Don't Press That Key

Don’t Press That Key
By
Alida Chaney


I wrote a book. I know it’s been said a million times, but, not from me. Though, I’ve said it to many people many times, I never took the next step. You’ve heard of pregnant pauses, haven’t you? Well, mine was like an elephant’s pregnancy - - -almost two years.
It was the next step that had me stumped and, I don’t think I’m alone.
The next pause wasn’t as long; thank God. In that two-year period I attended writing conferences and heard what the next step was. Of course it was from they’re point of view. I began.
I sent out query letters and got rejections. Oh, and I sent out query letters and, did I mention, I got rejections. This process went on and on with only a fleeting moment of excitement when an agent said, for a fee—$1000—he would be more than happy to look at my manuscript because he loved the concept. Yes, I did. Call me stupid, but I did. After my $1000 was long gone and the agent never returned my calls, I caught on.
Off and on, I would surf the internet and stop at the self-publishing sites. Should I or shouldn’t I? I fought with myself to the point of mental bruises. I would sign up to get their newsletters, but that was it. Every time I saw the icon, click here to get started, I’d run away by signing off the internet and sending out another query letter and getting another rejection letter.

I spoke to other authors and they would discourage me from the self-publishing arena, saying it wasn’t the tried and true way to get published. I would also hear about the self-published, a big example was Chicken Soup For The Soul, that was now in the mainstream. What to do? Then, I got one rejection letter that I knew was meant for me. “You have chosen a genre that has glutted the market.” Ah, so that was it. There were too many of me. I knew my book had a good plotline but if medical mystery was the sweetheart of the time, I had to figure out the next step. I wanted to scream, “Agents, publishers, and readers, give my book a chance.”
I went back to the self-publishing website that I had been peeking at for over two years. This time, I went one step further and paid the down payment fee but still stayed away from THAT key.
I was afraid, but of what? I needed to analyze what I really wanted. That didn’t take long. I wanted to be published. Period. So, on that fateful day in September, I took a deep breath and pressed THAT key. I was in.
The money paid, the butterflies stirring in my stomach, the first e-mail from my author representative, the butterflies in my stomach, and then the final product, my book in print. No butterflies.
The self-publishing arena is a friendly way to publish your book. You have a person that will lead you through the maze from how to upload your manuscript to how to market the finished product.
I have a finished product in my hand. It didn’t hurt. In fact, it was a great ride. I have to do the marketing, but with the help of my author rep, I am getting some very good ideas and hints. Doing your own marketing isn’t unique to the self-publishing world. All authors must market their product, I just get to pick how much and how often I want to do it. It’s my book, my growth, and my reward.
Writing is a process. Publishing is a process. The first one is fun. That’s what we do. We crash into our other world and bring a story to life. The second is uncharted territory, but, ladies and gentlemen, I have discovered that too can be fun.
As a writer you have to decide. If publication is your final goal, find a way to get there. Use whatever means that is at your disposal. I did and I’m having a ball.
Just remember, what it took me years to find out, THAT key isn’t your enemy.