Writing Full-Time Journey. So far...

Two years ago this month, I left my mega-demanding, time-suck job to write full time. What a curious, intriguing journey this has been.

In the first few few months (June, July, and August 2012), I drafted a developmentally flawed version of the first series book. The book contained too many character POVs; a lack of clear goals over the arc of the first book; a need for more action and showing, not telling; and too low stakes for the characters and the story. (Thank you, Cathy Yardley for your game-changing feedback!)

So, in October and November 2012, I redrafted a tighter, more cohesive version of Book #1. December 2102 into February 2012 for Book #2, then on to Book #3 through March 2012. Book #4's draft extended through April, with May and June 2012 for the drafting of Book #5.

Because I lightning drafted (ultra fast drafting, a process I would definitely NOT recommend), the next year (June 2013 until present) was spent fleshing out, pacing, and polishing all five books. (Not lightning drafting, I wrote a 1/4 of a book in another genre in April 2014 in 10 days, so an actual solid, fleshed-out draft can be created in less time than it takes to perform the extensive revisions required by the fast draft technique.)

In the meantime, I had a fairly serious health issue arise in October 2012, and even with lots of doctors visits and treatments, natural medicine alternatives, etc., the situation did not resolve until June 2014 (boy, am I grateful that it did!).

So, overall, despite health issues that slowed me down for a year and a half of that time, the timing of the books completion, from start to finish (minus the first three months I was off track with the first first draft), totals out to 4-1/2 months per book. [Approximately 2 to months or so to draft, and 2+ months for the revision. (Thanks, Kat Duncan, for your continued coaching and mentorship.)]

For now, my goals moving forward, for 2014 & 2015 include:

• 5-Book Series published this fall.
• Trilogy (another genre) published in late winter.
• 2nd Series in first genre started.
• 2nd Trilogy in second genre started.

Yep, because of the brain fog, fatigue, and the amount of muscle and joint pain I suffered, the last two years have been a challenge.

Would I do it again? I would and will (without the health symptoms, please).

Why wouldn't I?

I had worked excessive hours and made a great deal of money for the company, while getting paid very little and being appreciated even less, so now I'm working myself. There's something about working long hours for myself, that encourages,

Will it work out? I'm writing and I have my business plan. And I'm writing. One book at a time.

Today, I am continuing on to reach my goals.

Year three of writing books for a living should quite productive and major interesting.

Turtle, Turtle, Turtle (Realistic Goals)

I've always heard the staying, "It takes as long as it takes," but dang. Best laid plans aside, I didn't finish my five-book YA Paranormal Thriller series in six months. Not even in a year. The year-and-a-half mark is fast approaching, and I'm still trekking along.

Pesky health issues that affected my energy levels and focus ssssslllllloooowwwed my pace to a turtle's stroll.

First off, no whining or complaints here. I've continued to draft, put in, revise, edit, and polish. Still... Okay, maybe a mini whinefest, in that I realize and know in every fiber of my being how much I am capable of accomplishing, if it weren't for those uber frustrating health issues. 

Recently, I came across this quote:

Never give up on a dream, just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway. -- Earl Nightingale.

No, I am not yet published. Nope, I have not made any money with my books, a little hard to do when they're not finished and/or published and all. So many story and series ideas, just waiting... Many, many more books to be written.

However, I have not fully written these. Book #1 goes on to the formatter in the next week or so. Book #2 is one-third of the way into the revision process.

And, true to form for this past year, that dratted dreaded health issue is back. More doctor's appointments coming up.

Yet, everyday, I drag myself to the computer and work on this series.

Why?

Because this series waited a long time to be written. After all, there's that writer part of me that must write, so it stands to reason I must finish these books. IF they were lackluster and sub-par, I would, surprisingly, have no problem setting them aside and moving on; however, they do have a bit of oomph to them, if I do say so myself.

Besides, it's not the story or the actual revision that's slowing me down, it's the level of fatigue, disrupted sleep, and focus challenges that block me from making the kind of progress I would like to make.

