I told you all a couple of weeks ago that I was done with the book and ready to upload it. I did upload it to ibooks author and stumbled across a proofreading tool in there! So I switched it on and there were lots of green markers on page 1 and page 2 and in fact every page and so I set about responding to these green markers in order to improve my book even more! I was astounded just how many times I used the following:
Actually
As soon as
Once again
In fact
In order to
Nice
In relation to
As to how
Once more
In regards to
as well as incorrect ?!,.:""''. Oh dear. What a chore that turned out to be but I did it. Then I did it again and guess what I missed stuff the first time. That just left a final spell check and in the main it was the American versus English spelling dilemma! However, there was the odd green mark still in there that I had missed AGAIN! So I spell checked again and I am now finally satisfied that the text flows beautifully and I can't wait for you to judge that as my readers.
I await the art work for the cover to be finalised and then it can be loaded to ibooks and I have chosen an amazing company called Completelynovel.com for my print on demand POD paperbacks.
I have also begun to check out venues for my book launch and I have started to compile my invitations list.
I am in the early stages of the marketing phase and busy researching that on a daily basis and will update my blog when I have significant information to share with you all.
So to re-cap. I wrote the book, I re-wrote the book, I edited the book, my editor edited the book twice, my co editor read the book and then re-read it as a co-editor, I uploaded the book and discovered proofreading software and I proofread the book, then I proof read it again and then I spellchecked it not once but twice for a final sweep. Phew! You think it's an easy job being a writer. Think again. Brain taxing and back breaking. Will I do it again after this one is published? You bet! I have the bug!
Word of the day: Exhausted:Yes I know I have already used it but I really am Exhausted!
It is exhilarating to be at this stage, so close to publishing and contemplating having MY book, that I have written, launched but I am truly truly exhausted.Happy but exhausted.
Thursday, 28 May 2015
Tuesday, 19 May 2015
Who has the final word?
Who has the final word? Well today I completed my line edit and so I really have had the final word!
It has been a mammoth task going through my 100,000 word, 17 chapter novel line by line. A I have said before I am a perfectionist and it will only be good enough to send out to you, my fans when I and my editors are completely satisfied that there is not a grammatical or plot stone unturned! I, as the author feel I can personally do no more to improve this, my first novel. That feels like a huge achievement because as you write, re-write, read and re-read your work you can see the mistakes jumping at you to be corrected. I actually feel I am at the end of this books 'writing' journey and I am now ready to send it on it's publishing and marketing journeys. That feels good. I am itching to get to the same state of 'I can do no more' within those phases too. I really get that getting a book published is a third writing, a third publishing and a third marketing.
I had a vision and I turned that into a reality and I look forward to what my readers have to say about this, my first novel. It has been a journey in itself. My late nights and early mornings, my liquid lunches as I couldn't bear to prise myself away from my desk, my research, my laughter as I voiced my typing through the software and watched my laptop type, my tears as I did so, my conversations with my reviewers and my editing team, my changes of plot, my losing the plot! It has been incredible and if I never write another word then I can say that I have written a novel. Is there a possibility that I will not write again. Not a chance!! Books two and three are simmering in the research department of my mind! To all who have shared this amazing journey of words. Thank you.
Word of the day: Dream:
Follow your dream. Just do it. You really can do anything you want to. If your belief in yourself is allowed to grow then you can do it. Nuture that belief in yourself. Whatever it is, grab hold of it and never ever let go until you are satisfied, like I am today that you are ready to share your dream. I knew I could write a novel, I knew I could write a very good novel and I know that my novel will be loved by everybody who reads it. It is sad, it is hilarious, it is relatable and it gives us all faith in finding trust and love.
