Post No. 2
Spanner in the works alert!
As I was lurking around on KDP in early August, I discovered the KindleStoryTeller2021Prize for books that are published on KDP by 31st August. At first I decided not to do it because I was working towards a 30th September date. But it was all down to me – no one else’s decision. As time went on and I kept editing and editing and proofreading, etc. I decided, as Liz Gilbert would say, to ‘show up before I was ready’. It was going to be a huge push, but I moved the schedule up a month to meet the 31st August deadline.
I put the book out for preorder on KDP. A little tip: If you set up a preorder then you have to put up the final file 72 hours in advance of the publication date or else KDP bans you from preorders for a year. There is a little ticking clock at the top of the screen. As soon as I pressed the button, I was thinking: ‘Oh God, what have I done? This is real… This is scary…’
Lessons learned:
1. Preorders – If you commit to this, you have to fulfil it. It may add to the stress, but if you’re like me, having a deadline really does help focus the mind and get the work done.