After more editing by more people than the uninitiated might imagine and a significant rewrite, my second book, Yoga for Detectives: Interconnected, was processed by the robots at Amazon today and went on sale!
A serious marketing process began this morning, something that wasn’t done for my first book. It’s a fascinating and exciting prospect.
I have a feeling that authors’ relationships with their books are a bit similar to parents’ relationships with their children as far as birth order. (with apologies to my children)
The first made me an author. The process of creating that first book was filled with exuberance and joy. The writing flowed. I’ll always have a special place in my heart for Yoga for Detectives: Lesson One. https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Detectives-Lesson-Prero/dp/1512109371it. I love having the print version on my shelf and seeing the digital version listed on Amazon.
I took the creation of the second book much more seriously. Writing the first draft of the book was just as joyful and exuberant but the many drafts that followed showed a certain maturity as a writer that I gained from having written a first book.
I joined writers’ groups and took a couple of writing courses. There were four beta readers involved. I hired a book cover artist. I read articles suggested by others in my writers’ groups, asked questions and incorporated many of the answers. I made a huge effort to get it right.
I decided to have my second book traditionally published, researched potential agents and publishing houses and learned what they look for in a manuscript. In the end, I decided that the advantages of self-publishing far outweigh the psychological advantage of being a traditionally published author. The process of structuring my book to adhere to traditional publishing standards was a process that I am happy to have accomplished, though.
Clicking approved on the final pdf file of Yoga for Detectives: Interconnected was a dramatic moment. Perhaps even more so than the first birth, approving my first book, because I invested so much more effort in perfecting it. I know so much more about how the process works and have expectations that I didn’t have when I knew so little.
Ultimately, I am in tune with the reality that, as with everything else in life, I can only do the best I can and understand that the results are out of my control. I can only write the best book I’m capable of writing at the moment, learn as much as I can and incorporate what other, more experienced, writers share with me, make use of the marketing tools available and then let go.
I’ll love it no matter how others receive it but I hope it will be enjoyed by many. I’m looking forward to reading the reviews.
A.E. Prero: Yoga, Books and Beyond 