It has been a mammoth task going through my 100,000 word, 17 chapter novel line by line. A I have said before I am a perfectionist and it will only be good enough to send out to you, my fans when I and my editors are completely satisfied that there is not a grammatical or plot stone unturned! I, as the author feel I can personally do no more to improve this, my first novel. That feels like a huge achievement because as you write, re-write, read and re-read your work you can see the mistakes jumping at you to be corrected. I actually feel I am at the end of this books 'writing' journey and I am now ready to send it on it's publishing and marketing journeys. That feels good. I am itching to get to the same state of 'I can do no more' within those phases too. I really get that getting a book published is a third writing, a third publishing and a third marketing.
I had a vision and I turned that into a reality and I look forward to what my readers have to say about this, my first novel. It has been a journey in itself. My late nights and early mornings, my liquid lunches as I couldn't bear to prise myself away from my desk, my research, my laughter as I voiced my typing through the software and watched my laptop type, my tears as I did so, my conversations with my reviewers and my editing team, my changes of plot, my losing the plot! It has been incredible and if I never write another word then I can say that I have written a novel. Is there a possibility that I will not write again. Not a chance!! Books two and three are simmering in the research department of my mind! To all who have shared this amazing journey of words. Thank you.
Word of the day: Dream:
Follow your dream. Just do it. You really can do anything you want to. If your belief in yourself is allowed to grow then you can do it. Nuture that belief in yourself. Whatever it is, grab hold of it and never ever let go until you are satisfied, like I am today that you are ready to share your dream. I knew I could write a novel, I knew I could write a very good novel and I know that my novel will be loved by everybody who reads it. It is sad, it is hilarious, it is relatable and it gives us all faith in finding trust and love.
Friday, 8 May 2015
Too many too's!
I have spent many hours of late just completing repetitive editing work line by line, re-reading and then re-editing again. It is pains taking work and would normally be the role of an editor but with the fee for this work standing at £1,000 I cannot afford that. Being a perfectionist this has to be write right? I know, just testing, it has to be right! There were far too many too's!!
I have also been looking at print on demand options which for those of you who don't know is a system whereby books are printed to order and delivered to your reader directly, similar to a system amazon have! I will therefore being doing the online version for Apple ibooks and then providing a link for print on demand.
I have also been doing some notes for a further two books and I advice that you always have a note book nearby. I woke with a start the other day at 5:30am and was scrabbling for a pen and paper to scribble quickly as the back cover of my book, which I have struggled to write suddenly came to me. If I hadn't found a pen then I would not have remembered the next day, so yes, note books at the ready always. You never know when either inspiration for new work or amendments to current work will pop into your head.
Word of the day: Perfectionist: I have a perfectionistic attitude to my work and I am glad I do, I am happy to work through the repetitive line by line to get to the perfectly fine. It has to write, right!
I have also been looking at print on demand options which for those of you who don't know is a system whereby books are printed to order and delivered to your reader directly, similar to a system amazon have! I will therefore being doing the online version for Apple ibooks and then providing a link for print on demand.
I have also been doing some notes for a further two books and I advice that you always have a note book nearby. I woke with a start the other day at 5:30am and was scrabbling for a pen and paper to scribble quickly as the back cover of my book, which I have struggled to write suddenly came to me. If I hadn't found a pen then I would not have remembered the next day, so yes, note books at the ready always. You never know when either inspiration for new work or amendments to current work will pop into your head.
Word of the day: Perfectionist: I have a perfectionistic attitude to my work and I am glad I do, I am happy to work through the repetitive line by line to get to the perfectly fine. It has to write, right!
Wednesday, 29 April 2015
Weird and weary
What a weird few days. I have been finalising my product placement requests and once again the bigger the company the harder they are to contact and/or get a reply from. In my frustration and sheer annoyance with some of these larger companies, I have re-written some of my text and removed the companies names and/or products from my novel. At the end of the day they are getting free advertising and why should I bother chasing them? The small local companies as usual, reply almost instantly and show a great deal of gratitude and good wishes for the books success. I repeat to any new authors reading my blog, minimise the product placement!
