On my continuing journey through the self-publication process for The Kite and the Coin Toss, while I had already made a $trong commitment to get it published, I then found myself facing another financial decision…the edit.
Had I been picked by a traditional publisher, the edit would not have been an option for me, the author, but a standard and necessary procedure for the agent/publisher to carry out. That said, had I gone down the traditional path, my wallet would have taken a great sigh of relief. I, however, was not that kind to my wallet.
I will say, having decided to have The Kite and the Coin Toss professionally edited (sorry wallet), I have an extreme appreciation for the commitment it takes to see this through even for the traditional publisher.
You have to truly believe in the story being told, to commit to such an investment.
I believe in this story I have written. I believe in it enough to have made my own coin toss; heads, I believe in it enough to pay for the edit, or tails…between legs running with the story as I had originally completed it. I have to believe having someone with a professional editorial eye looking at my book will greatly help its chances to be the book I believe it can be.
My decision came down to trying to envision myself later in life looking back and wondering whether I’d regret not having invested in the story I had spent over ten years preparing to tell. From that perspective, the decision was not as difficult. Don’t get me wrong, it was very difficult, just not as very difficult. But the fact is, I would definitely have regretted not putting my best foot forward, even if it meant kicking my wallet along the way.
I want to make sure and thank my wife, Kineta, for all her support in this effort. She has had to put up with my writing dream for the past 17 years of our 33 years of marriage. Recently, she even supported my investing in this dream. Make no mistake, her face was slightly contorted as she gave me the go-ahead, but give me the go-ahead she did. She did so recognizing that if your dreams are not worth investing in, then what is?
With my first novel, Through the Kindness of Ravens, I was more than content, even amazed, at getting it published. But my goals have always been different for this second novel. Getting The Kite and the Coin Toss out there and on bookstore shelves, as well as marketed for movie optioning, has always been my goal.
I have always seen both stories as movies. I decided to write them as novels because that is what I believed myself capable of doing. Even so, I had read up on script-writing and the movie paradigm so I would keep a cinematic vision of the story as it developed.
The Edit and the Coin Toss landed heads. Later this year, I can’t wait to see how The Kite and the Coin Toss lands.
Until then, edit on.