Okay, I'll be the first to admit that there are a LOT of things I don't know. For example, I don't know how to fix a computer. I don't know how to play the guitar. I don't even know how to change the oil in my car or fix a flat tire. There are plenty of things I don't know. But, today I realized that the extent of what I don't know far exceeds what I thought I DID know!
In my naivety I thought that if a person were to write a book, then the actual writing of the book would be the hard part. That makes sense to me...I mean, c'mon people! Wouldn't it be perfectly normal to assume that the actual writing of the book would be the hard part? Okay, well, getting published could be the hard part, but having that accomplished what else could there be to it?
What else could there be to it? Where should I begin?
Did you know that once your manuscript is in the hands of the publisher that they will have a list of more than twenty things they want you to do? I did NOT know this! They want a bio, they want an excerpt from the book, they want images (for your front and back cover, unless you want them to design it), they want a book overview, and they want you to provide information that they will use to promote your book. Now, here's the kicker... you just can't willy nilly throw something out there because the information that you give them will eventually end up in the readers view! So, it's essential that you do it right! The list of "wants" goes on and on, but I will not bore you with all of them. What I can tell you is that this book writing/editing/publishing thing is a lot harder than I thought it would be! I didn't know what I didn't know!
But...and this is a BIG but... we learn at a very early age that anything worth having is worth working hard for! This is nothing but a learning process. I have learned that the literary world functions a bit differently than the world inside my head! But, that's okay. I will live, learn, and hopefully remember all of this! That will make publishing my next book a hell of a lot easier! Ooops...Did I say next book???
