When Your Dream Sends You Over the Proverbial Cliff

Family:

Have you ever had something sit, like literally sit on your heart, and you can't be divested from it? Not necessarily eating away at but just sitting there? Almost niggling away, reminding you of it?

I've been thinking about it hard. About my last conference with Muse 2012 (see When Your "Aha!" Becomes "Oh No" to "Hmm Ok"). Words are still ringing: I have an issue with the market - that it may not sell as well as I would like. That an agent or a publisher would be reluctant to pick it up and invest in it. And it is amazing that out of all the feedback one would get about how great your work is that the more disheartening one would stick the most.

It could be enough to send you back to hide with your dreams and bury them.

It could. As for me, I refuse to hide. I've worked too hard. So I jumping over the cliff!

The more I think about my novel The Balancer, the more I think it has to be printed. And I don't want to sound like a pretentious wanna be who can't take criticism. I can and very much welcome it. I always want to do better. But the same time, I believe that my work deserves a chance to get readers. It may not be profitable to others, but it is profitable to me.

Ergo, a new plan! Drum roll.....SELF-PUBLISHING!

Yes, I am entering into the world of self-publishing. Well more like supported self-publishing. I'll get into that in a minute. But yes my dreams are sending me over the proverbial cliff and I can't wait to see where I land. It is going to take a lot more work - a lot of self-promotion and investment into myself but I think I owe to myself to try. Some might say you haven't given it a chance. You haven't really tried to send out the work. Don't you think this is a bit premature?

Possibly.

However, I think I have something to prove to myself. I have to prove to myself that I can enter this world of publishing and novel-writing and still survive. What better way to prove it than self-imposed deadlines, nose to grindstone marketing and hard-working editing?  Perhaps this will garner attention from agents and publishers who may have been reluctant to take on my work. Besides, I think that if later on with my later novels (yes there will be others) get picked up by more traditional means, I will appreciate it all the more. :) The bottom line is don't allow nay-sayers to stop you from taking a dive that you are meant to take! Take a deep breath, run and jump!

So I have partnered with Abbott Press (really great and personable staff) and I will be working with them to design, copy-edit, polish and publish my novel. I'm so excited about I keep visiting page and asking myself, Wow I am really about to do this! In the meantime I am raising funds to cover everything. A downfall of self-publishing is the paid resources aren't there for you. But it is OK! We can still make this happen on a grand scale! Just you wait and see!

If you like to help me toward my cause, you can also donate. Check out the link. I'm already just bit over half of what I need! If you believe that I can produce great work or if you just believe in making your own dreams come  true, please do donate!

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