Do you remember that scene in Star Wars Ep. 4 when they're attacking the first Death Star? The X-wing pilot is staring at his targeting computer and just keeps repeating his mantra, "almost there...almost there."
<iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/z5cNqbFbMTDA4" width="480" height="204" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/johannagiphy-star-wars-death-z5cNqbFbMTDA4">via GIPHY</a></p>
Well, that's how I feel these days. As of this writing I am 11 days short of launch day. As soon as the auto glass company gets here and fixes my windshield (check my instagram feed and you'll see what I'm talking about) I am meeting up with my superb editor extraordinaire Nicole and we're heading out to the bookstores around Cape to try to convince them that they need to carry lots of copies of "Season On the Brink" on their shelves.
This week has been so exciting. The book is finally available for pre-order on Amazon and I've sold a handful of digital copies there. About 15 minutes after it went live I had sold my first one, and officially became a paid author/novelist. My daughter and I high-fived, and then I realized how many more I need to move to break even and how much promotion I need to do and ... Let's just say it got a little overwhelming for a second.
None of that matters, though. It's officially real now.
We are still struggling through some of the tiny details with our printers. That's been a hassle, but it comes with the territory. When you sit down to write a book you never take into account all of the other stuff that you're going to have to do. The few other authors I know warned me, but there's a difference between someone saying "it's going to be a lot" and actually experiencing it.
I'm trying to look at it all as new challenges and experiences. One of the next things I'm going to be doing is setting up signings and a launch party. You're invited, I'll let you know where and when.
Then it's on to the next challenge...the sequel. By the way, I've already started writing it. Well, I've written part of a chapter and have a rough outline going.
It's a start.