The Wrong Way, the Right Way and a Pledge

If something is worth doing, it's worth doing right....

Honestly, in publishing In the Sunshine, I didn't follow that old, but true adage. You see, I was all charged up with a story idea after the family and I returned home from a vacation in May. I wanted to write it and publish - to score a "quick win."

At least that was my mindset going in. I hadn't self-published in more than a year, and really hadn't written much accept for some freelance articles. So, I intended to write a short story, spiff it up with a paid editor and toss it out into the world.

Goal accomplished, I guess.

I did indeed publish on September 1. The real question is, should I have? In a word, HELL NO (okay, that's two words).

There in lies both the beauty and the trap of self-publishing: asking readers to buy a story before it's really, really ready. In The Sunshine was not ready.

I wasn't honest with myself in that respect. Sure, I had poured over it several times. Wrote and re-wrote. My editor did a good job of catching typos and other grammar issues, even had a few suggestions for me to improve the story - some of which I followed, some I didn't.

The truth is, the process wasn't enough to turn out a story worthy of someone's time and hard-earned money. I should have found some beta readers. I should have looked at my editor's remarks as a starting point instead of a finishing point. You know, it's not uncommon for a manuscript to be completely re-written or at least have several major surgeries before it hits the shelves.

Unless your name is Stephen King or J.K. Rowling, skipping the above process probably isn't a good idea. I think part of my rush to publish was a left over from my days a newspaper reporter. Because of daily or twice weekly deadlines, the stories I wrote generally went into the paper with very few structural changes. As long as there were not glaring errors, misspelled words or other grammatical defects, articles got a headline slapped on them, and BAM they were published.

Fiction doesn't work that way, at least not well-written fiction.

I should have known better.

That's why I'm pledging right here, right now, not to do it again. Ever.

Also, I'm going to pull In the Sunshine from Amazon. I'm going to work on it, I'm going to revise it and then I'm going to find a few kind souls to read the story and give feedback. When that's done, I'm going to seriously consider the feedback, rewrite again, if necessary, and then get it re-edited.

This story is going to get the TLC it should have received right from the start. However long that takes, is how long it takes. If at the end, after I've hit the publish button, and a few people actually buy and read it? Great.

If not, that's fine, too. Because I am a writer above all else, and that's enough for me.

$10.27

In the grand scheme of things, $10.27 isn't a lot of money. It's enough to buy a decent lunch in most places or grab an expensive cup of coffee at Starbucks.

For me, though, $10.27 is a really big deal. It's the amount of my first royalty payment from Amazon.

It has been more than two years since I hit the publish button on first story. Since then, I've published two more and had one made into audiobook (which is where most of the "revenue" care from). I've learned a lot more about writing fiction and a bit about marketing said fiction.

While I may never reach the epic heights of some self-publishers - Hugh Howey and his excellent Wool series - I am having fun and that's what counts, right? Along the way, I've made a few new friends and supporters, like J.B. Chicoine. Writing fiction has opened a new world for me, and I don't plan on giving up on it anytime soon.

The check from Amazon isn't first time I've been paid as a writer. I worked as a news reporter for a little more than a decade and made my living (if you can call it that. My first check as a reporter was $185 for about 50 hours worth of work). Somehow, it feels more satisfying.

As a reporter, I was always writing other people's stories. I was covering governmental meetings or sports games and the material to write about was right there in front of me. It's a luxury fiction writers don't have. There's nothing but you and a blank screen, which can be pretty damn intimidating at times.

If you're a writer and reading this, first off, thank you. I'm wondering if you have some of the same feelings I have about earning money from your efforts? It's not why I write, and probably not the reason you write either, but I'm still interested to hear your thoughts.

'In The Sunshine" a Labor of Love

After a power weekend of writing and rewriting, In The Sunshine is live on Amazon!

My goal was to have it published and FOR SALE by Labor Day and I just barely made it. The story wound up a shade over 14,000 words and I'm generally happy with it. Technically, it falls in the novelette range, but I think most readers will view it as a short story. Anything less than 100 printed pages tends to get viewed that way.

Sunshine has two protagonists - Regan Morel, a recent college grad trying to make her way in the world and Matthew Fischer, who is a little world-weary and coming off of a divorce. The central question of the story is, can chemistry overcome difficult circumstances and a nasty ex-boyfriend. Pick up a copy and find out (hint, hint).

While my two previous published stories, Born Again and Eden Effect, had elements of romance about them, Sunshine is my first for-real romance. I don't think it will be the last one I'll write, either. I can't see myself ever writing Harlequin or Debbie Macomber style romances. I could envision something more along the lines of Nicholas Sparks or Richard Paul Evans.

Anyway, I want to thank my editor, Mr. Bryon Quertermous. He's a real pro, can spot a typo or plot hole from a mile away and his prices are very reasonable. Hire him.  Most of all, I want to thank my wife, Cora, and my kids for giving me the time I needed to write the story.