Shiny New Thing….

Well - for me, the wait is over. I am making the leap from “author in waiting” to “so excited I’m scared and so scared I’m excited author”.  My first sci-fi novel, Order of the Seers will make her official debut on Tuesday, September 4^th 2012 – 2 months from today. 

I chose to announce the book’s release on Independence Day as an affirmation of my decision to publish my book independently.  It’s very nice and very scary to have the full reigns on this baby.  The two months since I decided to stop waiting for an agent and go it alone have felt like a year.  The learning curve has been crazy steep and I am not ashamed to admit that I have been brought to tears several times in the past 10 weeks by the overwhelming length of my things-to-do list, the consequences of choices made without the benefit of perfect knowledge or an institution of experience and the preponderance of conflicting information.  

I’ve doubted myself and my ability to do what was necessary to publish this book at almost every turn.  It’s the reason that I wanted an agent in the first place – to take care of everything and me – to shepherd me through the dark forest of printers, editors and publishers, the foul-mouth monsters of promotion and marketing and the twin witches of praise and criticism.  

Did I mention that I am a proud hermit by nature and a technophobe?  This probably describes 99% of the writers on the planet, so none of it makes me special, but it does explain why more people chose to bury their manuscripts than publish them. 

The fact that I haven’t chosen that path is truly telling.  Despite all my worry and doubt, I have never wavered in my belief in this story.  I wonder if this new audience I’m trying to reach will like it or read it, but I never doubt that it should be shared – that its destiny lies in the light, not under my mattress.  It keeps me going when I feel like I just can’t fit one more thing into 24 hours.   

The other enormously good thing is there couldn’t be a better time to self-publish.  There are so many generous authors who have gone down this road I’m on and are more than willing to share their lessons-learned – for free or very little.  I am privileged to claim some of them as good friends.  Plus, the information (conflicting though some may be) is all out there for you to grab and absorb. And my cup runneth over with facts and figures that have been distilled into actions steps.  

We’ll see how it goes, but go it will.  There’s no turning back now.  For a preview of the book, check out my brand new website www.crmurphybooks.com.  There’s also some video, news on upcoming projects and even a place for you to pre-order a paperback copy.  Sign-up for updates because we’re are off and running and there is so much more to come!

If you’re out there, thanks for reading!

~ Cerece