Ideally, I'd be cranking out a finished book a month. My logical mind, creativity, and process are up to it. I, however, physically am not. Therefore, out of kindness to myself, I am tacking each day, trying to accomplish as much as possible on one day at a time, without setting any further goals than that of the day before me.

Today I cull repetative words and phrases from as many chapters as feasible possible. Tomorrow I do the same. I keep plugging. And eventually...before I realize it, I'll have a finished book. Then another one. Then another. As I turtle along.

Earl Nightingale was correct. No matter how I spend my time, time passes anyway. As a writer, I can't imagine a better way to fill my days.

Diving In - Writing and Staying Afloat

One year ago today, I created and made my first post on this Alexa Writes Books blog. The post, Diving In - First Learn to Swim, depicted my beginning of a journey to write full-time and to make a living doing the same.

My very first blog post featured Jude Hardin's guest post on J.A. Konrath's blog about pushing the button and going into writing full time. Jude's part two blog post, Pushing the Button Part 2, includes his sharing of his experience with traditional publishing and independent publishing during the past year and forward.

As of June 13, 2013, I have accomplished the first part of the goal. Five books drafted, with revisions to be completed in the next couple of months.THEN comes the second part. Independent Publishing. That entails book cover design, e-book formatting, internal paper book design, professional editing, offering the books for sale, etc., etc., etc. 

Where are your books? Why did you wait until all of them were finished to revise? Why not finish one, publish, then move on to the next?

In studying those that have succeeded big in the Independent Publishing arena, the thing most of them have in common is a back list, which means they have written multiple books and have many books available to the reader.

I also discovered that newly published authors, without back lists tend to struggle with finding and maintaining readership. (Jude Hardin's Part 2 post tends to lead possible credence to this observation.)

SO, I decided to try a different tact and create a back list first. This five book series will serve as my completed books, with a goal in place to publish a new book approximately every two months.

Will this tactic make a difference in garnering sales and in building a readership? We shall see. (I'll shoot an e-mail to Jude Hardin and J.A. Konrath if it does.) The books for Series #1 be released within a very few weeks of one another, with additional standalone and standalone series books to follow in consistent succession.

While this first year of writing full-time involved some health issues that derailed my time-frames for goals, I still will mange to complete a five-book series in just a little over a year!

Let's celebrate. Where's the chocolate?

Transitions - First Drafting a Book in 21 Days, BUT....

In mid-June 2012, I left my full-time job to write full time. Shortly, thereafter.... Not THAT kind of writing transition. The life transition I faced involved bringing my work ethic from working for someone else over to working for, well, myself. I thought no big deal, right? Wrong, wrong, wrong.

Juggling work for the company that employs you involves set deadlines. A majority of my work involved proposal submission time frames. To produce a proposal, you follow standard steps, just as you do to produce a book. For a book: brainstorm, plot, character-sketch, generate log line, Story GMC, Scene GMCDs, write the first draft, then revise and repeat. Yet, the time that producing a book was taking...something was off. After all, I finished the first book, didn't I. I'd write the next and the next. I'd get there, some how, some way, some day. SOME DAY?

Yep, it was the set deadline that was missing. In the past fifty (50) days, I first drafted twenty-one (21) of those days. The other twenty-nine (29) days, I revised the first book in the series and struggled with the crud Hubby brought home from his travels. During those 29 days, I did not first draft and did not create new chapters for the series, yet in the 21 days that I actually did write draft material, I finished the first draft of Book #2. (Ta-da!)

Author Dean Wesley Smith's recent blog post, The New World of Publishing: How to Keep Production Going All Year, brought to light the importance of the production of new words. Revise, yes, but in addition to revision or any other writing-type activity, writing new words takes top priority.

To continue to write full time and in order to hopefully make a living doing the same in the not so distant future, I must produce new words. SO, I now I have set deadlines for my writing production, not just, duh, I'm going to write a book, then write another one. My deadlines are realistic and include daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly goals to reach those deadlines.

It's taken me a while, but in 2013, I am transitioned, baby!

Happy New Year 2013!!!!

