hotels on my own is to decide on a name for novel 1….. and work out how to share this blog with my friends.  More about this and novel 1 to follow as I have loads of time to myself, which feels a bit weird ….