Be Afraid, Be very Afraid, But do it Anyway

When is a book finished? Probably when the author dies. Right now I'm doing what most of us are afraid to do, and that is taking a look at my major books with a fresh pair of eyes--my own. Sure some will go to an Editor at some point, but I can't believe what I'm seeing that's making me cringe at this point in time. Bloopers of course, in the category of misspellings, punctuation, and the extra word that I meant to delete. But misnaming a character on a later page? Putting backstory right in the middle of the action? Ugh! and there are many other ughs to numerous to mention.

What caused this? Rushing, not being in the moment, sleepy-eyed editing, woking nights and being tired, and just not paying attention. Worrying about the so-called business of writing and not the writing. Ugh! Get off that Facebook and Twitter marketing page. And absolutely stay away from the printshop with your orders for bookmarks, posters, and business cards until you've put your best book out there. Amazon forums are full of "Why is my book not selling? I've bought bookmarks and magnetic signs for the car!" Take a look at your book. I'm taking a look at mine. Ouch! It hurts! If you want to lessen the pain, do get an Editor at some point in the process.

Sorry. The picture had nothing to do with the subject.

charlesharveyauthor.com