The dark side, or obvious side perhaps, of self-publishing is that you have to do every thing yourself. The editing, the marketing, the networking, building an audience, all of it. There are so many jobs on the periphery of writing that can be overwhelming. It isn’t just getting the book into the hands of potential readers, but then trying to remind and beg for reviews and plugs. And all during that sliver of time when I’m not sleeping, at my real life job, or fathering.
The peripheries can be so intrusive that it cane easy to forget the simple pleasure of just writing. Of just getting the story out. Of turning the pages from white to black. Of opening that part that just lets the story pour out. Tapping into that ether that not only gets that story down but also lets me line up how the story needs to go.
Nothing helps me build and connect storylines like the simple act of writing them. As much as I like my outlining and brainstorming they just don’t compete to just writing.
So, yeah, self-publishing comes with a lot of chores and every now and then I have to remind myself that the chores are the work. The fun is in writing. The odd part is, even thought the writing is more fun, it is also the more daunting task.
I wonder why that is. I’ll have to ponder that. And you know what helps pondering? Writing it down.
Deadly Troubadour 