Exposing Yourself, Not Quite What I Expected

I remember reading something a few years ago about Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) doing a play with a nude scene. I wondered how anyone could put themselves out there like that; on a stage, completely exposed to the world.

I had no idea that this would be what it feels like to publish. Yes, I'd published my shorts, almost all of them in fact, and I even have my omnibus out too. But this in no way prepared me for putting SZJMB out.

I've found the process simply overwhelming. Not to mention emotionally draining. No one tells you this about publishing your first novel. Maybe, the effect is more pronounced when you are going it alone, but it's been quite an eye opener.

I've posted SZJMB to Amazon and B&N and am working on the print version as part of getting everything in place for the blog tour and official release date. A handful of sales have started, and every night I dream about the book. Crazy dreams like waking up to find that I've sold 1,000 copies. Or perhaps more likely, finding twenty 1-star reviews.

I guess, when you put so much of yourself into your writing (like all of us writers do), you can't help but feel like you are standing naked and alone (except maybe holding your book) on stage in a huge auditorium.

Speaking of reviews (not the 1-star kind) I just got my second review last night:

"A great zombie book for the YA audience!!!
Want to save the world? Want to eradicate the living dead? There is a way to do it if you just have the tools, or in this case ingredients. head on over to your closest grocer and pick up everything you need to survive the zombie apocalypse.

Lemons.

Yes. You read that right.

Lemons.

You know how the old saying goes, when life hands you lemons, you squirt them at zombies. Wait, no, well, it was something like that.

Misty and Nate run away for a camping trip after being told they can no longer hang out with each other. On their return, their small town is a ghost town. There was no one to be found anywhere, oh - if only it could have stayed a ghost town, that may have been easier to deal with. Misty and Nate are faced with an adventure that no kid should have to go through alone. A fight for their lives ensues and what happens to them will really surprise you.

Finally a zombie book for the YA audience that has the perfect balance of creepy but not too much for the younger reader. It has great horror elements in the plot and loads of zombie action. This book is a great way to let your budding horror fan indulge while knowing the content will not be too "adult".

This book will catch your attention from the beginning and make you want to keep reading until the very end. Adults and YA audiences alike will have something they can enjoy with this book. The cover is amazing, the characters are vividly depicted, the heroism in the book is admirable, and the zombies are scary. This is coming out perfectly timed for the Halloween season, and I will be passing this onto my two daughters for their Halloween reading." - Amy @ theeyesforediting.com

In my last post, I mentioned how the reviewer gives out lots of 4 and 5-star reviews. Not so with Amy. She's fair, but calls them like she sees them, even giving out 1 or 2-stars when appropriate. Plus, she's an editor and we all know how tough they are (just joking). To get such a glowing (4-star) review from her has done a lot to calm my nerves.