I plan to publish my Greek-myth inspired romance novel, That Fatal Kiss, later this year. I'm shooting for the first day of fall which, from today, is about 9 months away.
Those of you who've been down this road already, what do y'all think: is 9 months enough time to get this shit together? (You know, assuming I've got my shit together?)
I'm in the final (hah!) revision stages and anticipate having my final (hah!) draft complete by the end of January. Yeah, this January. (I'm emphasizing this for my own benefit, so I'm sure to kick my own ass into getting it done by the time I've publicly said I would. Feel free to bust my chops if I've not kept my word.) (But gently; I'm a delicate flower.) (Yes, I am. Stop laughing.)
In an upcoming IASOS post, I'll list the things I believe need doing to make this indie-pubbing lark a reality, but until then, should I budget for more time, less, or does 9 months seem about right? Please leave your thoughts in the comments and feel free to Tweet/Facebook this to encourage other indie authors to chime in!
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I have no idea on any of your questions. It's not a topic I've really looked into. But I just wanted to say it's awesome that you're going for it. Keep me in mind when your book comes out. I'll be happy to help promote it!! :)
ReplyDeleteI want to publish (self publish) this year too, but only a novella. And...I haven't picked a date. I'm too scared. hehe. So I need help as well. ;) At least you've picked a general time of year! You're ahead of me there!
ReplyDeleteWish I could help, but I'm still in the editing stage. But congrats on getting motivated and having a date set! This is going to be an awesome year for you! Maybe you can swap info with Wayne, he also wants to self pub this year too.
ReplyDeleteIf you need 9 months, then take 9 months. I'm giving each of my novels three months to complete.
ReplyDeleteOnce you've finished your draft are you going to send it to an editor, to beta readers? All this takes time, then once you get those results another revision will most likely happen. Nine months should be doable!
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
You can do it...it just takes discipline to meet all your goals. I have every confidence you'll stay on schedule.
ReplyDelete@Tamara - all offers to pimp my book(s) are greatly appreciated!!!
ReplyDelete@Trisha - I want to release it the first day of fall but don't know if all the stuff I'll have to do will fit in that frame, especially since this is my first go-round indie-pubbing.
@Elise - I hope you're right; an awesome year for me would make for an awesome change. :-)
@Jolie - I settled on nine months thinking it took me that long to gestate my Kid. Birthing a book is similar, I think. Possibly less messy.
@Yolanda - Thanks, I hope it is! I've had loads of beta readers, who aren't writers. When this draft's done, I'm going to hit up some writerly pals, then get it to a copy editor, revise as desired, then a final proof reader type person. (I got some monies put away that I am deliberately keeping out of sight so I don't spend it on Amazon.) :-)
@JoJo - Thank you, friend. I'm glad *someone* has confidence in me! ;-)
I have no advice on this. :(
ReplyDeleteBut what do I have, you may ask? Encouragement--LOTS of HUGS-- and you should know, I'm not a hugger. (Well, hugs from my family, I love.)
If anyone can do this, it's you, my dear.
I was thinking of you and the self publishing thing. Not sure if you're on fb but there's an Indies 4 Hire event going on now through the 27th hosted by author and blogger author buddy Gwen Gardner, etal. Anyway, everyday they get together on fb and have a Q and A session about self pub. Anyone can join in and post questions. You may have already hear about it, but thought I mention it just in case. Okay, have a good one. (:
ReplyDeleteYeah for typos! :/
DeleteGood question--and I ask you have much time do you work on it a day? Obviously if you work full time you will have less for the book.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, the editing takes a while.
If you have a formatter and cover person set up that is a huge plus also.
I think that since you are finished with the story/writing--9 months should give you enough time.
Contact me any time Mina.
XO
Pen
@Jackie - thanks for the encouragement (and hugs!). It's funny, I'm not too keen on strangers (or mere acquaintances) laying their mitts on me, either, but I'm all over my loved ones! Uh...so to speak. ;-)
ReplyDelete@Elise - thanks for the tip(s)! Now I'm gonna stalk you on Facebook. ;-)
@Penelope - I do work full-time hours, Mon-Fri. Tricky, tricky, with scheduling stuff and getting it done. But even if I can't do it according to my timeline, I want to get 'er DONE! :-) And thanks for the invitation to harass - uh, I mean, call on you for help! ;-)
I have nothing to offer except that sometimes it takes beta readers a lot of months to finish. Besides that, I think 9 months sounds entirely doable. Awesome that you're sharing your journey - sounds like there are plenty of people (like me) a few steps behind you.
ReplyDeletePublishing in nine months is completely doable. I have been self-publishing some shorter works, and I've found it is best to set a date in your mind when you'd like to get things done, but not tell too many people about the release date until you are in the final stages (last edits/proofread/formatting). Once you set a deadline, it seems like anything can and will come up to make it much harder to meet.
ReplyDelete9 months is a great time. I've published some words in much less time, but it would be nice to have a bit of breathing room. Plus, you won't feel hurried. Every writer is different. You know how much time you have to work on it and how fast you work.
ReplyDelete@Tonja - You make a good point about beta readers taking some time. I've had about five beta readers and wanted to get a read from a writer or two before sending it on to a copy editor and then proof-reader. In the meantime, I'll have quite a bit to do to get ready for a launch! (Or so I've heard.) :-)
ReplyDelete@Cherie - Thanks for the advice, it makes a lot of sense. And LOL about setting a deadline and Murphy's law...though I suppose I won't be laughing when it happens to me, eh? :-D
@Christine - Perhaps I'm overestimating the amount of time I'll need but I figured it would be wise to budget for more time rather than less on this first publishing venture. Here's a question for you and Cherie: what's the shortest amount of time you've taken to publish?
I think it's doable, if you move simultaneously. For instance, do you have cover art? Do you know how you're getting the book printed or epubbed? Do you have the money it takes? The writing will be the most consuming, and you want to give that all the time you can. Good luck to you!
ReplyDeleteThat's a good point, about keeping all the different balls up in the air at the same time. I'm gathering info and finalizing my plan and anticipate having a timeline for myself ready v. soon!
ReplyDeleteWish I could help, but sadly I have no idea. I wish you the best of luck, though!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Misha!
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