While 2012 was a year of learning and provided lessons in realistic goal setting in my writing life, 2013 will be a year of productivity and project completion.

Initially, I was disappointed with my progress for 2012, with going full-time into writing in June; however, I realized the additional learning and guidance I needed will make 2013 an even more productive year.

I've set realistic goals for 2013, which includes doable daily writing goals and non-writing days. I'm reviewing the 2013 calendar to set weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly deadlines. Yes, I do believe, 2013, we are on our way.

May 2013 bring us all great things!

2012's Fabulous Four Writing Books

2012's top four (4) writing books that have helped me most during my writing journey to write books and make a living doing the same include, in order of usage during the writing process, the following (Amazon descriptions provided):

Cathy Yardley's Rock Your Plot: A Simple System for Plotting Your Novel (Rock Your Writing) 

ROCK YOUR PLOT: A Simple System for Plotting Your Novel teaches a clear, flexible process to help you with your:

- Premise: test your premise for inherent conflict and sustainability.

- Characterization: create strong characters with urgent goals, understandable motivation, and tons of obstacles.

- Plot outline, turning points: use those characters to build logical and powerful plot points and complete character arcs.

- Plot outline, scene-by-scene: Develop a sequence of dynamic scenes that propels your reader through your story.

This book goes straight to the point, putting theory in plain language, adding examples from blockbuster stories, and finishing each section with exercises designed to help you work with your characters to write a novel that excites you… and your readers.

Jill Elizabeth Nelson's Rivet Your Readers with Deep Point of View

Dear Novelist: Would you like your readers to live your stories, not merely read them? Deep Point of View anchors your readers inside the point of view character(s) of your novel. This handbook shows you how to perform the transformation from ordinary narrative to deep narrative in clear, easy-to-master steps. I invite you to sweep your writing to the next level with a technique that creates immediacy and intimacy with your readers and virtually eliminates show/don't tell issues.

Rachel Aaron's 2k to 10k: Writing Faster, Writing Better, and Writing More of What You Love

Have you ever wanted to double your daily word counts? Do you sometimes feel like you're crawling through your story? Do you want to write more every day without increasing the time you spend writing or sacrificing quality? It's not impossible, it's not even that hard. This is the book explaining how, with a few simple changes, I boosted my daily writing from 2000 words to over 10k a day, and how you can too."

Cathy Yardley's Rock Your Revisions: A Simple System for Revising Your Novel (Rock Your Writing)

ROCK YOUR REVISIONS: A Simple System for Revising Your Novel will show you a clear, easy-to-follow process for editing a novel. It will help you:

- Test for story structure on a macro level, providing detailed checklists for character and plot arcs.

- Test for story structure at the scene level, making sure each serves a purpose in the novel (and hopefully more than one!)

- Gain insight on the mechanics of the novel -- checking POV choice, dialogue, exposition vs. detail (showing versus telling), and more, with a systematic scene-by-scene approach.

This book goes straight to the point, putting theory in plain language, adding illustrative examples, and finishing each section with exercises designed to help you see how to not only edit a novel, but improve your reader's enjoyment of your book.
___________

All four books got me on track, helped me to gain traction and have jump-started my 2013 writing adventure. I would recommend each individually. Read and applied in conjunction with each other, these books provide a powerhouse of information and guidance to move any writer forward in their writing journey. Highly Recommended!

Life Is Good (Gratitude and Appreciation)

Recently, I posted about Chocolate, Naps and the Good Life to address the impression about how easy writing full-time could be. While not an easy path, I am grateful that I am able to do what I've always wanted to do and love.

While self-motivation and deadlines are key to writing full-time, appreciation for the opportunity to be able to do so keeps me moving forward.

Every day, I am thankful for the long-time-in-coming opportunity to write full-time. Even when struggling with health issues, I embrace the time and space to write and the process of writing.

Over the last couple of years, Savvy Authors has played a phenomenal role in my growth as a writer. Authors Lori Wilde, Cathy Yardley, and Kat Duncan have contributed greatly in my learning journey. Authors and bloggers, J.A. Konrath, Dean Wesley Smith, Kristine Kathryn Rush, and Alexandra Sokoloff have provided positive examples and guidance.

