Yesterday (Thursday) I did something that had been on my to-do list for months.
I signed up for a Kobo Writing Life account.
I have been working towards this moment since late last year. The first title I am going to re-publish, though, is The Wilted Rose, my very first book. The Inspired by a true story, The Wilted Rose is a three-part fictionalized account of an Australian family’s experiences with mental illness during the 1960s and 1970s.
The interior is formatted, the cover is finished, all is ready to go. This Easter long weekend, I am going to focus solely on getting The Wilted Rose uploaded to Kobo.
Its tempting to rush in and get all my short stories up onto Kobo too. And then The New Neighbors collection. Then getting the print versions up on Ingramspark. The anxious, ego-driven part of me wants it all done yesterday, and I feel flooded with overwhelmed as my brain ticks over with what needs to be done to achieve all of those things. But I know that these things are not just tasks to be ticked off the list, but part of a journey to be experienced. I stressed my way through my first Createspace published book, The New Neighbors short story collection, and then Paid To Dance: Stripping Past & Present. I didn’t allow myself to enjoy the process, but publishing a new book should be exciting. This time, I am determined to be patient and take my time with the process. To be patient with this new process, and with myself as I learn it.
I have also felt a lot of hesitancy and fear around publishing my books again. Many of you will remember what happened with Amazon (I was banned for life from Kindle Direct Publishing with no explanation two days before Christmas 2017) and I admit there is still a lot of unresolved pain and fear there. I am scared it will happen all over again. I am scared that despite my best efforts, I will miss something and subsequently break a rule, and that will bring it undone all over again.
I am apprehensive about embarking on this journey again and about being vulnerable to this process. But I am going to face these fears, meditate on them, give them space to arise and then let them go.
I am going to share my 2020 publishing journey every step of the way here on my blog, and share what I learn along the way. Below I’ve included a link to a YouTube video about publishing with Kobo Writing Life.
Publishing on Kobo Writing Life: A Step-By-Step Guide
Have a great long weekend, and happy creating!
