Publishing Diary 1- ILLUSION
2022 is the year that ILLUSION will hit the shelves. I wanted to make a little diary to document the process of publishing this book, as well as have something to look back on in years to come. So, welcome to my Publishing Diary!
Illusion is set for release in late spring, so these next few months will be jam-packed with things to do. I've created a rough outline of all the things that need to be done each month. Looking at the list when there is still nothing ticked off is a little overwhelming, not going to lie, but I'm not going to let that stop me. We're only two weeks into the new year, so there's plenty of time left to finish off this months to-do list, right??
I got Illusion back from my editor on December 20th, and have spent the last few weeks going through their edits and recommendations. I finally finished the edits on the 5th of January, with the book sitting comfortably at 91,890 words. And while the editing isn't done just yet, I was still eager to order a proof copy to see what the interior formatting looks like on paper. Illusion has some beautiful stylizing on the inside, and I need to make sure that it looked as good on paper as it does on a screen.
Not gonna lie, trying to get that proof was such a pain in the arse.
It took me a whole 10 hours of wrestling with KDP to get my book to a "print-worthy" state. KDP really did not like that interior stylizing, and no matter what I did it would not accept it. I probably uploaded about 7 different files, messed around with so many settings and nearly chucked the whole computer out the window. But just as I was nearing my wit's end, magically, KDP decided it actually did like my interior formatting and I could finally order myself a proof. That whole day has become such a blur that I don't know what I did to fix the issue, but I dread having to go back with the updated files when all the editing has been done. So, I hit the button to order myself a proof and...
They won't ship to Ireland.
I almost cried.
I went back and messed around with more settings, trying to order from so many different places and variations of Amazon, but nothing was working. It would not ship to me. It was nearing 10pm and I was tired and frustrated enough that I almost gave up on the proofs completely. Luckily, AnPost came to the rescue with an address in the UK I could send it to first, and then they would ship it across the waters to me. It just meant it would take an extra few days to arrive, but I didn't mind the wait if it meant I could get that proof copy.
That proof copy is arriving next week, and I am beyond excited. I can't wait to actually hold it in my hands, and flip through the pages and see the words I wrote come to life.
I'll also get to see what the cover looks like on an actual book. I already know it needs a few tweaks, but they're small fixes that can be done in a few minutes. But this cover... I am actually in love with it. Illusion has gone through 4 different covers, and finally I've found one that feels right. It is not what I had envisioned it looking like at all, but it just looks so good and fits the book so well. I cannot wait to share it with you soon!!
Right now, I'm starting another round of light edits, mainly focusing on fixing up the new scenes that were added in the last round. My goals for next week are to finish these edits, tweak the cover and the tweak the blurb. Nothing too crazy or unmanageable. This month's to-do list is the easiest of them all, come February and it will be a whole other ball-game.
That's all for my little update. I'm planning on posting a diary every two weeks, all things going to plan. The blog page on my website has died and been resurrected so many times already and I hope this time it's here to stay. I have some exciting plans for it this time...
I thought I'd finish with a little snippet from ILLUSION. See you soon!
"Ravyn sat alone on the stone wall, her hood pulled up over her head, earphones in her ears blaring music to which she gently swung her foot in the air. It blocked out the noise of the world around her, with only the occasional low hum of a passing car breaking through the music barricade. It was almost time for her appointment, but she was on the other side of town, wishing she could be anywhere else but here.
The world passed by in front of her, and she went unnoticed by everyone.
The sky was a light grey, with some darker patches in the clouds, promising rain later today. She hadn’t dressed for rain, so she was hopeful that it would pass and that she could make it home later without getting wet. The occasional flock of birds flew overhead, and she watched them every time, as if she would magically grow a pair of wings and join them in the sky. How nice that would be, to get away from the fuckery of the world and make the sky her new home."