The journey

Writing a book is easy… the hard work starts afterwards! This is such a profound statement. I remember how exciting it was when I was writing my book. With each and every chapter I produced, I was on a high. I was finally following my passion, my dream was materialising right before my eyes.  And it did not help that my circle of friends who were reading the book chapter by chapter, were cheering me on. They read each chapter when I send it out and immediately emailed me to request the next one. It was truly an exhilarating experience.

After the final chapter was done came the hard work of trying to find someone to help edit the work. I went on the web, contacted different local editors. Others told me they don’t do fiction, others were fully booked for the year, and others gave me quotations that were equal to my entire publishing.  Being an independent author, I am responsible for all the costs of producing the book, so each cent counts.  

Eventually, I ended up with two editors, and that was the best thing I did. Because I felt that with the first editor, there were some of the stuff I felt could be improved, and the second editor did work on those.  With the second editor (FirstEdit), overall the editing work was satisfactory after all the issues I had with them were cleared.  

Then came the task of formatting the interior of the book. Fortunately a colleague of mine had already recommended someone for the job, and the lady is very reasonable.  She is currently working on the layout, and hopefully will be done soon.

I must say I really struggled to get someone who I can talk to and ask for advice.  I’m sure you would agree with me that most of us writers are private individuals. This can be a problem when you need to connect with people, as in this case, who can help you. But I’m learning very fast and I’m now actively following fellow authors on twitter, Face Book and blogs. It would be nice to get in touch with other South African indie authors!

Lesson Learned

 Join some form of writers group or something, where you can get ideas and answers for your questions. This can be really a lonely journey sometimes.

Next week

The journey continues …

Introducing the Novel : The Set UP

Question :  So, tell us what is the name of your book?

Sega: The name of the book is “The Set Up”, as in the arrangement.

Question :  What is the book all about?

Sega: The book is 150 pages, about a woman named Macy, whose life falls apart when she discovers that her marriage is in danger. Her attempt at self-preservation ends in disastrous consequences, which she could never have anticipated.

Question :  Who is the target market?

Sega: 18 – 99 yrs. Both men and women would enjoy the story.

Question :  How long did it take it write?

Sega: I wrote the book last year. It took about 2 months to complete the first draft.

Question :  When is the book going to be published?

Sega: The book will be published in September this year.

Question :  Where can I get the book?

Sega: It will be available via e-stores and from me. More information will be available in September.

Question :  My friends and I want to get update on the progress, how can I subscribe?

Sega: You can send me email at book.club74@gmail.com, or follow me on twitter @Segametsi for regular updates.