Making Mistakes: Re-Re-Proofing
I highly recommend it. Looking at the second proof submission for Every One Fight – Amazon Edition this morning I noticed I’d overlooked a basic feature of the paperback: Numbered Pages. My word – and yours – how could I overlook that? Easily.
I was so focused and excited by the notion of having a print edition of EOF available to the world that I missed an essential fact, and it’s put a delay on this edition of the book. No sweat here, I accounted for all of this.
I didn’t have pre-orders, I didn’t set a publication date and market it on my social networks. I can make all these mistakes calmly, reflect and learn without looking like a fool. That’s the secret, of course, is messing up when no one is looking, or being prepared to turn the error into a win.
This is a risk of self-publishing, and it’s buy valium easy to do when you’re not known, not scrutinized. Like spelling errors in drafts, pre-print grammatical nonsense. The short route is to have an experienced ally on hand to help you avoid those mistakes, to warn you away and guide you to the shore.
Every One Fight isn’t my best work; but it is a fine testing ground and worthy print piece. I’ve done a lot of reading, and though it doesn’t do what you expect most books to do, Masurani has a tale like most of our own: A little unguided, a little too headstrong, a little noble.
She’s not the kind of person I’d have to ask for forgiveness for something like this; she’d quietly understand. Everyone has to warm up, to train, to prepare. Don’t be afraid to be imperfect, the burden is too great for any one fight.
Good hunting.