Thursday, May 19, 2011

Losing it

Less than one week until book release.
This morning I had an eloquent analogy about the Kentucky Derby and the home stretch. Then I got in the shower—where I usually have my best thinks—and it all unraveled. Not only did I lose my extremely clever, relevant, and (dare I say) world-changing opening. I couldn’t remember if I conditioned my hair or merely thought about it. Bottom line: I’m losing it! ;)
So today, I’m going to give a quick update on where I am, and then open up the cyber floor for questions: Professional, personal or other—my filters are down, so ask away.
Then Tuesday, I’ll be doing a very special Launch Day blog. I’ll be giving away a free digital copy of THE HALO CHRONICLES: THE GUARDIAN. **And I’ll be unveiling the first book I ever wrote** It’s from 1977. Prepare to be amazed and blown-away.

Where I’m at: Formatting done. Uploaded to Smashwords, B&N, Amazon Kindle. Waiting for publications to clear, then I’ll do a final check to make sure everything looks right.
Conclusion: In the home stretch, focus is the most important thing.
Mood: Dry?
Related topics: Theresa Ragan sold 10,000 books in 10 weeks. Whether traditional or indie, her blog will inspire you. Be sure to check out How I Got Started.
Next steps: final checks
Your turn: Ask me anything you want!

6 comments:

Erin said...

I don't have much to say except how excited I am to finally read your book. It's understandable that you're a little freaked out. Just remember to breathe. ;) Everything's going to be great! And you might just be the next one to sell 10,000 books in 10 weeks. :)

Theresa Ragan said...

I agree with Erin...BREATHE! ha! This is great. I LOVE your cover and I can't wait to get my hands on this book. I need to go read your post about having your cover done.

I dream up some of my best scenes in the shower. I wonder if that's a universal writer thing we all do?

Keep up the good work. I'm hoping you'll sell 20,000 books in ten weeks! When it comes to kindles and ebooks this is just the beginning. DOON sounds fabulous, too.

Wishing you much success! Oh, wait, you have no filters right now so I need to ask you a question. How many pages is The Guardian? How long did it take you to write this book? Are you writing in other genres? That's it for now. :)

Lorie Langdon said...

I'm still cracking up about you forgetting whether you conditioned your hair or not! LOL! I'm so glad it's not just me. The question is; are we brilliant and distracted or just getting old??? ;D
You know I'm so proud and beyond excited for you. I *love* THE GUARDIAN and have since day one! Go Carey! (Can you tell I’m in Vee – cheerleader mode?)

Melissa Landers said...

Just sent you an email to tell you about your first (?) Kindle sale.

CareyCorp said...

@ Erin-Thanks. I'm just so glad for people to finally read this story. I hope you like it.

@Theresa Ragan - I've heard a lot of authors have their best thinks in the shower. I have an author friend who installed a whiteboard in her bathroom for that very reason. Thanks for the wishes. Honestly I don't know page numbers. It's 83k but since I have done a print run yet, I'm not sure. (Do you have a good word count to page # formula?)

I wrote THE HALO CHRONICLES: THE GUARDIAN in about 4 months. Very little structural revision. This is the Golden Heart finalist. My former agent said the pacing was near perfect. :) I also have a co-written YA, DOON. And a literary novel called ECHOES OF NEVERLAND. I'm planning to indie publish Echoes in August, unless one of the editors at my upcoming conference makes me an offer. :)

@Lorie Langdon & Macy Beckett - You two are amazing!!!! *emotional moment*

Kristi Cook said...

I *loved* THE GUARDIAN, and am so excited that you'll be sharing it with the world soon! Yay!!!!