Decisions, decisions.

It’s been a while since I posted something. Not because I have nothing to say... I do, I have lots to say but the key is saying something of significance to you. And to stay focused on what this platform, this newsletter is all about. I promised I would not bombard my newsletter subscribers with messages. But I’m afraid I’ve taken that to the extreme.

Sorry for that. But I’m still here, still working hard with big goals and plans.

The life of a wanna-be-published author is a very long journey. And at times, not just frustrating, but gut-wrenching. The silence from the publishers and agents. The rejections, no matter how kind- or not so kind, just feel like another hard lump of coal to swallow.

I knew it wouldn’t be easy. But I have confidence in the work. I’ve not published anything, except an interview I did ages ago in an art magazine. So publishers and agents don’t want to take a chance on a newbie. I’m not famous, so they probably don’t think anyone would be interested in my story. But I know there are women out there who, like me, love to read memoirs of people who are NOT FAMOUS. I find most “famous” memoirs to be tedious. The gems are the ones I’ve never heard of. Sure, maybe they have an audience that knows them from some career, work, etc.. but I did not know them. They were just books I picked off a shelf because the cover and the book description looked interesting. To me, it wouldn’t matter who they were. The question is, is the story good? Does it hold my interest? Can I relate, or not? I don’t have to relate. I can still have empathy, but will I stick with it? That’s what I hope my book offers.

I’ve had some early readers, and so far, I’ve had wonderful reviews. People who connect with the story. Which is really my goal. To start a dialogue around the topic, as well as enjoy this time capsule from the 80s.

So, after all this time, and I knew this could take a long time to court publishers and agents, I’ve decided, on the recommendation of my copy editor, my dev editor, and friends, sources, etc… to self-publish. Or, in my case, to use my own small press to publish. Why not? I don’t care to tour, to do book signings, etc. I just want it out there, and available. So the decision is made. I made it.

This means I’m now in the scheduling phase; the timeline phase. Decisions need to be made. Like when should I publish? Should I publish the audio book at the same time? That would push the release date back further because the production of that takes time. Should I stagger it?

The great news is that I’ve already designed the cover, and have the book fully laid out using InDesign. This is another reason I created my small press (PUNK GODDESS PRESS), so I could offer this service to others, book design, website, and layout only. No printing. No marketing. At least not now.

So in the next few weeks, I’ll send a cover reveal of the book (although you can peek at it over on PGP). I will also start looking for my ARC LAUNCH TEAM. An essential element to any (traditional or not) author’s journey to get published. If you are interested in knowing what this is about, click here.

Basically, the ARC Launch Team’s main goal is to have “the book” read and reviewed shortly before or after the release (publication) day. This way there will be some reviews for “the book” on release day, which can help with sales. It helps the ranking on “the book” go up.

So that’s what’s been going on with me, as far as the book goes.

More news soon. I promise.

Hope you're well! Shoot me a reply and let me know.

Love,

Suzanne