Today is the launch day for my debut novel The Flower Seller. The Flower Seller has had a long and tortuous road to publication and if it’s tangled journey has taught me anything it is that patience and stickability are talents every writer needs.
https://flic.kr/p/9JFMuB https://goo.gl/cSb7fS
It is all too easy to write a rough draft, edit it and think job done. For the lucky few that’s all it takes. For the rest of us edits, polishes and rewrites are the name of the game.
Finally you reach the point where your manuscript is polished to within an inch of its life and it is time to let it fly into the world. If you are fortunate, as I was, an agent will offer you a contract and you might think it’s only a matter of time until I reach my goal of being published.
https://flic.kr/p/6aEFhN https://goo.gl/WGKhSU
Sometimes, however, despite the best endeavours of your agent and some very complimentary comments about your writing, no offer is forthcoming and you realise it’s not going to be that straightforward after all.
After ten years of plugging away, I decided to go the self-publishing route as I didn’t want to wait any longer for the phone to ring or the email to arrive. I wanted to take my destiny into my own hands. After all, if I didn’t believe in me how could I expect other people to?
I got to grips with Facebook and Twitter, Pinterest and platform building. I read countless articles on a hundred different aspects of the publishing industry. I hired experts to assist me where I needed help and the bits that I thought I could manage I figured out myself. Every time I mastered something new, I sat back and thought ‘Right, I’m nearly there now!’ How wrong could I be?! Maintaining a social media presence never stops. It is constantly evolving and you have to be there evolving with it, trying new things, being present.
https://flic.kr/p/5y5BSH https://goo.gl/Ztf0Va
As I mentioned at the start of this blog post today is publication day for The Flower Seller. It is the realisation of a major life goal. A long held dream achieved. Job done? I’d like to think so but I know better now. The truth is ‘the job’ is never done. The Flower Seller is published, that is all and when the champagne has all been drunk the real work begins: marketing the book, spreading the word and, of course, writing the next one.
https://flic.kr/p/7X8ysQ https://goo.gl/vfKVJm
I have come to learn the hard way that in publishing the job is never done, the journey is never over. A brand new journey is always beginning so we’d better try to enjoy the ride.
https://flic.kr/p/ofCbT https://goo.gl/uazC1W
Today’s blog is the latest of my writing related blogs to celebrate the launch of The Flower Seller – available now at Amazon http://goo.gl/UrHYRb
ellieholmesauthor.wordpress.com 
Everything you said is so true. I thought that the researching, writing, rewriting, and then navigating through the publication process meant the hard work was finally done. How wrong I was. Marketing the book is so difficult and sometimes, so discouraging.
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They are all steps on the path of being a writer. The key is to try to have a balanced approach and not get too caught up in one aspect over all the others. I am just embarking on the marketing merry go round. I think it’s just a case of trying different things and seeing what works. It’s tough to stay positive but that’s why celebrating the little victories along the way is so important.
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Congratulations on the successful completion and publication of your novel! I have been writing (for myself) for more than a decade – but have yet to feel confident enough in my work to consider even self publication. You are a brave artist! Cheers to you!
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I made a conscious decision that I would rather regret the things I had done than the things I didn’t have the guts to try – that was why I went the indie route. I didn’t want to wait for another ten years for a trad deal that was never coming and then wonder what if?! Congrats for working so hard at your writing. If you don’t already belong to one think about joining a local writers’ group. A little constructive criticism could help take your writing to the next level and boost your confidence.
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