I have also been researching whether to publish with ibooks or via other epub platforms and discovered that I could have written the book directly onto the ibooks author app, if I had known!!!!.
So again to new authors,I advise that if you have NOT yet started your book then research how you are going to self publish and if you?, like me, decide upon the ibooks route (which incidentally pays 70% commission as opposed to 35% on Amazon), then use your macbook, imac or ipad to write your book on a template, within ibooks author. You can then create an account in itunes connect and upload fairly easily to the ibooks store! Apple have invested billions into the ibooks side of their business and why?, you may ask? Well, because they see the growth potential of e-reading and you only have to check out the tutorial on ibooks author to see the potential of the rich interactive experiences available within some of the books on offer to realise that it is a huge developing market. Also Amazon restrict you to their platform only! and we need as much flexibility as possible for the saleability of our creativity do we not?
The actual process of re loading my work onto ibooks author has been like a first day at school for me. Nerve wracking and exciting in equal measures. I am literally teaching myself as I go along. My phone call to Apple today, proved frustrating, in that, I was constantly directed to check out this, that and the other guideline instead of them just remote accessing my laptop and assisting me. Kind of bothered me, seeing as how they will be getting 30% of my sales for the minutest input into this process but they are better than Amazon in terms of looking after authors, so my research keeps telling me!
Word of the day Implode: My long term goal is to be able to write, write and write some more and pay companies to upload and download on my behalf before I implode! I am weary of the weirdness of it all.
I have also been researching whether to publish with ibooks or via other epub platforms and discovered that I could have written the book directly onto the ibooks author app, if I had known!!!!.
So again to new authors,I advise that if you have NOT yet started your book then research how you are going to self publish and if you?, like me, decide upon the ibooks route (which incidentally pays 70% commission as opposed to 35% on Amazon), then use your macbook, imac or ipad to write your book on a template, within ibooks author. You can then create an account in itunes connect and upload fairly easily to the ibooks store! Apple have invested billions into the ibooks side of their business and why?, you may ask? Well, because they see the growth potential of e-reading and you only have to check out the tutorial on ibooks author to see the potential of the rich interactive experiences available within some of the books on offer to realise that it is a huge developing market. Also Amazon restrict you to their platform only! and we need as much flexibility as possible for the saleability of our creativity do we not?
The actual process of re loading my work onto ibooks author has been like a first day at school for me. Nerve wracking and exciting in equal measures. I am literally teaching myself as I go along. My phone call to Apple today, proved frustrating, in that, I was constantly directed to check out this, that and the other guideline instead of them just remote accessing my laptop and assisting me. Kind of bothered me, seeing as how they will be getting 30% of my sales for the minutest input into this process but they are better than Amazon in terms of looking after authors, so my research keeps telling me!
Word of the day Implode: My long term goal is to be able to write, write and write some more and pay companies to upload and download on my behalf before I implode! I am weary of the weirdness of it all.
Monday, 27 April 2015
Gruelling final shift
I completed my final 'writers' edit today in a mammoth, 13 hour shift peppered with many many breaks! It really is down to my editor now.
As I read the final word I had written, re-written, re-written and finally re-written again over the course of the last four months I felt proud. I have cried, laughed and cried some more followed by hysterical laughing as I have written my book. Not at the process of the actual typing as I have voice activated software but at the content of my work. It was sad, funny, cathartic and downright hilarious, in varying degrees and I hope you will all love it too and spread the word about my words.
The publishing journey draws near and the marketing journey is about to begin. I agree with the once wise words I read, that self publishing a novel is one third writing, one third publishing and one third marketing and I have relished all the challenges so far.
