There’s a magical moment in any creative project when it rounds the bend from a hypothetical goal—a bundle of desires, a sketch in the imagination, some jotted notes, words you’re scared to say aloud in case the saying dilutes them of power—into something real with shape, and form, and weight. Sometimes that moment is impossible to pin down, and I only realize it’s happened when I’ve passed it, but sometimes it’s screamingly loud, and technicolor; a sudden realization that I’ve landed red-slippered on the yellow brick road.
I had the latter version of that moment last week—and not a moment too soon—for my current Big Project (perhaps the biggest one I’ve ever taken on? It certainly feels like the most significant, I’ll tell you that), which is the publication of my novel The Alchemists, slated for release next September.
Saying that aloud feels a little bit like a jinx, a little bit like a spell, and a lot a bit like a promise, so I’m going to lean into the latter two options until I get to the next moment of it feeling more like concrete and less like the sand beneath an ebbing tide.
Until last week, getting started on self-publishing was the epitome of grasping around for a light-switch in the dark. There is so much information out there, and a lot of it is from people who are trying to sell authors something, or worse, scam them. Trying to keep track of all of the research and information I’ve accrued over the last few months was its own Gordian knot, and two different notebooks, an iPhone note with miscellaneous links, and a bevy of saved Reddit threads were really Not It. I’m hoping that should any other future authors come across these posts, they will prove helpful in some way, and interesting to the rest of you, regardless.
Enter two absolute Godsends: Milanote, and my friend Pat. Milanote is a very nifty mood board style software that lets you organize pretty much any information visually, like a clickable murder-board, red string included, if you like. It’s what we use for YANA, and I was immediately taken with it, when I was introduced to it this spring. Unfortunately, the free plan limits how many ‘cards’ you can create—not a problem when you’re working with people who have pro accounts—and the pro plan is pretty pricey. I decided to see how far I could get on the free plan, and by the end of the week I felt organized for the first time, had a timeline draft in place, and had acquired a 20% off code followed by a pro subscription. (That pro account? Paid for by your Patreon subscriptions, so yes, YOU made this possible.)
Pat has already made the foray into self-publishing, and very successfully. And like the best people, he knows a rising tide lifts all boats and has been extremely generous with both his knowledge and resources. If you live in Connecticut (and even if you don’t) you should absolutely grab a copy of his guide to Connecticut Cryptids because it’s a delight and incredibly well-researched. He forwarded me an email from the Indie Author Project highlighting some webinars, and I signed up for one happening the next day.
And lo, dear reader, the trustworthy, FREE information began to flow. The Indie Author Project is an amazing resource and I’m just getting started with it. As the name implies it’s dedicated to flipping the script on publishing and making indie (self) publishing accessible, and successful. I’ve watched several webinars so far and they’ve all been remarkably useful. And best of all, their only agenda is to help people like me find success.
The other source of great, free information has been the Ingram Spark blog. Ingram Spark is a book wholesaler, and basically the option for indie authors who A. Want their books in print, and B. Want those books in brick-and-mortar stores and libraries. Ingram Spark is trying to sell something (their product) to authors, but the more successful those authors are the more business they get. Not a bad business model. The Ingram Spark blog is full of useful and easily digestible info, plus my personal favorite: downloadable checklists.
Now that I’ve got my workflow sorted my next steps are getting feedback from my last two beta-ish readers (hi, guys!), making a few revisions, and trying to find an editor. The editor search is definitely one of the most daunting parts of the process so far, in large part because editing is non-negotiable for me in terms of presenting a professional product, and my lord it gets expensive fast. Does it help that my book is long? No, no it does not. I’m hoping to have a spot on an editor’s queue by December, if I can swing it.
I’m feeling galvanized, and ready for this monumental task, and I’m super excited to share the process and the final product with you! Once I get a little further along, I plan to start sharing excerpts and sneak peeks. It’s likely that some of those will only be available to paid subscribers* since I am, after all, trying to spin a writing career out of straw over here. Everything else I plan to keep totally free unless something crazy happens.
As always, thank you for being here.
Xoxo
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