Worst case scenario, I write a novel, and only get to check off an item on my bucket list. Task accomplished! Last year, I finished my first novel. I followed the “traditional” path and tried to find an agent. The rejection emails still occasionally show up in my inbox. A couple of agents went an extra round, but eventually declined.
A year has passed since I finished writing My first novel. I’ve put the novel aside, and focused on other projects. I could be sad, or mad, or disappointed, or whatever, but I am not. As I have read and heard a thousand times, finding an agent, especially if you haven’t published or don’t have a huge following, is extremely difficult.
Of course, the book publishing world has changed dramatically in the last few years. Self-Publishing or Indie Publishing has gone mainstream. Going down that path has always been an option, but I wanted to let some time pass, you know, just in case an agent showed up with a wheelbarrow of cash for me.
I picked up my novel last week and flipped through a few pages. It was actually kind of a weird feeling. The story, the characters, and all the little pieces of me are still in that book. Waiting. Wondering. They seemed to ask, “will you ever do anything with us?”
The answer is yes.
I didn’t get the multi-million dollar book contract and retire to my yacht in the Caribbean. Bummer. But, on the other hand, this could be a fun challenge to learn the process of getting my own novel into the world at large. It won’t happen immediately. I still need to give it another round of reading and editing on my own. Then I’ll hire an editor, and cover artist. Honestly, I am a little excited about the marketing side. This is going to be a fun ride!
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“Success is a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don’t quit when you are tired — you quit when the gorilla is tired.” ~ Robert Strauss
