At long last, I finally typed "THE END" on Gale Harbour Book 3. I "finished" the first draft a few months ago, but it needed a bunch of revising to put it all together, and I only just wrote the epilogue a couple of days ago. This will be the longest book in the series by far, and my longest published work to date, and that's after I cut numerous chapters and side plots. I'm still worried it's too long - it's come a long way from the fast, adventure-romp of the first book. I guess we'll see what the proofreaders say.
After the proofreaders/beta readers, it's off to the editor. I really hope to release the book before the end of the year, which should be possible if I focus on ironing out all the edits that come back.
Is the book any good? Yeesh, that's a hard question I can't answer right now. So let's answer the IWSG question instead:
This is an excellent question and I'm not sure if I know the answer. Just the network of like-minded writers is and has always been it's main draw. Finding more specific offerings and services is tricky because everyone is at different points in their writing journey; some are traditionally-published, some are self-published, some are trying to finish their first manuscript, some are bloggers, some write things they have no intention of sharing with others.
For me, personally, I would love some sort of interview or review swapping, to help boost visibility. I know this happens unofficially now, but I was in another writing group where they had a dedicated, organized schedule where 12 writers would each post 12 interviews per year on their blog - you would appear on 12 other blogs and you would host each person on your own. It was a great success.
Another thing I would like to see would be updated versions of the Writers' guides that IWSG put out years ago, and perhaps to update the resources on the "Self-Publishing" tab of the website. Again, these are things I would like to see for myself, but I'm sure it would helps others, too.
The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Writers post their thoughts on their blogs, talking about their doubts and the fears they have conquered. It's a chance for writers to commiserate and offer a word of encouragement to each other. Check out the group at http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/
8 comments:
Congrats on finishing your manuscript! That's a huge accomplishment.
I think your ideas for our group are good ones.
Well done, CD!
Review and interview swapping is a great idea. You guys are coming up with a lot of good ideas.
Congrats on finishing the book. I hope it's a hit.
Woot! Grats on finishing! That's awesome and probably a nice load off your shoulders.
Congrats on finishing your book! That's such a great feeling and accomplishment! I also love your ideas, especially your review/interview swapping idea. That sounds like a fantastic resource. Thanks for sharing!
Review swaps can be problematic (you can get into trouble with Amazon if you do them there, though I *think* our blogs are still safe). But I LOVE the idea of an interview swap! Do you think it makes sense to do that across genres?
Good ideas, C.D. I've read books by IWSG members and posted reviews, but not in any formal way. I think organizing reviews some how would be a good idea. btw, I love your Gale Harbour books and look forward to your next one!
Kudos on your achievement! The feeling of writing 'THE END' is one of the best. And your idea is Amazing!
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