Formatting is Set

I got the final formatting file. It still has errors, but I've been assured that the story is so good that readers will definitely still love the book. LuLu will print a copy with the cover art I chose and mail the actual book to me for final approval. This whole process has made me even more disgusted with the whole 'official' publishing system. I read an article telling authors that if they want to get published they need to write an absolutely amazing and entertaining story. Well, I have wasted a lot of my hard earned cash on crappy books in the hopes of finding these great novels.

Authors need to study their art before, during, and after writing their novel. I studied pre-19th century critics all the way through modern critics. I wanted to know what my reader needed and wanted, rather than what I wanted or needed. I learned this from teaching college English. It doesn't matter in the slightest what the teacher needs! This story is my attempt to entertain the reader who, like me, really enjoyed reading the Twilight book.

Oh, the waiting : (

I approved the cover and now we just wait for those 35 errors to be fixed in the formatting. Once that is done, they will adjust the cover to fit the number of pages in the book, and then they will send me a hard copy to give my final approval on. OMG, I am dying to hold this thing in my hands!!!!

Anyone interested in free copy just send me an email address or a physical address. I only ask that you write up a review (good or bad), and let me use it.

OMG, 35 errors

Ok, so my book will totally look like an amateur did it. I found 35 additional errors! I keep telling myself that people love it and want to read it like bad because I feel totally inadequate. I may not be the best editor, but I am a good story teller. I am I tell you. No wait that is me I am arguing with.

This self publishing thing is hard, and anyone who has a wonderful editor should feel blessed!

I quit fixing it and said to go ahead with printing. Oh, and you get 10 free changes after the formatting (with the publishing package I bought with LuLu). After that you can purchase 5 error changes for $40 each. If the errors reach $650 they will change whatever and just call it a 're-edit'. I spent $200. It was worth it and, yes, I know NOT everything was fixed.

Sympathy for book covers

I received the first draft of the book cover and the artists are waaaayyy smarter than me. I now know that the book cover needs to draw a reader in rather than match the story - and here is the important part - AND have art that can be printed, reprinted, and altered. I need someone who is willing to sell away their rights to the picture, drawing, or whatever is on my cover giving me all rights to do with it as I please. There are websites like iStockPhoto and Fotolia that will sell you photos and the like giving you full rights to it. So not only do I need to make the cover represent my book, I have to get cool stuff too. I will post the cover as soon as I have finally approved it.