The Light at the End of the Tunnel
Three hours...
Three stinkin' hours I spent saving files, uploading files, fixing noted problems, breaking other things in the process, fixing what I broke, re-uploading files, and doing it all again. It might have been longer than that. By the fourth time I was attempting this process, I kind of stopped paying attention. It would be done when it was done and the clock didn't care. No amount of irritation or anxiety on my part was going to make the process easier or faster.
The point being, it's done. The manuscript for Wolfkin: A Fairy's Tail is edited, formatted, and uploaded for print review with CreateSpace. If all goes well, we should hopefully be looking at an official release within the next two weeks. I'll need to see my physical proof first before I give the green light to publish, of course (hence the wait). This is my first time setting everything up myself. I'm pretty anxious to make sure everything prints the way it's supposed to. Just because it looks right on the screen doesn't guarantee it's going to come out of the printing press that way. Last time I accepted the digital proof as gospel, said "Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!", and ran with it knowing that it had been handled by professionals. I don't have that luxury this time.
I'm excited. I'm nervous. I'm curious what the reader response will be like. I'm hopeful. I'm skeptical. I'm jittery about the risk of a sophomore slump (aka "the curse of the sequel"). My alpha readers and editor seem really excited about the book. I feel like it's a really strong installment. I feel it stayed true to my writing style and the flavor of the first book. It's just...different, so it's hard to guess what the response will be in the long run.
More than anything, I'm ready to be done with this part of the process so I can get back to writing. It's been an interesting experience figuring out the formatting, the interior and exterior design, and all of the hoo-ha that has been necessary to get this book into print. But I am seriously ready to be done with it. It's time consuming. It's exhausting. I just want this book out and ready to meet the world.
I think if I could ever truly relate to the plight of the pregnant woman, this point right here would be it.
Somewhere in the next twelve hours I should be hearing back from CreateSpace on whether or not they've identified any issues with the print setup (the automated version I fought with for 3+ hours last night implied I should be in good shape after all that effort). I'll get my Proof copy in the mail (however long that takes) and if everything looks good, I'll unleash the beasts.
Get ready folks! Wolfkin: A Fairy's Tail is coming...
SOON!
