The Biggest Challenge of Self-Publishing
The hardest part about self-publishing, for me at least, is not the lack of support in marketing (ugh), design, distribution, or the administrative process of copyrighting and obtaining an ISBN. No, it’s the lack of clear validation. It’s missing out on the confirmation that your book meets a certain standard and it’s ready for publishing.
It’s reassurance.
Beta readers help, they do. I’ve started getting feedback on LISHKA from the beta readers, all of whom I know personally. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with some fabulous insights for consideration to make the novel that much better. Yet because the feedback has been so good, I keep thinking: is there something they are not telling me? Is there something big I’m missing that readers will catch, and capture in their reviews?
My beta readers are wonderful. They are all ideal readers for LISHKA in both genre and style, and I absolutely trust them to be 100% honest. Yet my own insecurities keep pricking at me, that the writing will not be up to par with other traditionally published books. I have told a few of them: I just don’t want to be embarrassed.
I recognize that traditionally published does not always mean the writing is polished and the plot is without gaps. Still, in self-publishing, it is the author who decides when the novel is good enough, when it is ready to release it out into the wild to its readers. After working on LISHKA for so long, I’m starting to worry that it will be hard to stop. That I will always want to polish that paragraph, tweak that one word. That I simply have lost any ability to “see” any issues in the book … or quite frankly, to see that it’s polished and ready!
After beta readers, I will do one last read and apply any of their feedback. No doubt, I will be unable to hold back from further fussing with the copy (I actually read a little bit last night and found a few words I wanted to tweak. Nothing game-changer, but whew it’s just hard to stop the fussing).
I’m not hugely looking forward to this implementation of beta feedback. A very large part of me just wants it to be over, to be done. To be in print where I can shrug and say, well I cannot touch it anymore. So I’ve been simultaneously happy and concerned to get no big red flags from my beta readers (I mean, minor feedback means minor edits, right?). I’m ready to move on from this novel and start agonizing over the next one.
Once I’m secure(enough) in the book, I’ll hire a proofreader to ensure I have not made any faux pas with my grammar and terminology. I’ve just started seeking out this professional. Upon a quick search of proofreaders, I grew quickly overwhelmed and instead flung up a job post on Upwork to see what editor fish I can catch. In scrolling profiles, one such person caught my eye and after a very quick check of her portfolio, I sent her an invite to consider the job.
After the proofread, I hope I’ll feel confident enough to let the words go to the designer for layout, where it will then be untouchable by twitchy, nervous author hands.
In my twin’s words, I cannot keep working on this book forever. I just have to go for it.