I am grateful for those who have responded negatively to my desire to write, for in negativity you provide inspiration and motivation. (Future blog post in the making.)

Even when I've had to step back, regroup and begin again, I welcomed and appreciated the chance to do so.

Yes, life is good!

Has Persuing a Dream Gone the Way of the Twinkie?

Unless another company buys and continues the Hostess brand, Twinkies are goners.

"Yeah, right. You're going to write books for a living." That's the milder of responses I get about pursuing my dream of writing books and making a living doing the same.

The not so mild replies include snickers, eye-rolls, chuckles, and comments such as, "Hope you've got your resume updated, because you're going to need it."

Has pursuing ones dream become so unrealistic and divisive that it warrants criticalness and derisiveness?

As the daughter of a true skeptic, it stands to reason I would be familiar with skepticism. With the constant inner dialogue of "You're not good enough" or "You're wasting your time" running through my head, why would there be any doubt that I've got my feet, at least one of them, firmly planted on the ground?

I attempt to do my best to encourage others who are pursuing their own life goals and dreams. For my own endeavor, I planned ahead and am pursuing a life-long goal and dream.

All I can say is long live the pursuit of dreams. Viva the Twinkie revolution!

Chocolate, Naps and The Good Life - NOT!

"Now that you're not working and writing full-time, you must be living the easy life." Um, yeah, if you call twelve-hour days at the computer, plus writing in my head when not at the computer the easy life, then you betcha, I've got that so-called easy life covered.

Years ago, I presented school assembly programs and entertained in various venues for a living. Later on, as an independent contractor, I had the opportunity to work primarily from home. Since both situations involved self-employment, the self-discipline and effort required far exceeded any show-up-at-work, nine-to-five job I've ever worked. I worked long hours, and I worked hard.

I worked until midnight last night, getting half-way through my next chapter and working on an author website design. Once in bed, the beginning lines of a possible future book kept running through my head, with the first paragraph and book idea following me into sleep. This morning, I slept in an extra hour past my usual get-out-of-bed time and was up at seven.

This morning, I will jot down the potential book idea and the beginning paragraph, then will finish the chapter in progress and write another chapter, then repeat tomorrow, with a goal of finishing the second first draft of Book #1 of Series #1 this weekend, and finishing my Rock Your Plot effort for Book #2 of Series #1 in the first few days of next week.

Writing full-time is filled with deadlines. Self-imposed, but deadlines just the same, since I want to write for a living. For me, despite the long hours and demanding effort, writing full-time is an enjoyable worthwhile experience. Ah, the good life.

Writing a Novel in 30 Days

I’m a gal who like’s challenges, so I asked myself, “Self, can you write a novel in 30 days or less?”

My answer to was (We writer’s do talk to ourselves. I usually claim I’m rehearsing dialog aloud, but...), “Yes. Once you get your health issues in line, maybe even less. But for now, why not shoot for 30 days?"

Many folks that participate in National Novel Writing Month, which officially occurs in November (a busy, busy time in my former job), crank out 50,000 words in a month.

So could I possibly accomplish such a feat?

I live in the south. The oppressive heat precludes doing much of anything outdoors in the summer months. So, I say, “Why not!” (Self wholeheartedly agrees!)

Could I? Can I? Will I?  Write a Novel in 30 days?

While working, I averaged writing 2,000 or so words per week, which was the best I could do what with staying so busy, busy.

Since I’ve been able to dive into Fast Drafting, while struggling with some health issues, I’ve written 2,000 words on more difficult days and over 5,000 words on good days. Since health issues are a reality for me right now, I have to factor in that I am in the process of getting more healthy; however, I’m not quite there yet. (Soon, soon, soon, I hope!)

Starting July 14, 2012, this gal is committed to writing a novel in 30 days.

This goal is a win-win for me. If I can not surpass my health issues, I may have to bump my 30-day goal up to the end of the summer — yet, in the mean time, I will still have produced lots and lots of words. AND if I do write a novel in 30 days, what an accomplishment! (No rewarding myself with Italian chocolate. Darn.)

