I just ordered the proof copy of my revised version of “Climbing The Walls”.

There’s something about that sentence that has a huge sigh of relief accompanying it. It’s a big step. Something’s happening.

Well, in my personal life, not a lot has been happening, as my health issues have taken priority.

But I’m recuperating… just in some pain, with very little movement, and far too much time to reflect.

I’ll be off work for a few weeks. I’ll be off “super-mommy duty” for a few weeks.

I can’t hold my baby. That’s a sobering thought.

But there is a good side to all of this, and I will emerge from this “downtime” better for it.

I should use this time for something positive. I should use this time to RESET.

Gearing up for relaunching Book 1

Book 1’s revamp has me in that “reset” mode, and I’m trying my best to hit that “reset” button soon.

Over the past month, I’ve made some pretty big steps, even though they may not have felt like it at the time.

Here are a few worth mentioning:

1. I got my new ISBN for my revised edition of Book 1 for “Climbing The Walls”.
2. I got my beautiful new cover done! It looks very similar — I didn’t want to go TOO far away from my original vision — but now there’s more of a story to the imagery, and the style with the background images now matches the other two books much better than the old cover.
3. I bought a new domain, www.sfortuneauthor.com… it was time I took the dive and stopped “tagging on” my author life to my main domain. It needed its own entity.
4. After an entire day of misadventures with tech support, I finally figured out (on my own!) how to get all the “sachafortune.com/author” in every URL to automatically update to “sfortuneauthor.com“
5. I updated the URLs for the blog feeds on my Goodreads account and my Amazon Author account, and my bios on a bunch of sites to the new domain. I still have a few dozen more to do, but it’s a start.
6. I cleaned up the manuscript for the print version of my revised Book 1 edition. I now have much more white space between chapters. Not an easy feat, mind you. Editing is massacre!
7. I created some key pieces of marketing for the launch — images and a promo video using the new cover.
8. And finally, today… I ordered the first proof of my revised manuscript.

The Road to Relaunch

Now, that isn’t nearly everything that’s needed for a launch. It’s just a few tiny steps towards that day. But I’m taking it one thing at a time.

I gave myself a nice long lead time because I know it’s a zillion small things, and it’s just little old me.

Some writers — even the self-published ones like me — have an entire team to do all this small stuff.

Some do it on their own, but badly.

I’m trying to do it all, and trying to do it all WELL.

I’m fortunate to have some “extra” skills besides writing — being able to create a website, and do some design stuff, that is awesome. Many writers break the bank on this stuff.

I’m cheap, so by default I need to be up to the task of those “extras”!

What’s next?

Well, once I review the proof copy of the print version, I still have to take my time and create the e-version.

It’s always better to tackle that AFTER the print version is as clean as possible. I learnt this the hard way — when I used to fix every typo multiple times in many versions!

Once the e-version is ready, I can upload that to Amazon KDP, publish them both, and then market the hell out of it.

There are so many ways to throw money behind your book, if you have the budget and the time.

I’ll book a bunch of newsletters, flash it around every Facebook reader group I can find, run some promos, shout it from the rooftops.

Maybe I’ll try to get onto another podcast, like the one with Ella “Author Like a Boss”. Or another book review tour.

I’m exhausted just thinking about all of it.

I love the writing process, but the publishing process can be traumatising to your spirit.

And this time around, I have to remember my Author Footprint and revisit everywhere I’ve been to “update” it with my new version.

Why do it, then?

For the love of it.

Because I owe it to myself to have the story out there, the way I want it to be.

And because I’m ready to move on from Book 1, my first book baby, which took the most out of me.

I’m ready to evolve as a writer, to “republish” that new version that pained me to create. To grow up and realise that every book is its own entity, but sometimes you need to take a hit to your writer ego for the greater good.

Because here’s the thing… once I’m done with my revised Book 1, once that is out of the way, I can turn my attention on the unfinished stories in my head.

The unfinished characters, just waiting for me to revisit them.

Despite the physical pain and the emotional upheaval I’m going through now as my body and brain go through this much-needed process of healing, I know I need this “downtime” to refocus.

To do better.

To RESET.