I thought long and hard about my situation. After months of querying with almost a hundred unsuccessful emails sent, I had a decision to make. It seemed to me, I had two choices at that point: 1. Scrap the book and start over, or 2. Self publish.
I thought long and hard about this. In late 2008, self-publishing was easier and more common that it had ever been in the past, but it was still thought of with disdain – the last resort that writers took when their work wasn’t good enough to get an agent. Would that move stain my reputation as a writer forever? Would I be shunned by writing communities once they found out I was only self-published?
I didn’t know. But I did know that I wasn’t ready to scrap all the years I’d worked to make Harvey Dunne a real person on the page, with a story I wanted the world to hear.
But damn, I was scared. Did I want to risk being forever branded a failure? It felt like something that, once chosen, could never be reversed. It would be seared into my psyche, and my reputation. But…..
There was no other choice that I could see. Harvey Dunne and his story deserved a chance. I would get to work. Phase 3 had begun: figure out how to publish a book.
Here is what I learned:
- We always have options. (Although some might be more desirable than others).
- Perseverance builds character.
- DO. NOT. QUIT.
More to come….
