The Hard Truth: The Cost of Readying a Book for Publication
I’m getting a rude awakening these days. After talking to editors, getting quotes, and essentially deciding on one, I’m learning this first pass typically won’t be my last. It wouldn’t be so bad except that the first pass can be anywhere from $1200 to $3000 for a complete developmental edit. Having to do it again before I even get to a last proofreading edit, much less publication (assuming I self-publish), cover art, formatting, and probably a million other things I haven’t figured out yet is, to say the least, daunting. Should I decide to hybrid publish, add at least another 4-6,000 to the tally.
I even thought about launching a Kickstarter campaign or a GoFundMe (though that would never happen. I have a bad taste in my mouth for GoFundMe these days). The thought didn’t last long as my inner critic started screaming Who’s going to invest in an unknown author who has yet to publish a single thing or establish a large enough presence to sell enough books to cover her costs? Wouldn’t you know she manages to follow me into every phase? I have to learn to vanquish her over and over again. If only she could be pacified with wine and chocolate so she’d go sit in a corner and leave me alone for good!
In the end, I’m reconciling myself to working with a single editorial pass. I’m not in a place or mindset to spend $10,000 or more just to get my first book published, and I’m guessing most first-time authors (aside from those who have unlimited means) are in the same boat. I suspect more than might admit make do with one developmental edit and maybe a couple more to ensure spelling, grammar, and punctuation don’t have glaring errors.
Sticking to My Budget No Matter What
Regardless, I know what I can manage, and, as with everything else I’ve done over the years, 
I’ve set myself a budget and will stick to it, unless the Fairy God-Editor drops down and gives me other options heretofore unrecognized. In other words, my first book will not become a money pit, or a cash cow for an editor who believes in perfection before launching.
I’ve learned in the years I’ve been writing essentially full-time there’s no such thing as perfect. No matter how many times I edit and re-write, I’ll always find more things to change. But like test-taking, there comes a point where I’m second-guessing myself, and in all likelihood, making things worse, not better. At some point, I have to tell myself this is good enough and push my literary baby out of the nest.
She may fly. She may fall 1000 feet to the ground where her binding splits and her pages scatter to the winds. I have to tell myself I have an infinite number of words and stories inside me, so if one fails to launch, I have to keep writing. Not everything I’ve ever done in life has been a rousing success, nor has everything been a devastating failure. Most things fall somewhere in between, and the less time I spend worrying things to death, the more time I have to create more.
KIMF
A friend of mine has a saying: KIMF, which stands for “Keep It Moving Forward”. Sink or swim, run or fall, as long as we keep moving, we’ll eventually achieve that success so many of us seek in one way or another. In dancing, we say: “If all else fails, keep stepping”, and as dancing is a very close second for me , passion-wise, I can learn from the other thing that makes me happy no matter what. It doesn’t matter if I miss steps here and there, screw up and have to restart or catch up. All that matters is I keep stepping.
So it will be with Life Torn Asunder; Rebuilding After Suicide. I’ve already stumbled and fallen dozens of times, yet found a way to finish the draft and even rewrite large portions of the thing. At the 11th hour, I added a chapter I felt needed to be included, but didn’t come to me until after an emotion-filled session with pen, notebook, and writing prompt. I know it’s far from perfect, and no amount of editing will make it so. It’ll get better, and I can edit and re-edit until my eyes pop out of my head and roll around on the desk. Still, it won’t be perfect.
Making a Difference Means More Than Making a Fortune
Thankfully, perfectionism has never been one of my faults. I will be over-the-moon ecstatic when I reach what I consider “good enough”. I’ll put wings on my little creation and push it out of the nest so I can move on to one of the other eggs I have ready to hatch. Whether I gain traction and a following with my first book or my 10th, the main thing for me is to keep writing, and keep touching at least one person. For me, that’s enough.
This week, after reading one of my blog posts, a friend messaged me to say:
Was just reading your blog about your dad. You’ve been in my thoughts lately since a week ago we lost another family member to addiction, which as we’ve discussed is a kind of suicide. So I just wanted to thank you again for all you’ve shared. I wonder if you have any idea of how much you’ve helped not just me, but who knows how many? Keep on writing, friend!
Those words inspired me more than hitting the best seller list ever will because they were personal and heartfelt. They also referred to a blog post which saw no edits but my own, and those were mostly grammatical. It was written in less than an hour, reviewed quickly, formatted, and scheduled for posting two weeks in advance.
Writing More for Content than Form
I do a lot of my writing that way these days. Sure, I know a whole book goes by an entirely 
different set of rules, but in the end, as writers we hope someone reads our words and is moved in some way. So thank you to all who read my words here or on my blog. You keep me writing even when I feel like I have nothing to say. You inspire me to share more and more of myself when you tell me I’ve said something to which you can relate.
I write for myself, but more and more, I write for the many who find my words somehow useful or inspiring. Thank you for inspiring me to keep using my gift even when the words I write aren’t easy to share.
About the Author
Sheri Conaway is a writer, blogger, ghostwriter, and advocate for cats. Sheri believes in the Laws of Attraction, 
but only if you are a participant rather than just an observer. Her mission is to Make Vulnerable Beautiful and help entrepreneurs touch the souls of their readers and clients so they can increase their impact and their income. If you’d like to have her write for you, please visit her Hire Me page for more information. You can also find her on Facebook Sheri Levenstein-Conaway Author. And check out her new group, Putting Your Whole Heart Forward.
Be sure to watch this space for news of the upcoming release of “Life Torn Asunder: Rebuilding After Suicide”.
