Next Step

The first draft of Rancid is finished!

If you follow me on Facebook, you already know this. (And, by the way, if you don’t follow me on Facebook, you should. You get lots of cool information and get to vote in some of the decisions surrounding the next book. Find me here!)

But what does this mean? Does it mean that Rancid will be hitting the shelves next week? I thought I’d give you an update of what is coming next for me and how soon you can expect Rancid to be completely finished.

First of all, let me say that Rancid has taken far longer than I ever planned to finish. My only excuse is that I was pregnant and now have a wonderful girl to care for all day (and all night). I think that is a good enough reason. My plans for the future are for books to come out a lot faster. In fact, I have a lot of plans for the future that should keep you busy reading for a long time!

But let’s return to Rancid. The first draft is finished. That means everything from beginning to end is on paper – well – on the computer screen. Next, I will go through it and edit it. This involves putting in sneaky clues to give you a small idea of what might be coming next. I’ll make sure the action is tight and plentiful, and the suspense is gripping. I might even have to cut a few words since it’s pretty long right now.

Then, I’ll give it to a few very trusted individuals to edit it for me. You can pray for me during this process. (Actually, you can pray for me during each step. I need all the prayers I can get!) Their job is to find every tiny little mistake and problems. If I spelled something wrong, *gasp* it’s their job to find it. If I have a weak plot point, *double gasp* they have to point it out to me. It is absolutely wonderful that they do this because it makes a better book for you to read. Sometimes though, it gets very disheartening. After these people go through it, I go back and fix all the errors. Then I read it and reread many times to make sure everything is just how I want it.

During this time, I’ll be working with a graphic artist to design a cover. I already have a few ideas, but I’m excited to see how the ideas turn out. I’m hoping that by the time the edits get done, the cover will be finished.

Finally, with everything ready to go, I upload to a publishing company. I believe that I will use Createspace again. I haven’t completely decided yet. However, I format the manuscript and upload it. In a few days after that, I receive a sample copy. If it’s fine, then we are good to go. If not, it takes a couple of days to fix whatever needs it. At the same time, I will be uploading it to Kindle to be available as an e-book.

So, it all comes down to this question. When will Rancid be available for you to read?

I have no idea.

It depends on how fast the editors work, on how smoothly it goes into print, on how quickly Amazon can make it available as an e-book.

I hope it will be ready sometime in March, but there are no promises.

What can you do until then?

Re-read Toxic. There are some clues in it that will tell you what happens in Rancid. See if you can find them. If you lost your copy, you can buy more here!
Review Toxic on Amazon. Since it’s fresh in your mind after a re-read, feel free to jump onto Amazon and give it a review. These reviews help other readers decide if they want to read it or not, and they always make me smile!
Stay in touch. There are going to be lots of exciting things happening as we get closer. Make sure to follow my blog here and like me on Facebook so that you don’t miss out. You might even get to help me select what is on the cover! So stay tuned!
Spread the word. If you like Toxic, lend it to a friend or even an enemy – if you don’t get it back, you can always buy another one! Share the story. Isn’t that what books are all about?
Pray for me. As a new Mom, sometimes I don’t get a lot of sleep or a lot of time to work. The better I can focus when I have time, the faster it will get done! Pray, also, that the message God wants me to give will be found in the words He gives me to write.
Stay being wonderful! I am constantly overwhelmed by the love and support of you and all my fans! It thrills me to no end when you purchase it and let me know that you liked it. I am so honored to bring a story to you and am very honored to have you a part of this incredible journey. Thank you so very much for believing in me and giving the book a try.

 

And now I’m off to talk to the graphic designer about the cover! I’ll keep you posted!