My First Time Publishing

And Why I’m Crazy Now

For four years now I’ve reviewed books in the LGBTQA+ genre. I know this side of it. I know how promotion works, what publishers are out there, avenues to take, people to talk to, and how to get a book review to the masses. This has been my life for four years. Then I decided to follow my dream and publish my first book.

I really believe that every person who has ever criticized an author should go through this process. For every person who has ever pirated a book, they should go through this process. And every person who said self-publishing is easy, should go through this process.

First came the idea. Snow. I always knew Snow was my baby. I was going to tell his story. So I got a notebook and I wrote his backstory. My Snow needed his other half. And so Christopher Manos was born. Then came Simon and so on and so forth until all the players were there.

I plotted and outlined. Just enough so I wouldn’t write myself into a corner. Bullet points. Tried to keep the timeline right but that took a bit of tweaking. Then I opened Word and began to unleash my mind.

This is a very emotional thing. Taking your imagination and putting it into words. Hoping you grasp situations and feelings right. Stopping to research certain parts. Feeling like you can’t finish it. Thinking it’s crap. Then thinking you are writing a wonderful book. And so on and so on.

Then you type those liberating and terrifying words. The End.

Oh, but it is not the end at all. It is just the beginning.

I thought writing the book was the hard part. It’s not. Because now you need Betas, an editor, proofreaders, a cover artist, and a formatter. This is of course if you’re self-publishing. If you go the publisher route let me know how that worked out for you.

Once you have all those things, it’s ALL the edits. All the waiting. Then there’s the cover and hoping it’s what you want. Going back and making sure you got all the Trademarks so you don’t get sued. Writing a blurb, acknowledgment, author note…. OMG, I need an author bio. OH NO, I NEED SOCIAL MEDIA! Oh FFS I need to open an account on Amazon and KDP, and am I going to use KU or not?

This is where the crazy comes in. At this point, you’re just hoping that you get a flat tire so you have to spend a few hours in a garage just to excuse your writing break.

There is SO much to do. It’s the hardest thing I have ever done but being this close to hitting the publish button I can say, it’s been worth it. I have a new appreciation for authors. I thought I respected and admired them before but now I feel like I get it.

I work both sides of the curtain now and even though I’m bald from pulling my hair out of my head I also feel like I’ve come home… to the nut house.

 

Author Bio

Davidson King, always had a hope that someday her daydreams would become real-life stories. As a child, you would often find her in her own world, thinking up the most insane situations. It may have taken her awhile, but she made her dream come true with her first published work, Snow Falling.

When she’s not writing you can find her blogging away on Diverse Reader, her review and promotional site. She managed to wrangle herself a husband who matched her crazy and they hatched three wonderful children.

If you were to ask her what gave her the courage to finally publish, she’d tell you it was her amazing family and friends. Support is vital in all things and when you’re afraid of your dreams, it will be your cheering section that will lift you up.

 

Davidson King can be found on

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About the Book

 

Title: Snow Falling

Author: Davidson King

Publishing on November 28, 2017

Length: 54k words (about)

Cover Artist: Morningstar Ashley of Five Star Designs

Blurb:

After running from a past destined to kill him, Snow has been hiding on the streets.

Tell nobody your name.

Tell nobody your secrets.

Trust nobody!

These are the rules of the streets.

His entire life changes when he saves an eight-year-old boy from a violent end. Christopher Manos is one of the most powerful crime bosses in the country.

Don’t ask anyone to do something you aren’t willing to do yourself.

Secrets can get you killed.

Trust nobody!

These are the rules he lives by.

When his eight-year-old nephew disappears, he never expects the boy’s savior to end up being his own. A man with a dangerous past and a man with a dangerous future find love amidst murder and mayhem. But with Snow’s life being threatened at every turn, will Christopher’s best be enough to prevent Snow Falling?

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