Does the editing nightmare ever end?

Edit! Edit! Edit! At it again. Received the print version proof today for Hers to Have and needed to make some changes. One thing lead to another and boom! an edit frenzy. Mostly style issues and a couple of typos. With luck I'll have it all finished tonight. Back to the publishers tomorrow and then final proof within 24 hours. Then we'll be up and ready for the print edition.

Now my question is, why can't editing the eBook format be that simple? These same changes (the typos, like mistakenly using the word "lead" instead of "led", thank you Google docs for telling me it was wrong to begin with when I was pretty darn sure it was correct) need to be made on the eBook that has already been released on Amazon.com. Now, I submitted a format change the day the book came out, which I was informed could take up to four weeks before publishing. (See yesterday's blog for that "vent"), now I've caught the few typos and grammatical errors, which will drive me bonkers, and I have to think, is it worth the hassle of submitting the changes and waiting another four weeks? Yep. I'll probably do that. Of course it means going through the document again because as I mentioned yesterday, each format has a different document. Fun. Fun. 

Remind me again why I like writing so much? Oh yes, because it is in my brain whether I want it to be or not. The words just flow through my head as if the characters were sitting up there in their own little world babbling non stop until I put it down on the pages. Crazy? Aren't we all, just a wee bit? 

Editing Nightmares!

I don't have a lot of hair to begin with but after publishing my first book I have even less. To start with you send your manuscript countless times to numerous publishers, each of whom what it in a different format. My favorite was like the third publishing company I sent it to and they sent their response telling me they loved my story concept. It was something different from the norm, however they couldn't accept my book at this time because they had met their quota for the year (small publishing company) and also my formatting was incorrect. UGH! They were not the only one that commented about formatting. So being the OCD person I am, I pulled up the document I sent them, compared it line for line with THEIR guidelines and had a WTF moment. They were EXACTLY what was required. Frustrated did not begin to explain how I felt. Then I met a fabulous cover artist and she had a cover that screamed at me to "Pick me! Pick me". So I did and made the decision to self publish. So now we're headed into the eBook rules and when you get it ready for eBook format, you have a whole new ball of wax to deal with. 

Let's just talk about the eBook format for now. You start out with your guidelines for setting it up, say by Amazon, for example. You format your book for the millionth time and send it in. When you look at the preview, all looks good, right? Right. Then you "publish" and it's approved; goes live; you purchase your own book for you Kindle, because no, they do not offer a free download to the author/publisher. Okay. No problem. I can buy my own book. It's all good. Right? Wrong. 

I open it up on Kindle an do a little happy dance because the cover looks amazing! Then I "turn" the page and think, 'What the heck?' Turn again and your eyes bulge out. "OMG! OMG! This looks terrible," you say to yourself as you continue to scroll through the book. 

'Tighten everything up,' were the exact words of the outline guide I used. 'Don't use indents,' 'Don't space between paragraphs,' 'No page breaks' UGH! Remind me to never follow that advice again. The format needs to have some of those things.

So..... I spend another couple of hours re-editing the format to re-submit (advantage of self publishing, you can upload changes yourself). However, once Amazon approves the changes you'd think the new version would be ready for buyers, correct? Nope. It could take up to 4 weeks for them to contact anyone who purchased the book prior to the changes, so they can download the updated version. And new purchases seem to be still in the old format as well.

Now tell me how they can already approve the updates but not get them out there for the customers quicker than that when it took less than 24 hours to get the original version "live" for purchase? Oh! And I'm not finished yet. Apparently, they have to determine that the changes were significant enough to warrant notifying the customers about the update. They WERE significant I can assure you. When I was able to preview the newer version, I was amazed at the difference. The newer format is easier on the eye and everything doesn't seem to run together. 

My point of this is to say that I admire self publishers who paved the way for all of us that are learning the process now. I can't imagine what it was like before the electronic age because trust me on this, I was ready to throw my laptop out the door on multiple occasions and I think I need a hair transplant to replace all that I lost through the process.

The good news? Yes, there is some. At least my second book won't be such a nightmare. Or at least that's the attitude I'm going to have about it. And I will say this for Amazon, the overall process of getting your eBook published is fairly simple once you get the formatting down and as for the print version, step-by-step instructions as you go. I'm just waiting on the final approval from them, then I'll order the proof copy. Once I approve that, it'll be ready for consumers to order. I must admit I'm anxious to see it in print form. While eBook is fabulous, I still love seeing and holding a book in my hands. 

On another note, thank you Riann for putting up with my rants, raves, frustration, and constant huffs and sighs I've delivered over the past couple of days. Your support is always a welcome gift that I will never take advantage of. 

INTRODUCING: Hers to Have

It's official! Book one has been released!

Having the keyboard attached to my fingers for months now, I've finally completed book one of the Ackerman Security series I've been working on. I'm excited to announce it's release in eBook is official as of today. 

