I hope everyone has launched into the new year in good spirits and in good shape. My 2013 was–how shall we put it–an exciting and perilous year for myself, along with many other aspiring authors who are taking our first modest, shaky steps into self publishing.
I had some success in 2013. My biggest was making the time to rewrite and revise Return – The Survivalists–a young adult novella or a “light novel” in the tradition of similar works from Asia. This was also the first year I started a blog. This beautiful one, to be precise (and thanks, by the way, for stopping by this past year). I also read a lot of entertaining books this past year and I’ve come to believe that reading literature is the most mentally stimulating and value-packed recreational activity that a person can indulge in today. With the cost of cable and interactive entertainment climbing faster than ever, can you think of an amusement where you can escape into whole other worlds for mere pennies?
To be honest, there were more failures than successes. I learned the hard way that patience is key to crafting good work. If I can give other aspiring self-published writers advice it is to take your time getting published. Read and study as much about the writing craft as possible. Revise, revise, revise your manuscript until you find no mistakes, then hire an honest, professional editor with a rock solid track record of published work to revise it, then revise it again yourself. When that is done, send it to a professional proofreader—preferably an entirely different person than your editor–for a line edit. Do not even think of publishing your work on a bargain or without professional assistance. Scrape together the money, take the time and make the effort to tell your story well or your awesome tale will be as attractive–and sell as readily–as badly made crochet socks and lumpy homemade pottery.
Now, what am I looking forward to next year as an author? Posting book content online more frequently and in smaller, easier to manage, parts; publishing Volume 1 (Books 1 and 2) as a trade paperback. I also want to develop my skills and writing craft. There’s also submitting some short stories to zines as well as book reviews. Finally meeting more readers who enjoy my work and writers whose work I enjoy because let’s face it, what us writers really want is attention, and lots of it. Yeah, I said it. Someone had to go there! (^_^)>
Now, what do you celebrate as a writer or a reader? What is your new years resolution for writing and reading this year? I’m looking forward to hearing from you and have a productive and fruitful New Year. -JK
Return: A Light Novel Series 