It
was a pleasant (and exhilarating) surprise to open Goodreads today and find The Cost of Loving (TCOL) listed under Books by Wade Kelly! WOW! This novel isn’t
published yet, and somehow it appears in my repertoire. I’m jazzed! I mean, I
really liked being listed in the first place. I like Goodreads. I use
goodreads. I vote for books on lists, and read ones I FIND on lists on
Goodreads… But to open it and find not only MRJWC (My Roommate’s a Jock? Well, Crap!) listed (last week,) and then discover TCOL listed too????? Well, it
gives me a certain sense of pride.
And feel free to list MRJWC wherever you like. Cole and Ellis are college students. I think Cole is funny. And personally, I think they are the best couple EVER! (But that's just me.)
It
is an accomplishment in and of itself to write ONE novel good enough to get
published. I was and still am over the moon about publishing When Love is Not Enough (WLINE) last year. I know it has been a very long wait for my next novel
to come out. I’m sorry. Believe me, no one understands the frustration over
waiting like ME! (I know other authors go through this, I am simply addressing
my readers here.) I finished writing TCOL shortly after WLINE came out. I
submitted it. Three times to different publishers. I really go no feedback. I
was rejected and that was it. SOME allusion to the low sales of WLINE, however
I think that was just a polite decline. I gave TCOL to an editor recently.
(After waiting months for different rejections to come in.) I had a cover made.
(Enny Kraft did a great job!) My goal was to self publish TCOL just so it would
get out there! I have a story to tell, or rather Matt Dixon does, and I didn’t
want him silenced forever! BUT THEN I GET MY EDITED MANUSCRIPT BACK FROM MY
EDITOR!! Whoa, talk about your letdowns. She had very valid concerns about some
of the character actions. She pointed out countless grammatical errors. She
questioned validity of drug references etc… To sum it up, my editor tore huge
holes in my puffed up pride and made me see a need to simplify the story and rewrite
several scenes and conversations. She actually did a great job and a huge
service to me. I don’t want to write trash. I don’t want to write things that
people whisper after reading, “Shit, that book sucked. Wade really needs to go
back to school and learn some things. Not sure I’m gonna read the next one.
Wade’s lame.” Etc… I LIKE/LOVE getting 4 and 5 star ratings!!! So do I relish
the idea of self-publishing crap and getting 1 stars for my inability to write
well? Um, NO!!
So
thank you Miss Editor person!
I
am now going to take on the daunting task of rewriting TCOL to make it worthy
of my Goodreads fans, friends, and followers. If you people are willing to read
it, then I need to make it the best I can FOR YOU! But this takes time. First I
need to go through all the grammar changes and fix what the editor pointed out.
This is a very long book and it may take a couple weeks just doing that. THEN,
I need to rewrite the parts that stood out as wrong or questionable or
unnecessary. I think this will shorten the story. I have in mind ways of
correcting my unprofessional use of a psychotherapist, as well as the erroneous
reference to a drug that hasn’t been used in the USA for years. (Ooops.) I can
get around stuff, it just takes time! I think it will make for a better read in
the long run!
What
this means for my other stuff is that Names Can Never Hurt Me (NCNHM) will be
put on hold. Nick and RC have been in my head and I really wanted to write a
scene with them today but I may wait. TCOL has the priority. Especially after
finding it listed on Goodreads! It gives me a stronger desire to get that one
done, but done on a more professional level! After I am done writing it, it
still isn’t done. (Just an fyi) I am then sending it to my graphic consultant
(Enny) who is going to help me format it for upload to Kindle Direct on Amazon.
There are stages to this! Enny has been great and if there are other authors
out there who need a cover or help in knowing what to do next, ENNY is a wealth
of information and talent!
So,
for now, I am in rewrite mode!
As
well as promotion mode! LOL My Roommate’s a Jock? Well, Crap! comes out in 14
days. Dreamspinner has the pre-order button on the website. Feel free!!! I
signed 20 velum sheets to be inserted permanently in the first 20 paperbacks
ordered. I have no access to how many have been sold. I know nothing. I check
the website every now and peruse the “bestsellers” list. (I’m not on it yet.) I
have NO IDEA how many copies equate to a “bestseller” status. I know about as
much as YOU ALL DO. I look at web pages and find TCOL listed on Goodreads and
had no idea how it got there! I am not informed before hand.
Being an author is a lonely struggle at times. It makes me
more grateful for all my fans and supporters! Thank you, kind readers!! Silvio, thank you for reminding me WHY I WRITE!
Wade
PS: Thank you to whomever on Goodreads updates and adds information about authors! That is really cool of you!!
Like my author page too! =D
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