Tightrope to Launch

I've delivered Charade into the capable hands of three very reliable friends: a content editor, a grammar genius, and a typical reader of novels. Hopefully, when I have implemented their suggestions along with the other steps I mention below, it will be in time to launch 
Charade before the end of December.

Right now I'm putting together the dedication, copyright, and disclaimer pages. After an edit of content and grammar based on the feedback from the famous three mentioned above, I'll begin coding the novel for upload to Amazon for Kindle e-readers. It's been a whole year since I uploaded Honor Bound in Kindle format, so I'll need to brush up on that process before I begin.

Then, of course, there's the matter of an appropriate cover for the book. I begin with photos my husband and I have taken. I've chosen one that works well, but I still need to decide on a funky font for the title and author text. Already brewing are two artsy versions of the cover I've slapped on the manuscripts for the "typical reader" and the "grammar genius." The content editor received a quickie digital version sans art.

Once I've created a cover that satisfies me, I'll need to be sure I size it properly for display on the Kindle. Getting all the pieces I've mentioned together isn't something I relish, but I need to wade into it while the manuscript remains in other hands. When I begin the upload process, I'll need to have all the pieces where I can grab them during the step-by-step process required by Amazon.

Marketing comes next, and it's not something I've totally figured out yet. I've made business cards, a website, and this blog as a foray into marketing. However, there are many avenues I've yet to investigate when it comes to promoting what I've written. Even though I've only got my little toe in the marketing and promotions bathtub, I'm hopeful that one day I'll be able to splash around with abandon.

You can easily see that there's more to this novel-writing gig than "writing." Personally, "I'd rather be writing." Maybe I should get a bumper sticker.

I'm excited about writing the companion book to Charade. If I had an agent I'm assuming I could farm out all this other "monkey business" and have the luxury of digging into my next project right away.

Tidbit: Launching a novel is like walking a tightrope.

Reaching for balance,
Cheryl