This year I decided to use one story as my May adventure. I thought how hard can 50,000 words be? I'd done it for NaNoWriMo, why couldn't I do it for May? So I signed up immediately for Savvy Author Bootcamp and MayNoWriMo since I could use one book as the goal for each challenge. Then April 30th came and BOOM, the hammer dropped, I got a letter in my email from Savvy saying I would need 60,000 words by the end of May.
As Frank Barone would say Holy Crap!
I usually barely make the 50,000 word mark for NaNo, how in the hell was I going to make 60,000? Then there was this talk of Revision Hell and July Pitching and I was FREAKING OUT! Finally my bestie and soul sister slapped me a few times ala Sophia Petrillo from the Golden Girls and we had a long talk. I would self-publish this one.
Now I haven't made this decision lightly. There was a lot of back and forthing, hand wringing and debating as to what the best route would be. And right now all I can do is promote my book with MuseItUp Publishing, Another Way To Die due out in January of next year and build on my current author platform.
I have assembled a team to help me though, I have my beta readers, a freelance editor (she's the bomb! Check out her blog Outlaw Prose, there's a link to it in the side bar), and a cover artist (she's uber talented check out her blog The Gladiator's Pen). Both of them are rising stars in the publishing world and I wish them both the best.
The name of my current WIP is Ain't No Other Man. Have a look at the video and Christina Aguilera song and fan video that inspired my 1930's Prohibition era dark romantic thriller:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XUXLBTNR2Y
5 comments:
Amy, you lost me. I don't see how you went from Holy Crap about writing 60K words to self-publishing a book that's not even finished yet.
What led you to make that jump? Was it the slaps?
Self-publishing is at the top of every writer's mind - I guess I just want to know what finally pushed you in that direction, and I can't figure out the correlation between 60k in one month.
It's something that's been on my mind for awhile now, lol, it wasn't the slaps. I have a peculiar little brain. Big ups to MuseItUp Publishing though, and Another Way To Die is part of a series so I'm not going all the way just yet.
Feeling pressure to pitch to someone does a real mind**** on me. I'm just happier when I'm in control. I know what I need to do in order to do it right and I don't expect instant gratification.
It's like a mentor in indie film told me, if you're in it for the money or the fame you are in the wrong business. I just want to write. Of course I want people to read and like my work. I'd be a big fat liar if I said I didn't LOL. But for my mental health I need to know I don't have to satisfy anyone but me that first time around.
I'm having a hard time getting started with Boot Camp. I'm under a lot of stress personally right now and it's cramping my writing LOL. But I've also switched manuscripts to one that seems to be doing more talking to me as of late. Hopefully things will get better on track today :P BTW gee thanks I now have that song stuck in my head! LOL
I'm so sorry I missed your Coffee Time Chat last Friday. Excited to hear that you're doing the Bootcamp Savvy Author NaNo. I've been involved in the November book in a month for a few years - I'm also a member of Savvy and would have considered doing this also, as I'm working on a second book in my series.
I'm here to cheer you on - one of your fans - Go Amy Go!!!
Hey - also, big KUDOS - Congrats on your A-Z blogging. So impressive!
Thank you Kay Dee, that's alright I'm sure I'll be doing another chat with CoffeeTime in the future, if you've an hour free Friday night I'll be on Kat Holmes' Kat's Writing Pen on Blogtalk radio show 6PM-7PM EST. Feel free to drop by the chatroom or call in!
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