FRIDAY: "I DO IT MYSELF!"

Before anyone freaks out, I know the title isn't good grammar. That's because it's a quote from our three-year-old grand-daughter. Or it used to be. Now if you ask her if she needs help, she says, "No, I'm good." She's an independent young lady, even strong-willed at times.

I can relate. When it's come to doing what is needed to get my book, Return to Rainbow Ridge, published, I tend to want to do as much of it as I can. Partly that's a practical consideration, needing to conserve any budgeted funds as much as possible. If there's something I have the technical and creative ability to do, I usually do it myself.

I also want to keep as much direct creative control as I can. It’s not easy for me to give up control or accept that someone else can do something better than I can. I’m not a lot of fun at an art festival or craft show. While I can appreciate their creativity, I can’t help but think, “I could do that.” That tends to spoil any desire to put out good money for something that I could do (even if I really couldn’t). But the main thing is putting design control in someone else’s hands for my “baby,” especially someone who doesn’t share my vision for the story.

For Return to Rainbow Ridge, there are several examples of this. One is the book cover. I obtained commercially available, free images from a source on the Internet. I used software I already have to put them together to create the cover design. Likewise, I have video software to make videos, and created the video trailer for the book (check the My Books page on this website). The only thing I had to play for there is the rights to use the music (a whole $25). I'm working on designs for bookmarks and business cards as handouts to market the book, using the same image as on the book cover. And finally, I did the design and creative work for this website myself. So far it all seems to be working.

But—i know there are things with which I need help. One is the services of a professional editor. I've found one and we have an email agreement for her to do a manuscript evaluation of my novel when it finishes the beta reader and critique group processes. The only problem with that is she doesn't have a opening in her schedule until November. So it's likely Return to Rainbow Ridge won't be released until just before Christmas, at the earliest. It’s worth the wait for me.

I mentioned Beta Readers and my Critique Group. Both sets of people will be invaluable to shaping my story into what I hope it will become, taking it from a very good novel to a great one. 

Writing is a pretty solitary endeavor. You come up with your own story ideas, your own characters, your own dialogue and settings. You have to put it all together. That's what the "I do it myself!" Is about. But, as you can see, most writers need help, and the smart ones know so and reach out for it.  As independent as I am, I'm still one of those.