So that's what one looks like!
What I thought was going to be another messy, unscheduled week turned into something great. I came home on Wednesday, after another horrendous adventure with my boyfriend's condo (seriously, people, it's not hard to build a working place to live), a spark inside me told me that I had to start working on my book. So I started. And I didn't stop. Not for a few hours, at least. Although it doesn't seem like I got much done, it was the little things that added up to one big thing: my book. I learned how to make a table of contents that works for Kindle. I know, it's the smallest, silliest thing ever, but I was so proud of myself afterward, because I could click on whatever chapter I wanted and it took me right to that spot! I'll admit it, I squealed a little bit. But I didn't stop there. Then I sent it to Kindle so I could preview it, and let me tell you, that was actually a pretty cool experience. They put it up on your browser inside any generation Kindle you specify and then show you what your book will look like. It was weird, clicking through on a Kindle Fire and seeing my book staring back at me.
My excitement levels were rising to a dangerous high.
Finally, I went to the electronic copyright offices (on my computer, obviously) and finished the registration. It was a bit confusing for awhile, with so many legal terms and repeat questions, but I worked my way through it. So now my book and content is officially copyrighted.
Yahoo, right?!
Now what's left on my list is the social media part, along with a few odds and ends that can be done in a few hours. Hopefully, by next week, the book portion of this whole adventure will be finished and then I can move onto the next. My original target time of sometime in September (yes, that's the professional term) looks more and more like a reality.
I also want to take a quick second and mention something that's been bothering me this week, not only as a wannabe author, but as a reader, too. I saw on my Twitter feed earlier this week that an emerging author (I'm not saying her name because I would believe that she would want to be left alone) was having bullying issues on Goodreads. Now, I love Goodreads, because it helps me keep track of my books and also gives me great recommendations for what to read next. But I do sometimes forget that it's a social media network, as well, and there are people on there who spout off their opinions without thinking of the ramifications. This author decided not to publish her book because people were rating it terribly based solely on the description. There are books that I see that I don't want to read, but I don't rate them or call the author stupid or anything like that. I move on. I seek my next great reading adventure. I guess I just don't understand the fascination that people have with bringing down others. I'm not saying that I haven't ever made fun of someone or a book, but I do it in the privacy of my own head. Growing up, the Thumper rule was always in effect: If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. I'm not saying any of this because I don't want this to happen to me (well, I don't, but that's not the point). I'm saying this because there are so many great stories out there and people to tell them, but it's not going to happen if we keep pushing them down because their genre of book isn't our cup of tea. If you don't like something, that's fine, but don't ruin it for the people who do like it. Can you imagine what the reading world would have been like if Stephen King had listened to the terrible comments about Carrie, or JK Rowling had given in to the rejections?
I guess what this whole rant is trying to say is...Be nice. It's not that hard.
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