I’m on the final proofread of the novel. Can’t quite believe I’ve made it this far. Finding the right copy-editor and proofreader is essential. No matter how many edits I’d done, there were still things I’d missed, not just with punctuation and grammar but also with clarity of thought at times. All of these layers add to the process of birthing this book into the world so that I feel confident it’s the absolute best piece of work I can create.
It was a long and difficult decision to publish myself, and not without some failed attempts at finding an agent. This again is when I began tuning into my anxiety: as soon as I sought the validation of others and handed my power away my anxiety would go through the roof; the minute I decided to take full creative control of the process of birthing this book, I felt a deep calmness.
The ego wasn’t too pleased of course – and still shouts occasionally ‘WTF are we doing? We should hold out for a big publishing deal.’ Ha. But I have to be honest that a three-book deal (it’s the first in a trilogy) isn’t something that’s handed out even to established novelists, nevermind a poet who can’t stay-in-her-lane. And I’ve accepted that full creative control is more important to me than anything else as it’s also what will allow me to publish the novel in the Creative Commons/Copyleft.
Anyways, We fitted a swivel plate to the passenger seat this week and what a difference it’s made! Feels like sitting in a conservatory. But of course as soon as we swing this chair around we become acutely aware of the giant hole in the seat that’s been there since we bought the van four years ago (swipe for pics).
This was such a difficult mend! I’ve never done upholstery before and the bottom stitches had to go through the plastic material (I realise I’ve lost my thimble too ?). An old pair of jeans did the trick for material, padded with some spare sponge we had in the garage. It’s not the prettiest of mends but it looks better than it did.
As an aside if anybody knows why all the DPD delivery vans we looked at had the same hole in the passenger seat please tell me!
I’ll share the cover design with you next week. Eeep!
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