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Wednesday, November 2, 2016

IWSG: Fretting about book releases!


http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html


Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time - and return comments. This group is all about connecting! (Click on the badge above to see the whole story).

Our question for the month is "What is your favorite aspect of being a writer?" I'll get to that in a minute. First, I have to unload my neurotic insecurities, as well as a few that are all-too-reasonable.

I have a book coming out at the end of the month. That gives me lots of opportunities to freak out display insecurities: What if no one buys it? What if no one likes it? What if someone writes a really horrid review of it? What if I miss my deadlines and it doesn't come out?? What if I totally blow the publicity part and no one even knows? (A fairly reasonable fear, given my track record).

To add to the fun, I have a local live event scheduled for December 10, which gives me a whole other area to be insecure about: What if no one comes? (Alas, another not wholly groundless fear, given turnout at some other events). What if I say something stupid? What if I make a joke and no one laughs? Of course, this event is far enough in the future that I can *really* freak out about it at the December IWSG.

On the up side, I HAVE A BOOK COMING OUT AT THE END OF THE MONTH! Cue triumphant march music. Despite all my distractions and time spent not working, I managed to pull it together and spend the time necessary to do the revisions, the polishing, to assemble the cover (saving money on the pro...some assembly required). This not only feels like a huge accomplishment, but I'll be glad to get this book off my plate and move the next one into place.

Because, oh, yeah, I'm going to harness the NaNo momentum and try to get another draft together for the next book but one (always seem to have more lined up for revisions than I can get through).

So what's the best thing about being a writer? Aside from wearing sweatpants and a fuzzy sweatshirt to work, you mean? It's got to be getting recognized by little kids as the author of The Ninja Librarian. It only happens locally, where I visit the schools, but still--totally cool.
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And here it is: Book 3 of the Ninja Librarian series, due out Nov. 28! Preorders are now available from Amazon and Smashwords for the ebook. Preorder the paperback directly from this site and we'll pick up the shipping costs!

13 comments:

  1. Those last few weeks before the book is so exciting. So much promise and possibility. Lots of anxiety, too, of course. It's an amazing time! Good luck, I'm sure you will do fabulous!

    IWSG November

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    1. Thanks! Just to make it more fun, I'm tossing my hat in the ring for NaNo, too. I'll just be about a week late starting to actually write.

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  2. Congrats on your new release. I think writers tend to agonize more than other people because we are so darn good at imaging horrible things. Hazard of the job!

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    1. I know that over-active imagination has made it harder to be the free-range parent I have been determined to be. Too easy to imagine everything that can go wrong. I'm actually rather proud of how I've overcome it in parenting; maybe I can learn to release a book with a similar stoicism!

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  3. I was considering writing a really horrid review here, just so as to ensure you didn't get any more. But apart from complaining that it was demeaning to Peggies everywhere to be considered as a problem, or having a problem, and demeaning to skunks to put them in a corner with all these other folk, and also complaining that it was written in a style that is unbecoming to 18th century literature, I couldn't think of anything even mildly horrid to say.
    But at least now you're prepared.

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    1. LOL! Big Al does occasionally apologize to the skunks for using them as a metaphor for evil.

      As for being a problem...you remind me that at a friend's wedding long, long ago, her aunt played "How do you solve a problem like Maria" :D

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  4. Every single time I have a book coming out, I have all of those thoughts. Does it ever get any easier? Book events especially freak me out. I've sat through too many at this point where very few people show up. Now I'm very selective about what I do. Mostly book fairs and group signings. I agreed to do a group event recently and it wasn't even a group event. It just sounded like it was going to be. Two people spoke to me the whole time I was sitting there. It was painful!

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    1. I think we can all take comfort from the fact that just about anyone's book event can be lonely! At least at the library I can count of a few of my co-workers coming out of solidarity, and some bored children wandering in by accident.

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  5. Congratulations on your book release and being recognized by kids as the Ninja Librarian! :)
    I try to invite someone I know to come to every book event and promise to pay them in chocolate so I have one person.

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  6. Wearing sweatpants while you write is definitely one of the favorite parts of it for me. Congrats on your book release and make sure to play that triumphant march music constantly - you deserve it!

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    1. Thanks! Sadly, my fleecy pants are in the wash right now, so I'm wearing shorts. That's comfy, except the part about my knees being cold.

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  7. Congratulations on the book release! It sounds like the kids are enjoying the others, so just keep going.

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