NEW MEMOIR - COMING SOON
I never realised getting my next book out would take so long. It's a follow-on to Naked in the Wind but it's a standalone read.
Why is it taking longer to publish than the first memoir?
There's more than one answer.
The easiest one is, that I wanted it to be my best work yet. Is it? The answer is simply yes, it is and I'm incredibly proud of it.
I wanted to take my time and get things right. I've learned so much since I first scribbled out Naked over seven years ago. Even though it was factually accurate, I was in such a rush to get my message out, and warn other breast cancer patients, I didn't understand the importance of hiring a professional editor/proofreader or a cover designer. Big mistake! Isn't hindsight a wonderful thing?
Thankfully readers and reviewers were kind and overlooked any errors, understanding the reasoning behind the urgency of getting this scandalous story out there.
Being an indie author is both challenging and demanding, you have to wear many hats.
Believe it or not, writing your manuscript is the easy part. After the masses of self-editing, you need a break from it, a fresh pair of eyes spots many mistakes and incorrect structuring. Then it would normally go off to your editor/proofreader/formatter, however, this is where my memoir veers off the straight and narrow.
A lawyer is scrutinizing it - unlike the first which I now know was incredibly stupid of me and to this day I'm not sure how I got away unscathed. I have my own theory about that but I'll keep my thoughts to myself.
Why do I need a lawyer? Changing names in a memoir is not always enough to save you from being sued for defamation if the person can still be recognised.
Like so many I've recently been glued to the Johnny Depp v Amber Heard trial and it filled me with horror, I knew my new candid memoir was full of potential trouble especially as so many of them are lawyers! So, I had to cut out some of my own personal feelings and stick to the facts.
That's not to say I haven't changed a few names but the ones I have made no difference to the accuracy of this true story of dirty tricks, bullying, full disclosure and terrible company ethics (and not only from Sanofi) - but the list goes on.
After taking care of all the above the next hat you have to wear is one of the marketing experts, and if marketing isn't your thing, you have to hire someone or bite the bullet and do lots of homework! It's simple - no marketing equals no sales. Just because you publish your book you won't get any sales, apart from family and friends, if you don't advertise it.
Finding the right title. Oh boy, was this a tough one? You bet it was. I drove my husband crazy for months changing my mind after believing each suggestion was the right one. Then along came another idea or 'reasoning' from my editor, until we settled on the perfect one. My rebellious streak really wanted to call it... SCALP SLAYERS (then the subtitle which I won't tell you because that has stayed). It seemed as though it was only myself that loved this title so...
It's not like picking a title for a novel, a memoir title/subtitle has to let the readers know what it's all about. Oh my God, then the nightmare of the right cover begins. This also has to fit the genre.
As the book is still a work in progress I'm unable to share with you the title or cover but, fingers and toes crossed, it's currently a 'go' for a September release.
At this point, you might be asking yourself why indie authors put themselves through this torturous experience repeatedly. Well, I have no idea.
More about this Story
The memoir is about so much more than what I've described above. It's what has happened since I dared to write Naked and the remarkable path I've followed, meeting the most extraordinary people along the way, the highs and the lows, and how I turned something so unbearable and negative into something I'm proud to say is a positive outcome. It's not always necessary to lead from the front, constantly pushing from the back can be just as effective!
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