The time that it comes to sending off a submission, or uploading your pdf to CreateSpace or Smashwords, or contacting someone to do a cover for you.
Stage fright for writers?
Not sure if we do actually get it, but unless there’s another name for it, that’s what I’m going with.
At the beginning of the year I made a plan. Get THE ROAD TO VEGAS edited and ready for self-publishing by July 1st 2012.
I did that. Set aside each Sunday for a month or two to go over and over and over it until I thought it was good. Then I sent it off for an assessment. Then I edited again and again and again until I thought it was ready to set into a CS template. I did that, and emailed people about covers which took awhile to get going as people have their own deadlines and computer issues, and all within my credit card monthly budget.
But time started getting away from me. Why? Because I was so far ahead on the editing that I didn’t think I needed to rush into the cover or template.
But was it really taking a break and not rushing? Or was it stage fright?
I got the cover going as you read last week, but here we are June and I still need to put it together in CS and then wait for a copy to ship to me. Behind in time? Absolutely. I should have had my cover done and a copy on its way to me before the end of May. But there are always setbacks.
My cover is near on done, and it won’t take long to set it up and ship a proof but I wondered about my lagging behind and what it had to do with.
All the hard work? Needing a break? Not sure I could get over the line?
I just have to keep pushing myself. It’s the way it works. Things don’t get done unless you push/force/make yourself. And that’s what I need to do. Am I scared? I don’t know but there is always this little nagging doubt and “oh no let’s not rush this” that seems to pop up in the last lap around.
Surely I can’t be the only writer to get it. I cannot be the only one to get this stage fright in the last leg of producing and publishing a book. Needing that little nudge over the line to get it done and out there. There must be others who experience the same fears or grand delusions and have to push themselves into doing it.
I cannot be the only one!
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