He has not the patience.

Luke Skywalker first met Yoda on the planet Degobah. After a short while with him, Yoda says something like, "I cannot teach this one. He has not the patience."

I think this is something I have learned about myself this last year as well. I have not the patience. That's why having a professional edit my novels makes a lot of sense. I would have published "Flypaper Boy" and "Shooting Stars" before they were ready.

I just got Shooting Stars back from my editor yesterday, and it looks done. I've read her remarks about the changes I made based on her previous suggestions, and we're in agreement, it could work now. She killed a lot of my darlings for me. Things I thought were pretty clever or touching were actually slowing down the pace of the story. 

Knowing the text is ready, I want to publish it today. "Have patience, young padawan... "

I had tentatively set the release date for this novel as January 31, 2015 when I sent it back to Jen for another review. But, now that I have it back in my hot little hands, I want to rush and get it on the market. I tried to rush Flypaper Boy and felt really stressed trying to get it published a week after I finished the edits and got my book cover done. The things I still need to do before I can publish this one, is:

Finish the blurb on the back side of the book cover.
Format the front pages and back pages of the book.
Upload the cover and finalize the text with Create Space.
Get the proof copy made by Create Space and check for formatting errors, make changes.
Set up a Kindle Countdown of "Flypaper Boy" to co-inside with the release of "Shooting Stars"

I think that's all. 

I have a special deal for all of you non-existent followers of my blog. The Kindle version will only be 99 cents for the first two days of the release, so get it while it's cheap.

pec

My new blog: I Want To Retire, Someday.

I'd like to retire, someday.

The facts are, I'm getting older and I don't have enough to retire on and live a somewhat comfortable life. I originally figured I would work until I was about 70 and by that point I would have so few people depending on my for anything that I could just go live in a cardboard box somewhere in Los Angeles where it doesn't get to cold in the winter.

It doesn't look like things will work out the way I'd like. Both of my younger children, age 12 and 10, are likely to need guidance and support for the better part of their lives; especially my boy with autism. In about ten years, when he ages out of the school system, I will need to be available assist him during the day. Working a full time job will not accomodate the time I'll need to spend with him. 

Wait. Let me rephrase that... The time I would like to spend with him.

I may have mentioned previously that my plan is to turn my writing into my retirement. There are ONLY two things I need to make that a reality:

1) Publish three novels per year, preferably in ongoing series's. (I'm not happy with that apostrophe.)
2) Get people to buy them.

I think I can do number 1. It's number 2 I'm kind of lost at.

My first novel was published at the end of September. I should have my second published in January of 2015. (That's next month. I just sent it back to my editor for a second look.) And my third novel is with another editor and should publish in March to April of 2015. I have three more manuscripts, three more stories outlined, and at least three more stories (in concept form) to go with the serieseseses that I have begun. I'm pretty sure I can knock out three novels a year.

It's the getting people to buy them that is my problem, and that is going to be the basis for my blog. One of the ways I have heard other people gained notoriety for their novels is by writing a blog. So, here's my blog. I will try to relate on a daily to weekly basis what I discover about getting my books notice and how I am able to get them sold.

pec