A Lesson in Perseverance
So it’s just gone 8:30am Sunday morning and already I’m sitting here at my computer trying to make some progress with the million-and-one different projects I seem to have going on at the moment. Believe it or not I was actually up just before 8, cup of tea in hand sitting on my bed trying to plan out the next chapter in my new book The Darkest Hour. Progress with my new book, you will be pleased to know, it going well. I’m now over 55k words of typed material with another 20 or so sides of A4 to type up and have officially reached the ‘two-thirds’ mark in my chapter plan. My best estimate for a final word count will fall somewhere in the 90k mark.
Considering I started writing this latest book in the middle of last summer, this is remarkably good going. The only downside is that once the first draft is done I know that’s only pretty much half the overall battle. The real work begins when I have to painstakingly draft and re-draft sections, check for plot consistencies, spelling mistakes etc, and then finally, at the end of it all, try and sell it to publishers. It’s not easy I can tell you!
To help me in my task, I’ve just treated myself to a new laser printer.
Yep, you know you’re a writer when you consider buying a new printer not just a ‘treat’, but also an enjoyable experience. Not only is this printer a bit of an upgrade on my last printer, but it also has the option for double-sided printing, which I’m especially excited about, though I may have made a slight miscalculation with the size of the thing – it’s HUGE! Well, huge when you consider just how little space I have in my dark room in Northfields. Either way, now I have a fully operational high-speed laser printer that works I can at last feel like a ‘proper writer’ once more, and stop procrastinating when it comes to the daunting task of actually typing up my hand-written manuscript.
In other writing-related news this week I’ve finally received correct proofs from my printers for the marketing material pack I ordered almost three months ago now. I have to say if I knew then what I know now, I wouldn’t have used the company I’ve used for my book printing. I’m not going to name them – that would be unfair – but unfortunately after the LuLu.com debacle, I was rushed to find a new printing company, and I ultimately wasn’t to know how poor their in-house designers are. My new posters are, I have to say, not great. The thing is, I paid for them, and well, I expect them to arrive at least with the correct material on them. These last few months have been nothing but back-and-forth emails between me and one of their customer service representatives. It’s funny how whenever you feel your emails are being ignored as soon as you say you want your money back,# and that you’d like to lodge an official complaint they’re suddenly more than keen to reply and produce the correct proofs you’ve been waiting for…
Lesson learnt: there are way too many cowboys out there. If I self-publish again (which I’m as-yet undecided on), I’m definitely doing more research.
Anyway, better go. It’s now 9:03am and I have a few things to do before I go for a walk along the canal.
Until next time,
M.J.Ryder
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