Overcoming Writer's Regret
Money I don't have
There are costs associated with self-publishing that still escape my understanding and I’ll leave it that way for the time being. When I have a book ready, I will need to hire an editor to review my work before publication. That will cost money, different amounts depending upon the level of editing my work will require. In Writing Habit Mastery the author identifies an on-line source of editors for hire. I did not even know such a thing existed.
I probably need the full treatment and not just word, grammar, and punctuation corrections. My fear is that I will pay someone to edit my work in depth and their suggestions will seem so brutal it will cause me to shut down from hurt feelings or from confusion on how to accomplish the corrections or improvements they think my work needs. I remember that one piece of work in my past, a short story about me and my father, edited by a writing instructor. I saw those red marks and suggestions, put the work away and never looked at it again. My mental state is so fragile that, when it comes to criticism of a creative work, I fear I’ll not make it to a publishable final draft, a concern that may lead me to avoid that level of edit. But I hope I find the inner strength (and the money) to subject my work to the deepest professional editing available to me.
Once all editing is accomplished and I have a final draft, my Scrivener software should assist me in formatting for publication. I will likely begin with a Kindle eBook. That seems the easiest; just guessing (I have no idea at the moment). Next, I will try an Amazon Print on Demand version. I would like to create an audio version for Audible but I am totally ignorant of the requirements. I’ll look into that possibility when the eBook and POD versions are complete.
All this -- hiring an editor, publishing in different formats -- will cost money I don’t have, and will likely not have. I will deal with that issue when I get to that point. I don’t want a perceived difficulty or implied impossibility to stall me during the creative process. The main thing is to finish writing and editing a long project. When that is done I will move to the next step.
Crowdfunding or similar sources may be a possible way to get money. Any suggestions are appreciated. My financial status will greatly limit my options if no outside source of funds emerges but I won’t confuse my brain now about those things. I will assume that some source of funding for editing and publishing costs will be available when I need it. If you have any ideas that might help in that area, please leave a comment on the first page of this article below the Table Of Contents.
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