Well, dear readers, what an
interesting time an author has as he or she leans back in the chair and shouts
'Hurrah, I have finished the book!’
Such joy! Why it has been
compared in literary circles to the fulfilment of giving birth. But while I
felt great joy at this moment of satisfaction, as if a huge weight had fallen
from my shoulders (if not my stomach), the real work has only just begun, (as
the song says!)
Off for the editing, of which
I feel quietly composed, but then there’s the title, the cover, the print, the
layout, the design, the size, the synopsis, the media release, the blurb, the
sales lists, the library lists, the launch dates, the invitations, the
publicity, the promotional aids, the book stores, and on and on and on.
Head down bottom up, bravely
we writers tackle all the above, if not with quite the enthusiasm of writing
the book, at least with the knowledge that this is 'grist for the mill' and it
will all be alright in the end, and why, HOLLYWOOD might come calling with a
lucrative book buy, and... fame at last! Well, at least appreciation!
In a state of extreme
exhaustion after recently contemplating all that was before me, I came across
an old friend down the road. 'You do look tired,' he said to me solicitously, '
Been burning the candle at both ends?'
'Not really,' I answered
modestly. 'I have just finished writing my book.'
'Really,’ he answered
brightly, 'Well, that's good. What new book are you getting started on writing
now?'
I told him in no uncertain
terms where I would like to shove my new book, IF I can ever find the energy
and time to write one, and left him scratching his head at the idiosyncrasies
of authors who sit idling their time away at the computer all day. Ah well,
tomorrow is another day!
Evan Andrew
(Proud father of Shadows of Doubt, due in a couple of
weeks.) Ed.
Congratulations, Evan. Great news.
ReplyDeleteWe've all been waiting for the final chapters.
However, how right you are that writing it is only half of the work and is actually the easier half. At least when you writing you have the words tumbling about in your head trying to get onto paper but once they are finally there then the editing, promotion and selling of the book is the hardest part, by far, and the most disheartening.
Chin up, shoulders back and knuckle down to tackle the hard part... then you can start writing again.
PS: My children's book Kazam! has just come off the press so I too am into the promo and selling part.
Well done, Evan. We all know what a long hard slog it is to get to the point where we can type THE END and sit back with a glass of congratulatory chardonnay. And while there is another sort of slog ahead could I be the second unpopular person to ask - and what about the next one?
ReplyDeleteSee, that's the trick. Writing is like exercise. You have to do a bit every day to keep the writing muscles fit.
So, I ask the question again. What about the next one?
Poor Evan, let him have a week off to recuperate. There are still so many little tweaks to make between 'The End' and sending the file off to print that it's hard to concentrate on anything else. I know - I'm in the same boat myself!
Delete