The Learning Curve

Well, now I’ve gone and done it!

I have gotten myself all worked up and excited about self-publishing. Honestly, I hadn’t really thought of it before – at all in fact – let alone as an option available to me.

It wasn’t until the onslaught of rejection letters began to come my way that I even started to think about what a girl could do to make sure that the thing she created was accessible to everyone she had ever met, and every other person that those people had ever met. (I know, I have lofty goals)

This led me down an interesting path. How does one get the thing that they want when the traditional way of getting that thing seems out of reach? (at least for the time being)

Well, one does what thousands who have come before you have done. One takes the reins and steers their own path. This whole experience is a journey and one that has come with any number of surprises, excitements and pitfalls. And while the pitfalls can be tough, the one thing that stays true throughout this journey is the learning.

I have never felt such a passion for learning as I do now. I am trying to learn everything I can about everything I can. I am learning (trying to learn) how to be a better writer. I am learning to handle rejection and most importantly, at this stage in my journey, I am learning what it takes to handle the business side of this journey.

I recently attended a seminar that seemed to tap directly into my brain and know what was most pressing on my mind. This seminar dealt directly with the business side of the equation. It opened my eyes to what it takes when you focus on writing novels as your career and the different elements that you must take into consideration in order to be successful in that regard.

When I was eight, being a Novelist was all I ever wanted in the world. I grew up, my ideas about myself and my career path changed and then one day, I found myself right back where it all began. I have written posts about fostering dreams in young people and relighting fires in yourself and folks around you that have had their light extinguished. It is important to support one another. It’s tough out there.

That was something eight-year-old me did not understand. I had no idea that being a Novelist meant being a business. Looking at your precious piece of art with a cold, calculating eye to ensure that you get the most out of it that you can. It means branding, it means self-promotion and for most writers, that is a challenge. As writers, we often shy away from those types of activities because, let’s be honest, the writing itself is often done in a room, alone, with or without tunes pumping. It is a solitary activity and so, by our very design, we tend to shy away from sharing our work. That is, of course, until it is absolutely perfect…

The problem with that? Well, the problem with that is you will never – probably – get it into the hands of someone who can get it into the hands of everyone you have ever met. You need an editor. Someone who can put some professional distance between you and your precious to be able to tighten it up to where it needs to be so that you can

It means that you have to put in the work to learn the business side of things. How does one brand themselves? What do you need to market a book? How much does it cost to have a novel edited? What am I looking at with regard to the investment of cost and time?

These are questions I never considered when I first opened up my laptop and started hammering away at the keys. But the reality is, even though you love it, these things take time and money.

In an effort to fund the financial side of things, I have started a GoFundMe campaign. Please check out my campaign by clicking the image below. I would appreciate your support.