Tuesday, May 6, 2008

The Hard Parts of Being an Author . . . the secrets no one tells you.

First hard part: Promotions . . .

As you all are aware this is my first foray into the writing world. But oh boy, am I tired. How do authors keep up with all the chat groups and other promotional things they do on a daily basis? (There are so many different kinds I can't remember all of them.) Stupid me I thought all one needed to do was write a compelling story and that would be enough.

*Rolling my eyes at my own naivete*

I guess part of the issue is that one of the publishers that I will be published with will be opening its doors in July. So they have been doing a lot of things in anticipation of that. But even outside of that, I have been seeing a lot of different things happening around me (in my inbox) that makes my head just spin. Whew!

I would probably get a lot more writing done if I weren't worrying about all the promotions. And realistically, I am unable to do all the things I notice other authors are doing and keep my sanity. And man are they talented and creative with all the promotional stuff. So I will do as much as I can (and as much as I'm comfortable with) and see what happens.

*Shrugging shoulders*

Second hard part: Editing . . .

Okay, I knew there would be editing involved to make a story what it is. But I have a new appreciation for editors and the work they do. And I am very grateful for my editor from TEB (Chris). But by-golly, my brain was about to explode trying to incorporate all her suggestions into my story. I completely understood her points and agreed with them as well. They do make the story more interesting. It was a lot of work, and one that taught me a lot of things as well, including how to make a story more engaging.

So to wrap up . . .

This is a wild, fun and crazy ride. One that is well worth all the hard parts. And absolutely, one that I hope never to leave for a very long time.

7 comments:

Unknown said...

Editing sucks - luckily I have an exceptional editor at EC. As for promotions - do what you can but don't drive yourself nuts

Unknown said...

...and hey - it goes without saying I want your book on my blog when it's released

barbara huffert said...

Listen to AJ. She is a very wise woman indeed. When it comes to including others in her promo spots she's the best so if she invites you to a chat make sure you join in. I promise you'll have fun!

Anika Hamilton said...

Amarinda, thank you so much for the offer. And you can bet I will definitely take you up on it.

Anika Hamilton said...

Barbara, believe me I'm all ears.

barbara huffert said...

Editing...what would you do if you didn't agree with your editors points and felt strongly against some of her suggestions?

Anika Hamilton said...

I explained the idea I was trying to convey, and then fleshed out whatever needed to be changed in a way that continued to convey my meaning.

This actually happened in my story recently with the only story I have edited so far in my career. It worked this time, we'll see if it works in the future.

:-)