So, here I begin my quest of writing a book in a month. Onward!

Fast Drafting - Pedal to the Metal

For the last few days, I have been Fast Drafting. I sit down and type as many words or pages as possible in a set amount of time, to get the book out of my head and onto the page.

This morning, I just realized (okay, I know I'm sometimes slow on the uptake), that at 5,000 words per day, I could realistically finish a 70,000 novel IN TWO WEEKS! (I wonder if I actually could? 2 weeks for a first draft. I do love a challenge.)

The Free Dictionary states that Pedal to the Metal means "to make something go forward or increase as fast as possible" and gives and example of "Ingrid put the pedal to the metal and finished writing her essay a day early."

So, for me, Fast Drafting means:

• No Internet
• No phone
• No re-reading
• No editing

In addition to the boundaries above, I've found that what works for me is:

• Spending a small amount of time pre-planning (Index Cards Are My Friends)
• Setting a timer for short writing stints (30 minutes, 45 minutes, 1 hour)
• Taking breaks and finding balance in my writing life

When I started fast drafting, I wrote 400 words or so an hour (which is about the best I was able to manage while working full-time). In putting Fast Drafting into practice, my word count has increased to 1,000 words an hour. (Something I never thought possible because of my plodding writing ways!)

If you will excuse me now, I'm going to go put the pedal to the medal, and hopefully word by word, get these books out of my head and onto the page!

Finding Balance

14,000 words within a three day period - Whoot and whew!

Previously, my job involved working quite a bit of overtime. Don't get me wrong. I loved my job, the company that employed me, and my fellow co-workers. It was an awesome experience and one I very much appreciate. This job taught me the self-discipline to be able to repeatedly produce 5,000 word days.

In working that much overtime, the one thing I never managed was balance. I fueled my diet with Italian chocolate and high-calorie smoothies, thus with sitting in front of the computer so much, I packed on the pounds. My husband did the majority of the grocery shopping because his hours were more flexible, and he's much better at it than I am (thankfully). I failed to take time out to exercise and rarely took time out for fun stuff. My choice -- no regrets -- and I'm very grateful for the work experience.

However, now that I'm writing full-time, I'm focusing on creating and maintaining balance in all aspects of my life. Finding and maintaining balance has never been an easy process for me (see above), so just as transitioning to writing full-time is a challenge, so is balancing my life.

Later this week, I will reach a weight loss milestone. Due to the heat and mosquitoes, I'm not able to walk outside, but I hop on the elliptical for about 10 minutes in between writing stints throughout the day. Hubby and I have been cooking healthy meals. (And, of course there's an occasional chocolate bar, we just no longer keep a supply of them in the house.)

In the next few weeks, my goals for achieving balance include:

• Napping or relaxing and focusing on deep breathing
• Taking time out to watch my favorite TV shows or a movie
• Going fishing when the heat allows
• Enjoying girl's days out

Today, I took a day away from writing. It was a day of errands, grocery shopping, appointments, and companionship with Hubby.

As of today, July 10, 2012:

• Project A (Novella) is 32% complete.
• Project B (Novel) is 53% complete.

Tomorrow, I go back to writing, rested and refreshed, searching for balance along the way.

Milestone - 5,000 Word Day

When I was told, "Give yourself permission to write crap for your first draft," I knew what that meant.

But exactly HOW do you: 1) give yourself permission to write crap, and 2) let go of control/perfectionism/critical thinking in order to to write crap and fast draft.

JUST DO IT! - Nope, telling myself that didn't cut it. My inner control freak, said, "No Way. No How."

Laying Out Index Cards and having a direction was the first step.

Tracking My Progress as to when and where might be the best times and location for me to write was the second.

The third, has been Managing My Fears and Anxiety on a daily basis, when I first sit down first thing in the morning to write. (Writing blog posts for this Alexa Writes Books blog has helped greatly with that!)

I have two projects in the works, a 40,000 word novella and a 60,000 word novel. (I've found what works for me, to keep me fresh on both books, is to alternate days.)

