Publishing Frustrations and Extended Dates

As most of you know, Rose’s Wrath was supposed to be published yesterday. Few of you know that is not published. Let me explain why.

When I first wrote Rose’s Wrath in November of 2018, I had every hope of publishing it–I still do. After numerous edits, Beta readers, editors, proofreaders, etc, I felt rather confident. But, a few weeks ago, I was shown some points about my novel that really did need to be addressed. At first I was frustrated because, seeing what needed to be fixed, there was no way I’d be able to have it ready by December 1st.

News flash–it’s still not ready. That’s partially why I didn’t win NaNoWriMo this year, because I was busy with revisions. After so many false starts, it was tough to accept that my manuscript wasn’t ready for publication. I wanted it to be, but I wasn’t willing to sacrifice quality for deadlines.

As a first-time indie author, I feel a lot of pressure to make sure my novel “measures up.” But that’s not a healthy mindset to have. My novel will never be perfect–no novel is. Yes, since I have foregone the traditional route, the room for error is larger. But I have devoted time and money into seeing this through. And I know of so many authors who just went for it and published their novel, and even if there were errors, people still loved them!

So I think I’ve settled into a comfortable middle ground. I’m going to keep editing Rose’s Wrath, but at some point I’m just going to have to click publish and then run with it. I want my novel to be fun, to make sense, and to be well-loved, but I also don’t want to let perfection overwhelm me to the point where I never actually publish it.

I am so thankful for everyone who has helped me on this publishing journey. Many a time I would have given up if it weren’t for a friendly comment, a new fan, or a helpful critique.

Now, since I’m not publishing it yesterday, means I need to find a new date. Do I have one in mind? Yes. Am I sharing it? No, because I don’t want to force myself into a deadline I cannot keep. So, once these revisions are complete and I am as satisfied as I can be without perfection, then I’ll be sharing a release date.

Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me on this journey and who still are rooting for me and my characters–you guys are the best! I hope to see Rose’s Wrath available soon.