Well, now I know.

Here’s what my schedule has been like for the past three months:

At the beginning of January I completed an ST partial and sent it to my agent. Then I had to finish the Samhain story that was due in April because I after that I had to complete the third Talking Dirty book, also due in April. While I was in the middle of completing those two books, I had second and third pass edits for the first Talking Dirty book. Then line edits. In between the edits I completed Having Her for Samhain and sent it away.

Once those were done, I resumed writing the third Talking Dirty book. While that was happening I got first pass edits for the second Talking Dirty book. Then was asked to be part of a new Entangled continuity – I accepted. This book was due June. In between writing the last of the third Talking Dirty book and the first pass edits for the second TD book, I got edits and line edits for Black Knight, my next Samhain book. Are you with me so far?

After completing line edits on Black Knight, I finished writing Talking Dirty with the Boss and managed to get that in before deadline. Then I had second pass edits for Talking Dirty #2. While I was doing that I wrote the partial for the continuity I’d been asked to be part of and sent to my editor for her thoughts. After that I began my next Samhain story/proposal. While I was doing that I got third pass edits for TD bk#2. I’m now in the middle of editing my new Samhain story in preparation to send to the agent. Then I’ll be planning and starting the partial of a new Entangled series submission. I need to get these in the works now so I get publication slots for later next year. Once that’s done, I’ll be writing the rest of my continuity book.

And in between all this writing and editing, Finn released so there was blogging and angsting and promo about that. Talking Dirty with the CEO will also be out next month and so there will be MORE blogging and angsting going on! Probably even more than with Finn since Entangled do heaps of blog tours etc.

When you’re unpublished you’re took busy trying to get your book accepted to think about other stuff like promo, deadlines, dealing contracts, royalties, filling out cover art and cover copy forms etc, etc. Or how much time all the edit rounds take. But I think it’s worth keeping in the back of your mind just so you know what to expect. And it’s not just the practical side of writing you have to think about but the emotional side too. The pressure of deadlines, of edits, of your book releasing and getting crappy reviews (because oddly enough it’s only the crappy ones we really remember), the worry about how the next one will do or whether your editor will like your next idea, etc, ad nauseam. All of which impacts on your writing time and sometimes not in a good way.

Anyway, this is all to say that’s why I haven’t been blogging so much. And to give you unpublished writers heads-up as to what you can expect once you get your book accepted. Admittedly the above example is extreme because I have a lot of books out this year but that’s kind of the way I planned it. Mainly because I’m a firm believer in the idea that the best promo you can do is write the next book.

So anyone have any questions about the above? Am happy to answer. If not, just gaze in wonder at the power of my awesome (while I quietly have a breakdown in the corner).

I don’t know why this is. It may have something to do with the fact that this is the first contracted book I have to write and maybe the pressure is getting to me. Or maybe it’s the fact that I never thought the first book of this series would actually BE a series so having to write two extra stories, with conflicts I thought up quite quickly so I could get the outlines to my editor (oooh secret thrill!), is making me feel a little disconnected from it. Or maybe it’s just that I know people are going to read this book. It won’t be my little secret this time. Other people will read it, not just an editor. And they’ll be able to form their own opinion about whether they liked it or not. Whether I’m a good writer or not. And to be honest, that’s freaking me out just a bit.

I think when you’re aiming for publication, you get so set on just getting something accepted and you forget that once it is accepted, people will be reading your book. Oh you can kid yourself that only friends and family will read it but the fact is someone, somewhere will buy your book and read it. A complete stranger. Eeeek!

But then that’s the whole idea right?  You don’t chase publication because you think you’re a crap writer and no one should ever read what you wrote. You chase publication because you think people should read the stories you tell. Because you want to share them. I think it was Yvonne Lindsey who asked me one RWNZ meeting, when I shared how scary it was to send something off after you’ve been rejected lots, whether I thought other people deserved to read my stories. And I remember how struck I was by the word deserved. And how my gut reaction was ‘Yes. Yes they do.’

I think I need to hold onto that thought as I continue to push through the quicksand book.

So what about you? Are you chasing publication? If so, why? Do you think other people deserve to read your stories?? Come on now, don’t be shy. A writer has to have some ego otherwise we wouldn’t be sending our stuff out right?