I’m writing you this the night before Wylde Wings launches into the world thinking about all my mistakes.
At the end of a software project, you usually have a post-mortem to talk about what worked and what didn’t. The interesting thing about writing and publishing a book is that the end is not always a fixed point. You write the book, and then you revise the book, and then you edit the book, and then you revise it again. For indie authors, you’re revising up until the moment you order your print books…and often afterwards. You have to decide when the book is good enough.
There will always be more work to do.
So, as Wylde Wings takes flight, I thought I’d share with you a few mistakes I’ve made.
Like how, for example, Publisher’s Weekly does not, in fact, have an apostrophe (Publishers Weekly).
Furthermore, if you have a paperback and a hardcover, they will be different sizes. If the book is illustrated, that means you will…have two different page sizes. This will take a lot of your time formatting and editing.
Bad solution: Add extra words. Real solution? Add extra words.
It’s like one of those “Spot the Differences” games in the newspaper. My mom says you should buy both the hardback AND the paperback and do a comparison study of the two.
Clearly, helping a book take flight is a whole thing. You need good people to help you make it happen. I got to work with one of the best, Brian W. Parker.
One of the most important things I’ve learned is finding friends to make the journey joyful. Brian brought his joy and wonder, and we felt it from you too. Thank you for being part of our community and helping bring this book into the world. You gave it wings.
Always Learning from Mistakes
Lots of mistakes, but don’t worry – I’m happy. So happy to share this book with you and to get this story out into the world. The journey goes on, ever forward, and I’m always learning. I hope you are too.
Shine on,
Kate