Yesterday, I wrote close to 4,000 words on Project A. Today, I wrote just over 5,000 words on Project B. (I'm averaging 1,000 words per hour in 45-minute to 1-hour writing stints spaced out throughout the day.)

This is a journey, one word, one sentence, one paragraph, one page, one day at a time. I very much appreciate all the support and shared enthusiasm I am being blessed with each and every day. Thank you so much for allowing me to share my milestones and adventures with you along the way.

A Different Kind of Freedom

This blog post could be titled, How a $10 Internet Blocking Productivity Software Changed My Life, but I thought, Nah, too pretentious.

From 15 minutes up to 480 minutes (8 hours), Freedom software blocks your computer from accessing the Internet. You can still use all of the other functions on your computer -- just no Internet access during the time Freedom is activated.

And during that time, I am free from distraction and am able to focus on writing. No social networking, no email checking, no surfing the net. Just me and a blank page. No getting back on the Internet UNTIL the time I set expires (unless I reboot my computer). 

"Your book. Your grades. Your goals.
Your time is too valuable to waste. For the cost of two lattes, Freedom will help you fight evil distractions so you can get your work done." (from the Freedom website)

For those self-determined time-frames I am free -- to write.

Thank you, Freedom, and Happy Fourth of July to all!

700 Hours Battery Life, Less than 2 lbs,Take it Anywhere -- It's a NEO 2

I gave myself an awesome birthday present a few years ago, the Alphasmart NEO. The NEO has been so helpful to me in my writing life, that I wanted to share how this writing tool has been one of the best gifts I've ever received (even if it was a gift from myself). ;-) [NOTE: production of the NEO has ceased due to competing technology. The products may be found on ebay for purchase. NO existing technology can stand up to the sturdiness or the battery life.]

Recently, this low-cost, go-anywhere writing tool was upgraded by NEO Direct to the NEO 2. For $169.00, the NEO 2 weighs less than 2 lbs, and, at times with the help of a lap desk, I have written on airplanes, in a camping tent, on front porches, in a stationary car, at doctor/dentist office, atop picnic tables, while curled up on the couch or chaise lounge, propped up in bed, etc.

Instead of maybe 1 to 3 hours of battery life like most laptops, NEO has 700 hours (seven hundred hours) of battery life from 3 normal AA size batteries.

The screen is small and is not back lit; therefore, you will need a light source to view the screen. (I've even used a headlamp at night while camping.) I write with the largest display text, 36 point, with only 3 lines visible on the screen. The NEO 2 can store up to 100,000 words, more than enough for an entire book.

The NEO 2 Key Features include durability. So far, my NEO has been dropped more than once, sat on, and stepped on, and is still going strong.

Touted as the Ultimate Personal Writing Tool, the NEO 2's built-in word processor, AlphaWord Plus, provides a thesaurus, spellchecker, and word/page/paragraph count. Also, it emulates a keyboard -- when you plug it into a USB port and press Send, NEO types your text directly into your word processing software.

My personal favorite features of the NEO include:

• No internet access (no temptation to surf)
• Lightweight
• Fits in a small carry bag or medium to large purse
• Durable
• LONG battery life
• EASY to use
• Amount of text storage
• Low cost

What with having worked on the computer a great deal for my previous job, right now, I am in need a break from sitting at a desk in front of a monitor because it feels so much like "work," so writing on NEO works for me.

Yesterday, I wrote 3,300+ words in 4 hours, all comfy on the chaise lounge, with Jasmine the Siamese cat keeping me company. Thanks to NEO.

What's in Your Closet?(Creating Characters with Character)

Once I jot down basic information about my main characters, such as Age, Height, Weight, etc., (Cathy Yardley shared a short, concise worksheet with me, less than 2 pages, that drills down the basics of each character.) Thanks, Cathy!

After filling out the information on the character sheets, I know my characters fairly well. In addition to this basic information, which includes providing the Chronological happenings of the character's life, I added the following to help me get to know my story people even better.

