Hello! Today I'm publicly declaring three things that are quite difficult to admit to the world.
1) I've been procrastinating.
See the pictures below? I made that 4'x4' mosaic tabletop by breaking tiles and plates, gluing the tiny pieces onto a backer board, and grouting them into place. Sure it's pretty. Yes it was fun. Maybe I'm even glad I have the table on my patio today. But here's the truth: it enabled me to procrastinate getting my book into readers' hands. Admitting you have a problem is the first step in making the issue better. Right?
See the pictures below? I made that 4'x4' mosaic tabletop by breaking tiles and plates, gluing the tiny pieces onto a backer board, and grouting them into place. Sure it's pretty. Yes it was fun. Maybe I'm even glad I have the table on my patio today. But here's the truth: it enabled me to procrastinate getting my book into readers' hands. Admitting you have a problem is the first step in making the issue better. Right?
2) I'm going to self-publish my novel, Lessons in Disguise, by 9/1/2016.
Self-publishing isn't my first choice. (If there's a publisher out there wanting to step forward to publish it, don't hesitate. I'm open to offers!) I'm tired, however, of rejection letters, and worse, of no responses to my well-written, well-placed query letters and manuscript submissions to agents, editors, and small publishers. Self-publishing has become accepted by many people as a preferred way for authors, especially non-famous ones such as me, to publish a debut book. The author receives a higher percentage of the cover price, and at least, we can get our books read.
3) I've been not doing the last two things out of fear. Fear of flying.
Not in airplanes; I love to travel. But I fear risking becoming airborne by being noticed and perhaps even becoming successful as a writer. Along with getting my writing out in the world, I will be a target for criticism. If I'm just sharing my writing with a small group of friends, who are all struggling writers themselves and who won't be too critical because they don't want to have their own writing overly criticized, well, I feel safe. But I don't want to die someday with completed novels tucked away in my computer hard drive, never to be read. My writing will never be perfect. There's no such thing.
So, wish me luck. And when you've read my book, please, at least use kind words. Let's see, what else can I do today besides this? Wasn't I going to do laundry, walk the dog, oh, and rewrite those last three chapters of my second novel, The Vagrant Darter? Don't worry, at least writing is on my list.