or, biting off more than I can chew.
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โ๐ปWriting Updates
I made the brilliant (re: mad) decision to edit two manuscripts simultaneously, and it was sort of working. Is working. Sort of. I mean, Iโm getting the edits done at a relatively decent pace (for me), but Iโm starting to come to terms that what I thought would be a final proofread for Before You Called Me Baby (Book 1) is turning into a solid final (final) content edit. A mild developmental edit, if you will. Definitely not the simple line edit I thought it would be.
And thatโs ok. Whatever makes the book better. Iโm here for the long haul, after all. But it does mean coming to terms with the fact that I may not hit my fall release goal. Maybe late fall, if my body cooperates (with chronic migraine and summer storms triggering the pressure, thatโs a BIG if). NGL, itโs gotten me a bit down. I amped myself up for a Fall 2025 release since I wrote it in my vision board/planner back in 2021.
If youโve followed my journey onย YTย or theย blog, youโll know I queried for two years while pursuing trad pub before deciding that my work stood a better chance in indie. It was a decision I wrestled with (the thought of being a small business is daunting as heck), but Iโve been all in since I made it. Now, here I am, regretting the years I lost querying and, more recently, the time I spent thinking I was done with edits and ready for proofreading.
Still, Iโm glad I can make these changes before putting it out into the world, though it will mean some tweaks to my publication plan. Iโm also learning that my initial goal to have all three books edited and ready for a (semi)rapid release launch is not going to work. Iโm not a fast writer and editing takes me twice, if not three times as long to complete. Iโm never going to be the writer putting out 5 or 6 books (or more) in a year. Itโs just not in me, unless I quit my day job (and thatโs highly unlikely to ever to happen. Hello, I need health insurance). So, Iโm coming to terms with having to make some realistic changes to my plan, and focusing on producing the best book I create, given my current reality.
Who knows, maybe Iโll get a burst of energy and push through to the finish line to meet my goal. Iโm keeping the hope alive, if nothing else. ๐ค๐ป
๐Anyhow, here is May by the numbers
Current Drafts in Progress: 2
- Before You Called Me Babyย (Tangled Hearts Book 1)
- My Favorite Mistakeย (Tangled Hearts Book 2)
โฒ๏ธTime spent working:
BYCMB ๐
- Reading: 5 hours, 27 minutes
- Read: 66 pages
- Revising: 10 hours, 33 minutes
- Revised:ย 59.5 pages
MFM โค๏ธ
- Revising: 7 hours, 26 minutes
- Revised:ย 41 pages
Total time spent working on both drafts: 22.86 ๐
These numbers help me recognize the slow, but steady progress Iโm making. This month I lost 13 days lost to migraine and/or travel. It also took me a few tries to find the most effective editing schedule to juggle these two projects with life and work, but after a couple of weeks, I found a plan thatโs working, even though I missed some days.
As I write this, Iโm down with a cold, but still making progress. Fingers crossed that it stays mild and goes away soon.
marginalia and such 