If you’ve been reading my blogs, you’ll know that waiting is a lot of what I’ve done so far – and writing, editing, revising, rewriting, editing, repeat… If you’re a writer, that will sound more than familiar.
Even now, so close to publishing, I’ve had more notes come back from my editor Lisette de Jong to review. Sure, just a few this time. And every time I take her feedback on board, my work improves. It’s like magic. Plus work.
But it’s not just the final tweaking of words that has me hesitating. Find Me is just the first of a planned series. Eeeek, right? Yes, for a less than speedy writer and her potential readers.
I had lunch with a very successful author a couple of years ago. She strongly urged me not to put anything out until the whole series was complete. She joked that in a year’s time I’d probably just be finishing book one at the rate I was going. *laughs*, it’s been two years… I have reasons for publishing this story beyond simply sharing it, as do many authors. Those reasons haven’t changed. They drive me on. I decided, enough is enough.
In my blog the long haul I shared I would publish and trust fans to find the second book when I manage to get it out. After all, it’s already 70% written. But what about book three? A twinkle in my soul’s eye, and lots of notes, that’s it.
Yesterday I read the reviews of Smoke in the Sun by Renee Ahdieh on Goodreads, and began to second-guess my decision. Readers loved the book, but hated that there was no set release date for the next in series. Even my lovely and clued-up cover designer Zoella Rose warned me of the dangers of annoying readers by putting out just the first in series. What happened to the good old days of waiting for at least a year for writers to actually write the book, and for publishers to make it? The internet, and Amazon, that’s what.
The internet and Amazon are what makes this girl’s dream of being a published author real. But they also mean a hoard of others just like me, and an impatient audience used to search and find and click.
So – wait? Or publish?
Publish and be damned, say I. What say you? Happy writing all.
