Book Birthday

3 years. It's been 3 years since my first book was published. In some ways, it seems longer. But it's also been an uphill journey. The hard work didn't stop when the book came out. It just got started.

If you didn't know, Asylum won a writing contest back in July 2012 with WestBow Press. Normally, to publish with them, you have to pay thousands of dollars, but because my manuscript took the grand prize, I didn't have to pay. That's why I say WestBow traditionally published my book.

The editing process with them was insane. I submitted my final draft (the version that won), and they returned it to me with a round of basic edits. The deadline, though...the next day. Whew! I stayed up until the wee morning hours. At the time, I was a mom with young(er) kids, so that was rough. I had to do the same with the proof version--quick turnaround.

It was exciting when it came out. I had a book signing at our local library. I did various events and appearances. I felt like an author! When is my appearance on Good Morning America? Sure, I can do a book tour. I'll just arrange for someone to watch my kiddos, and I'll be there!

Ha! No, it didn't happen like that. Although I think a certain part of me hoped it would. Selling books is a lot harder than it seems. Getting readers to invest money and time in your work is tough. There are a lot of voices out there, and just like high school choir, we have to strive to be the loudest.

In recent days, I've been revising Asylum. Why? I pulled it from WestBow's catalog. It was stagnant. Going nowhere. (It costs extra for marketing packages.) Asylum is getting a shiny new cover, a nice overall polish, and the launch it deserves.

The new cover is amazing! I'll reveal it soon.

The revision isn't drastic. I'm just cleaning up the writing. I've learned so much since I wrote it years ago. It's been fun to look back and see how far I've come.

As for the launch, I want to actually celebrate this time around. The last one was kind of like spotting a lump in a rug. You know it's coming. Your eyes are on it, and you make a mental note not to trip...and yet you stumble anyway. Yeah, I won't do that again. When Asylum comes out, you'll know about it.

3 years. 5 books later. Who knew? Happy birthday, Asylum.

---