Sweating bullets and dripping gold paint.

5 minutes

Friends,

I took half this week off to prepare for the upcoming Barnes & Noble signing this weekend. Although I am only slated for a two-hour block of time, those two hours have equated to 80 hours of behind-the-scenes work.

Particularly gilding the edges of the books. All 60 of them.

80 hours of sweating bullets and dripping gold paint.

I wanted to do something special to lure potential readers to my table, and nothing says ‘I’m cool’ like golden edges on a fantasy book. They add to the mystery and are eye-catching.

It says, ‘This author knows what they are doing.’

The back story.

Knowing that I had an uphill battle to regain the trust of readers that I was presenting to them a book that was well edited, formatted, and had a solid foundational plot line- I had to do something more.

When my book was hastily thrown into the wilds of the internet back in 2023- I failed on my different levels. Granted- not knowing I was failing- but failing nonetheless.

I had done my homework but I hadn’t stopped to really look at my book from the critical eye of the reader. I heard the book in my head but did not read what was written.

This is not a pity party. This is me learning a life lesson.

Intention doesn’t always equate to quality.

The good and the bad.

I pulled the books and did a rewrite. And now I am playing catch up. But hundreds of my unprofessionally edited books are swinging from the rafters, and I have to brace myself for the reviews.

And they are coming in.

Hot.

Unapologetic in their swift and deadly slashing of my labor of love.

Now, in all honesty, a few reviews for the improved versions are floating in like the first snowfall of winter- light and airy. And it’s helping to offset my broken heart. But it still hurts.

Sweating the details.

Knowing now that being an author is more than just writing a compelling story- I had to figure out how to brand myself. How to make my books and face known. Become a household name and someone people wanted to hear from.

Which meant I had to swallow my pride and start begging.

How many ‘No’s’ does it take to get a ‘Yes’? About a 1,000. Maybe 722 on a really good day.

Ironically, I am a historian- and in all my studies, research, and fact-finding missions- I already knew this. It’s not a new concept. No one ever gets to the top of the mountain without leaving a trail of blood behind them.

What I also knew but didn’t put into practice is that you have to give before you can take. Another great life lesson.

Dripping gold paint.

The ‘Yes’s’ are slowly coming in. I have emailed, shown up in person, sweet-talked, and begged enough that people are caving against my relentless attack.

I have no shame. My ego has been bruised enough that I don’t think it exists anymore. Being humbled at my age is an eye-opening experience.

That is where the gilded edges come into play. I owed it to myself and the readers to show that I care enough about their reading experience to make it better—bigger, brighter, and more engaging.

The time I spent bent over the kitchen table with a small paintbrush and a stack of awaiting books was a reminder that nothing in life comes easily.

Now, you might say that I am putting too much thought into my gilded edges and that it’s not worth it. The book is what it is, with or without the golden shimmer.

I argue that you are wrong.

Does an artist stop their masterpieces without the fine lines of details? Does a musician create music without the beat? Does a chef not add mouth-watering spices to their plates of well-prepared food?

Does an author not create a world for their readers for them to get lost in?

Setting a bar.

For now- this is my bar. I have set it high. Maybe unrealistically high. But until my name is sitting on the New York Best Sellers list and I have publishing companies pounding at my door- this is where I stand.

What started out as a hobby has now become a way of life. It has become a permanent goal on my whiteboard. Written in red with a permanent Sharpie pen.

Sunday, I am back to gilded edges. I have a couple more events this year that I have gotten ‘yes’ on—The Emerald City Romance Writers and Readers Event, an authors’ meet and greet at the Anacortes, WA public library, and an event at Village Book Indie Book Store in Fairhaven, WA.

They deserve just as much attention to detail as Barnes & Noble is getting from me.

Wish me luck, and I hope to see you all there!

Until tomorrow, my friends- Keep Reading and Stay Caffeinated.

From Scottish gods to the mystery of Medusa’s life and on to the European Witch Trials, the Raven Society is tasked with finding the truth in history’s inconsistencies. Hold your hats on this epic adventure to save lost souls from being forgotten.

The Writer and The Librarian (Book 1):

https://books2read.com/The-Writer-And-The-Librarian

Signed copies at:

https://rlgeerrobbins.com/product/the-writer-and-the-librarian-the-raven-society-book-1/

The Under Covers Bookstore (UK):

The Writer and the Librarian | The Under Covers (theundercoversbookstoreandcafe.com)

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