What is his or her favorite saying or catch phrase?

What's under his or her bed?

What does his or her closet look like? What's in his or her closet?

What one secret item has the character hidden away for his or her eyes only? Where and why?

Up to this point, what is his or her most traumatic experience?

What's his or her happiest moments? What's his or her biggest accomplishment?

Just as these sort of things tell us about real world people, they reveal so much about the people that populate our stories.

So, why not ask your characters, what's in your closet?

Yesterday's Writing Results:

I wrote two short scenes yesterday (approximately 1,200 words).

If I'm going to write for a living, I need to be able to write as much as possible in as short a time as possible, so I'm experimenting with the location and conditions in which I write.

Diving In - First Learn to Swim

Today, June 13, 2012, I completed my final project for the company where I've worked for the past eight years, to pursue a full-time writing career.

Having worked in the corporate environment for my entire adult life -- until noon today, that is -- this new venture is a scary gut-wrenching, throat-clenching thrillfest. (Welcome to my journey!)

Recently on Joe Konrath's blog, A Newbies Guide to Publishing, Author Jude Hardin pushed the button on submitting his letter of resignation to move into a full-time writing career. (I gave my notice a few weeks prior; therefore, I can relate to the anxiety, fear, uncertainty, excitement, thrill, etc., and appreciate Jude's willingness to step out and share his journey, which served as an inspiration for starting this blog.)

In the 1990's, I received requests for partial and full manuscript submissions (even from a top agent/editor or two), and although I was presented with opportunities to publish, I couldn't bring myself to sign away the rights -- perhaps indefinitely, more than likely permanently -- to my books, especially when research revealed publishers retained the bulk of monies earned and doled out what seemed, to this wannabe pre-published author, a mere pittance of the overall sale price of a book.

I discovered Joe's blog in 2010. Just what was Independent Publishing? Having decided to learn, I read every blog post from Joe's earliest to the most recent. 2010 served as my research year. I monitored Joe's and other authors sales, visited numerous blogs, and studied faithfully what to do and what not to do (that's another blog post in itself). I discovered that an author doesn't have to sign away their rights, and that e-book sales returns (2.4% from a publisher such as Harlequin), can be competitive and worthwhile (35% to 70% percent from Amazon.)

Trend setters, such as Joe, Amanda Hocking , John Locke, and Tina Folsom, have paved the way for up and coming independent authors. (My thanks and appreciation to you, as well as other, independent publishing frontiersman and woman.)

2011 and the first half of 2012, I participated in numerous Savvy Authors workshops and courses. I attended a couple of writer's conferences, participated in a group writing mentorship, attended an online and and in-person writer's retreats, and, most recently, have the opportunity to work with a writing coach.

Learning and honing my writing craft while working full-time, which at times included extensive overtime, served as a challenge; however, I built on my previous knowledge, which wasn't much and it's a wonder I ever completed anything at all, and have discovered what works for me. (BULLETIN: Not every technique works for everyone.)

One thing I considered was that I've observed several authors that have published a book or two and then floundered because they don't have a back list of books to build upon; therefore, for the past two years, along with gaining knowledge and insight, I've stocked away enough money, thanks to the overtime worked, to cover living expenses to carry me, albeit frugally, through the process. Health insurance options researched? Check. Realistic publishing goals? Double Check. Reality check? Every dang day from here on out.

Jude Hardin has a multi-book contract with Amazon’s Thomas and Mercer imprint for his Nicholas Colt thriller series. To date, he's published two novels and two novellas. He pushed the button. (Jude, I'm happy and excited for you. Thanks, so much for inadvertently validating and encouraging my decision.)

As far as my publishing credentials? Nada. Nothing, zilch, not a page or a kilobyte. At least, not yet, as of June 13, 2012.

One thing I remind myself of -- and will do so daily, I'm sure -- is that I am not just recklessly diving into the pool of independent publishing. I've spent the last few years, researching, learning, and writing. I've learned to swim. This afternoon, the water's fine. With hard work and determination, and a plentiful splash of luck, I'll swim, write books, and will make a living doing the same.