Anne Lamott explains how you know you're ready to publish in her book, Bird by Bird. She says, "Finally something inside you just says it's time to get on to the next thing. Of course, there will always be more you could do, but you have to remind yourself that perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor.... Even though you know that your manuscript is not perfect, and you'd hoped for so much more... if you also know that there is simply no more steam in the pressure cooker and that it's the very best you can do for now--well? I think this means that you are done."*
I wrote a novel for my Honor's Thesis back in college. This was almost eight years ago. I went through several drafts even after submitting it to my committee and graduating. And then I sat on it for several years. I had several friends give me some feedback, and I still didn't publish it. It wasn't good enough. And I was working on some other projects.
Then, this year, I told myself that I would get it published. And I mean, submit it to an editor and start the whole process of signing with a publishing company. My dream of being a published author would finally come true.
So I read through the whole book, fixing errors and re-writing some passages as I went. And by the time I finished, I swore I would never let it see the light of day. I didn't think it was good enough to send to an editor. And I knew that I didn't want to work on the book any more, so if an editor sent it back to me and requested extensive revisions I would not be able to bring myself to do it. The book is done. I can't work on it any more.
And I remembered the above quote. No, the book isn't perfect, but it's be very best I can do. The way it is now is the way it will probably always be. And the truth is, I like this book. It has problems, but it's a story I would like to share, even if it is only among a few people.
And I sort of thought about self-publishing. I wouldn't have to please an editor or a publishing company. And I wouldn't have to sign any deals that I release more books with them. I have a kid now, and my writing time is very limited; I can't guarantee a book will be done every year.
And either Google reads minds or I don't remember searching for self-publishing options because I randomly started getting suggestions in my Google feed related to self-publishing. The articles talked about women in India who only self-publish and make a living out of it. One woman had almost fifty books on Amazon, and she said she loved the freedom to release as many stories as she wants when she wants.
So the idea grew in my mind until I finally decided to do it. I've always wanted to be published. I had thought for a long time that that meant signing with a publishing company. But in the end, this might actually work out better for me and my family. After reading through Kindle Direct Publishing's process, I'm getting excited to release my ebook through them. And I'm excited to share this story with you.
If you're sitting on a piece of writing, maybe take a look at it again and ask yourself: is it done? And if it is, what are you going to do with it?
Scripted, my first novel, is now available exclusively on Amazon Kindle. The paperback will also be available shortly.
*Lamott, Anne. Bird by Bird. Anchor Books, 1995, pp. 93-94
