What a ride so far

(this is all part of the One Novel Three-Month challenge. Click here for more info)

I've been radio silent for a while, and I imagine it seems a bit odd to anyone who is interested.

I was massively derailed by the illness and frankly super demoralised that I lost so much time. But I've been busting my butt this whole time. The longer I went without posting, the harder it was to post, to send newsletters and promote the book. I just felt like I'd fallen behind and couldn't make it. On top of that I began obsessing over how I wasn't going to do well, or the book was crap, or a myriad of other fears. Those pesky little doubts that come up with any creative endeavor, but I suppose it's been ramped up because of the tight deadline.

So this is where I'm at. I'm on my second of three edits, about 3/4 of the way through the book. The final edit might be the longest because it’s a language edit. I'm hoping to start that in one or two days. I haven't given up, or sat down and twiddled my thumbs. Despite all the internal doubts, and once and awhile external ones, I've been making my way through.

I obsess over the rare negative comment regarding the book. 9/10 times its supportive, but it’s the 1/10 I remember and wonder wtf I was thinking when I started this.

But the real milestone is today, I created the pre-oreder page for my book to Kindle Direct Publishing. Finalized blurb, cover and title (It never changed. I like Empire of Others). I can't express what a big step this is for me, as a writer. I've been writing since I was 13, on and off, and never had the guts to sell a novel until today.

Maybe its crap, or no one wants to buy it, but it still means something to me.

Because the truth is, after speaking to some dear friends, I've realized that I am probably going to lose this challenge. I'm not giving up, but my competitors has a somewhat more marketable book. Instead, I'm using this as an excuse to jumpstart my writing career. My novelling career even-- since I am a selling poet already.

I'm aiming to sell and promote EoO way past the deadline of the challenge, and as long as it doesn't suck, write the second book in the series because you'll know when you get to the end that the story is far from over.

I've written several novels now, and never sold one. Never even tried, not really. Dozens of short stories, and a few published and won competitions, and my own poetry collection and assloads of poetry. I've always wanted to be a novelist though, that’s been the dream since as long as I can remember. I love stories, truly, and I want to be a storyteller.

If you're reading this, I appreciate it a lot. I have to wait some time for my book to be approved for sale, and then people can pre-order it. I reckon it should be; there is no reason for it not to be.

Thanks again for following along.

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