It feels really strange to say that my one third writing phase is now finally finished. It is like that 'first baby' feeling and I am so proud of my first literary baby. As I have done my thirteen hour shift to complete MY final edit today, I know in my heart that it is my best work. I AM sending it out to you all, my readers, as the best piece of writing it can be, within the knowledge base I currently have as a new author and I am far from complacent, in recognising that my work will be critiqued and lessons can be learnt by me, as I hone my writing skills for the rest of my life. I will continue to update you regarding the self publishing process and the marketing strategies and tools I will use to get the book out there to you all.
Word of the day: Exhausted. I am exhausted but deliriously happy to know that any creativity from here on in will be in relation to new projects. Now that is such a fabulous notion. My ideas are brewing in readiness for the next project but in the meantime, I am a perfectionist and I will not be happy until the book can be delivered to you PERFECTLY. Nothing else will do.
As I read the final word I had written, re-written, re-written and finally re-written again over the course of the last four months I felt proud. I have cried, laughed and cried some more followed by hysterical laughing as I have written my book. Not at the process of the actual typing as I have voice activated software but at the content of my work. It was sad, funny, cathartic and downright hilarious, in varying degrees and I hope you will all love it too and spread the word about my words.
The publishing journey draws near and the marketing journey is about to begin. I agree with the once wise words I read, that self publishing a novel is one third writing, one third publishing and one third marketing and I have relished all the challenges so far.
It feels really strange to say that my one third writing phase is now finally finished. It is like that 'first baby' feeling and I am so proud of my first literary baby. As I have done my thirteen hour shift to complete MY final edit today, I know in my heart that it is my best work. I AM sending it out to you all, my readers, as the best piece of writing it can be, within the knowledge base I currently have as a new author and I am far from complacent, in recognising that my work will be critiqued and lessons can be learnt by me, as I hone my writing skills for the rest of my life. I will continue to update you regarding the self publishing process and the marketing strategies and tools I will use to get the book out there to you all.
Word of the day: Exhausted. I am exhausted but deliriously happy to know that any creativity from here on in will be in relation to new projects. Now that is such a fabulous notion. My ideas are brewing in readiness for the next project but in the meantime, I am a perfectionist and I will not be happy until the book can be delivered to you PERFECTLY. Nothing else will do.
Tuesday, 21 April 2015
Editing deadline set.
My editing deadline is now set and I have spent the day finalising the last of the requests for product placement. Not surprisingly, the bigger the company, the harder to get a named person to take responsibility or to even get a reply. I am chasing my tail with some of these companies and again, 'note to self', avoid product placement as much as possible in your writing as it is very frustrating trying to get permissions. I have actually deleted a few companies from my draft due to these frustrations.
I continue to get positive feedback from existing and new re-viewers and feel like the clock is on countdown now. I have an ISBN number and a publishing code for Amazon publishing and the excitement is building in readiness to upload my work. I am actually itching to start my next piece of work and can appreciate the bliss of having publishers to handle all of this peripheral stuff and allowing me to be creative, however, not having that luxury means I need to plod on and to be frank, it's a good base for increasing my knowledge of the publishing process, be that self publishing or via a publishing house.
I have watched an interesting webinar today too and I enclose the link for people to view if you are an aspiring writer and wish to aim to get your work published. https://www.bigmarker.com/janefriedman/How-to-Get-a-Book-Published
My word of the day is Efficient:I find other peoples inefficiency so frustrating and such a waste of my precious creative time, some companies have been contacted 4 times!, other companies say yes over the phone, some companies want so much more information than others and some companies don't know what they are doing at all and as I said previously the bigger the company the worse they can be!
Their inefficiencies are having a knock on effect of preventing me being efficient. Arrrrgghhh!!
I continue to get positive feedback from existing and new re-viewers and feel like the clock is on countdown now. I have an ISBN number and a publishing code for Amazon publishing and the excitement is building in readiness to upload my work. I am actually itching to start my next piece of work and can appreciate the bliss of having publishers to handle all of this peripheral stuff and allowing me to be creative, however, not having that luxury means I need to plod on and to be frank, it's a good base for increasing my knowledge of the publishing process, be that self publishing or via a publishing house.