I can't begin to list all of the people who have had a part in supporting me through the creation of this book, as there are too many to name. But I will highlight a few of them (changing their names to protect the innocent haha). 

To the group of friends I met through our "book" club, I thank you first and foremost for sticking by me through the whirlwind that has been my life over the past several years. Through these people I've learned a lot about the different cultures of the world and have enjoyed every new bit of knowledge I learn. And the bits of Romanian I've learned have been incredible. Gotta love learning bits and pieces of a new language. Yes, Angel, I still have my notebook full of "cheats" for the phrases you taught me. For my Aussie friends, thanks for being there during the middle of the night (my time) to always be willing to lend an ear when I needed someone to talk to.

Now let's zero in on the US friends... Wow! I'm not even sure where to begin. Let's start with the one that is closest too me both in heart and geographical location, Riann. My co-author for another series we are working on, my writing partner in the RP world, my friend, you know I could have never made it to this point without you. There are no words to describe how amazingly special you and your family are to me. You have brought so much joy into my life in so many ways there is never any way I can repay you for that. Although, I'm still working on winning the lottery so we can retire on an island somewhere with our friends and a slew of Cabana Men, not boys. We deserve real men in our lives. 

Next let's head down to the furthest corner of the Continental states, Kalani, you're incredible. Thank you for your support in every step of the way through this project including your tireless hours of editing and re-reads. You're an incredible friend and I thank you. I'm so glad to have you as a friend, writing partner, and "mate" twice over. hahahaha (It's an RP thing, peeps.)

Bringing ourselves back up a couple of states, to Melody, a person whom I've gotten to know even better through this project, I thank you for being a sounding board when I needed someone to bounce ideas off of, your editing and critiquing, and most of all for being there for that one person that is special to both of us.

Circling around in that same area, let's make a stop by and wave at the ICU where one of two of my special nurse friends are located. Thanks for the inspiration that brought book two of this series into my brain before the first book was even halfway finished. 

While we're visiting the nurses in my life, let's give a salute to the Surgical Nurse that's been a writing partner to me in the RP world for the past couple of years. Thanks for going along with some of my crazier ideas as we've gone through the journey of role play writing. 

Now let's circle back around to Indy.... To the person who always keeps me smiling no matter what's going on, I want to thank you for all the antics the wolf pup has the habit of getting into. You're wonderful. Love you.

And of course I could never forget the person who influenced my life's goals from the time I was in the fifth grade. You know who you are, so I don't have to reveal your name, but thank you for keeping me from giving up on life way back then and multiple times since. I can never thank you enough for introducing me to the world of books. Your love of them rubbed off on me thanks to your inspiration and I'm forever grateful for that.

And to my child, my heart, I love you. Thank you for supporting me in this project even if you don't agree to the content. Our conversations about the subject matter might have been heated a few times but it did nothing but make me love you even more to see you have the backbone that I sometimes failed to have while raising you. I've found my way back into the life of the living and I know you will do great things with your life. It just takes one step at a time and I'll always, always be there for you, even if it's from a distance. 

Thank you again to each and every one of you for your constant support. I hope you enjoy Hers to Have, book one of the Ackerman Security series. Happy reading!

Life sometimes doesn't happen the way you envision it. One tragic event can change your life, how you decide to handle it is your choice. Hannah's life was turned upside down at a young age but she made the bold decision to take control of her destiny not expecting she would uncover a family secret and find the loves of her life.

Brothers of the heart, Spade and Nick have been best friends since childhood. Having hidden talents between them, they became the most sought after two-man team for special ops until they grew tired of the dark side of their jobs. "Retiring" from their positions, they jumped at the opportunity to help the development of a new private security firm. In their personal lives they’d resigned themselves to the fact that never would they find a woman that was right for them; having known all their lives that they could only love one woman between them; then in walked Hannah Ackerman and Fate intervened.

This book is intended for mature audiences. You can find Hers to Have for Kindle eBook at Amazon.com. Print version coming soon. 

Author Spotlight

Today I'd like to share with you one of my favorite authors. Not only are her books well written, but she is a wonderful person. Her Wilde Security and HORNET series are intertwined so I recommend reading them in the following order:

          1. SEAL of Honor (HORNET #1)

          2. Wilde Nights in Paradise (Wilde Security #1)

          3. Wilde for Her (Wilde Security #3)

          4. Honor Reclaimed (HORNET #2)

I admit that Honor Reclaimed is my favorite of the series, so far. The characters will capture your heart. While there is a seriousness to the book, Burrows injects humor into the dialogue in just the right places. Her characters have the perfect HAWTness factor, even if their bodies have scars, you're able to overlook the exterior and see right into the heart of them.

You can find more information about Tonya at: tonyaburrows.com