I just spent a couple of days formatting The Stick Princess for paperback on Amazon, and after spending about two days reinserting all my italics and figuring out how to make a table of contents that isn’t automatic, I clicked publish. The book should be out within three days, but I’ll let you know when it’s live in case you want to buy a hard copy. It costs more, largely because of printing cost, but I know I’d rather read a physical book in bed at night than read on my phone. Also, a friend wanted to have a complete set for her bookshelf, and that makes sense to me too. Or it would make a great Christmas present.
As I re-read the manuscript, I found myself thinking, “Well, this is readable,” which was encouraging considering when I generally finish writing and press “publish” I immediately realize my latest book is the most appalling bucket of pablum ever to be put into words. Considering I taught sixth grade English for ten years, you may infer that I lack a certain sense of proportion. That, I gather, is normal for writers. One must be grandiose enough to think someone else might want to read what we write, and at the same time convinced of our inner despicability to the point where we want to go out back and make a bonfire of our books.
Here’s a question for you: What should I start working on next? I have three manuscripts drafted: A collection of short stories, a collection of 365 writing prompts/first lines that I plan to illustrate, and a novel about an English teacher who ends up foster-parenting an escaped guardian of the Underworld.
Oh gosh, thank you! I was trying to figure out a hack to read the thing because I’m a luddite who doesn’t own a reader. I will definitely get a paper copy! Hooray! First, have to go back and reread the first two. 🙂 🙂
Yay! I admit I have been reading more physical books myself lately, because I try not to read on my devices at bedtime. I’m waiting for my own copy of the book to arrive so I can see if I need to fix anything, because looking at it online is different from looking at the actual thing (crossing fingers).
I agree! I’m a copy editor (though I work in educational publishing, not fiction), and I’ve always found that I’m more accurate and FASTER on paper (even to the point that printing, working on paper, and then entering changes electronically takes less time than just working on a computer). There are benefits to devices, to be sure! But it’s good to remember that the benefits of paper are not just about nostalgia. 🙂
I can’t wait to read your book!
Ha! I’m not alone, then. BTW, copy editors are my heroes. I am intensely visual and was a legal secretary, so I tend to produce relatively typo-free text, but I still have to do several close read-throughs (a read-aloud, a physical line-by-line scan, and a computer search) to discover the lingering errors. I’m sure I still have a handful 🙁
I have this sinking feeling that if I cast a vote for one of those three writing options, you’ll hare off and start a fourth one instead. So I’ll keep my preference to myself. I have a 33.3% chance of getting what I want, which is pretty good odds.
Ha! You know me too well. But I’m working on the first lines book at the moment, because I want to illustrate and I like nothing better than teaching myself a new app (in this case Procreate) at the age of 70.