I have watched an interesting webinar today too and I enclose the link for people to view if you are an aspiring writer and wish to aim to get your work published. https://www.bigmarker.com/janefriedman/How-to-Get-a-Book-Published
My word of the day is Efficient:I find other peoples inefficiency so frustrating and such a waste of my precious creative time, some companies have been contacted 4 times!, other companies say yes over the phone, some companies want so much more information than others and some companies don't know what they are doing at all and as I said previously the bigger the company the worse they can be!
Their inefficiencies are having a knock on effect of preventing me being efficient. Arrrrgghhh!!
Saturday, 11 April 2015
Cover Girl
Well at last, I made it onto a front cover. A dream achievement for any girl I reckon, however, my cover girl image is so much better than your average cover girl, magazine shoot. I actually now have in my possession my own cover girl for my first novel, '23 days'. She shows intense pain in her eyes but she also shows determination and steeliness and she is so elegant and stylish in her fashion choices and beauty regimes. There is no baring of flesh, there is no provocative clothing and/or lingerie trying to sell her image, there is no sign of air brushing, cosmetic surgery or un-natural caked on make up. It is a perfect image with her only imperfections being those etched upon her heart and soul that she successfully hides from the world. She is truly beautiful and she is a true role model for survival against gargantuan repeated life lessons that are harsh. Just one of those lessons is beyond comprehension and survival for most people. She is a perfect beauty gala winner, she lives her life simply based upon kindness, happiness and laughter and her Karma finally delivered her a gift of calmer.
The cover girl image was delivered by a young artist with great talent. Her work came to me by accident and screamed at me from her Facebook page and I had no hesitation in commissioning her for my first book cover and to be honest I hope it is a collaboration for life. She read my book and transferred it all into that cover girl image. There are many layers to the plot and the main character and Sarah said she used many layers in her creation. I am truly honoured that somebody paid such attention to detail to my writing, that she the took the time and care to transfer that into such a beautiful piece of art. I will be proud of both my writing and her interpretation of Fiora Burton for ever.
As a writer I was stuck for words when I first viewed my cover girl image, it literally made me gasp.
Visit Sarah Ollis's website and Facebook page by clicking on the link here: https://www.facebook.com/sarahollisillustration
Word of the day Gargantuan: Life is a journey from birth to death and for some the journey is smooth and some the journey is a little rough, for others it is littered with heavy boulders to shift in order to progress and for others it is a continuous struggle from birth to death. Count your blessings whichever route your journey takes you, try and be grateful for the lessons each wrong turning provides and trust that each gargantuan boulder that you have to juggle or struggle with has been sent to you for a reason. Keep believing in your journey. Trust it. You are on it for a reason.
The cover girl image was delivered by a young artist with great talent. Her work came to me by accident and screamed at me from her Facebook page and I had no hesitation in commissioning her for my first book cover and to be honest I hope it is a collaboration for life. She read my book and transferred it all into that cover girl image. There are many layers to the plot and the main character and Sarah said she used many layers in her creation. I am truly honoured that somebody paid such attention to detail to my writing, that she the took the time and care to transfer that into such a beautiful piece of art. I will be proud of both my writing and her interpretation of Fiora Burton for ever.
As a writer I was stuck for words when I first viewed my cover girl image, it literally made me gasp.
Visit Sarah Ollis's website and Facebook page by clicking on the link here: https://www.facebook.com/sarahollisillustration
Word of the day Gargantuan: Life is a journey from birth to death and for some the journey is smooth and some the journey is a little rough, for others it is littered with heavy boulders to shift in order to progress and for others it is a continuous struggle from birth to death. Count your blessings whichever route your journey takes you, try and be grateful for the lessons each wrong turning provides and trust that each gargantuan boulder that you have to juggle or struggle with has been sent to you for a reason. Keep believing in your journey. Trust it. You are on it for a reason.
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