February 27, 2006

My Road to Publication - Part I

My family would be the first to tell you that I may have bursts of creative genius, but my grasp on the reality of my financial situation can be a bit off at times.

How so? Well, let''s just say that my book was created with a dream, some late hours and a serious payment plan.

Strengths:

1. Saleswoman: Once I believe in my product, I can sell glasses to a blind person or ice to an Eskimo.
   
2. Product: I knew I had a viable product (which as of this writing hasn''t yet been proven... but you know what you know, when you know that you know.)
   
   
3. Audience: I knew I had an audience because the topic is universal enough to capture the interest of both men and women, yet targeted enough to fulfill a niche.
   
   
4. Blessing: Not only was I determined to see the project through, apparently... so was God. Everytime I was ready to give up, He prodded me along.

Weaknesses:

1. Poor grammar, syntax, punctuation and the like: I graduated High School in 1983, had a little less than a year of college, then dropped out due to marriage and a swift pregnancy thereafter and have yet to return to complete same.
   
2. Fear of success: As the youngest of eight and a competitive one at that. I seem always to have been playing catchup and the funny thing is, no one else was aware of the competition, but me! So--gifted, talented, creative, maybe. But my M.O. became, half-hearted tries or not to try at all, because to try and fail would mean that my sense of inadequacy was correct all along, I''d never amount to anything much to impress my siblings.
   
3. Pride: How can I be prideful, yet lack a sense of my self-worth?  Obviously it was entirely possible.  I had the urge to control everything and do everything for myself, because to ask for help or admit that I was unable to accomplish a task which seemed simple to others would mean that I was incapable. 

With all of the above baggage going back and forth in my head, I stopped and started on many an occasion. I began several books which are all at different levels of completion, trying to write that grand book that would make everyone stop, stare and marvel at my greatness! Then the moment the plot wouldn''t move, each project was abandoned for the next great project!

Finally in the midst of all of this I discovered blogging! An inveterate recorder via diaries, this was like gold to a woman who hated the thought of transcribing her notes into the computer.

I had finally found my niche! I discovered Lulu in 2003 and revisited their website yearly thereafter, reminding myself that one day, I'd use their services to bring my words to life.

Then in 2006 enter the Lulu Blooker Award which allowed me to unite my two passions into one format. It was only at the point of writing the foreword for my book that I paused. Somewhere along the way, amidst all my striving to get to that very point, I seemed to have forgotten my motivation. How so? Well, I couldn't coherently write in one paragraph the purpose of the book.

How could this be? I had lost sight of my purpose. I was so busy focussing on the outcome--a printed book in my hands with my pen name on it, that I neglected to enjoy the process of creation, the new joy of discovery and as such stay tuned into the purpose or motivation of the book.

I had overcome the above-mentioned self-imposed obstacles by hiring an editor, graphic and layout artist. I channeled the negativity of my competitive nature to fuel my completion of the book, but somewhere along the way, I had lost my purpose--the sharing of my experiences, cautioning the naive and proposing an alternate choice for those looking for love.

Luckily, God allows these moments to occur to realign our focus.

So as you begin your road to publication some points to consider: (which will each be discussed in depth).

• Motivation - Know why you desire to be published and be true to it.
• Audience - Have a specific audience in mind and know what it takes to garner and keep their interest.
• Marketing - Consider and research how you're going reach your market.
• Publication - Traditional, Print On Demand (POD) or Self-Publishing?

Till next time,
Dee