I'm a few days late, but that's why there's a (mostly) in the title of these posts. I am nothing if not the embodiment of forgetting to do things—or putting them off and forgetting later. In any case, the topic for this week is what I'm currently (supposed to be) doing: revising!
I finished ZODIAC RISING roughly six weeks ago, which blows my mind. It feels like it just happened yesterday. I waited about three weeks after finishing it for an editorial letter from my professor. After all, my novel was my thesis, the crux of my academic career. That was probably the longest three weeks of my life.
Anyway, once I finally received my letter, I ruminated on the changes I was going to need to make before attempting to publish my life's work. It terrified me more than the actual writing. I had finally finished something tangible, something that was at my fingertips and that I could call mine. And now I had to do it all again.
Of course, every writer goes through that. It's part of the process. But being entirely new to this process and being riddled with self-doubt made me all the more anxious to pick up the pen again. I knew it was a necessary evil, but I was convinced there was no point. Then, a small miracle happened.
An indie press was open for submissions! Only a few weeks after I finished my novel. In my eyes, it was kismet. Shadow Spark Publishing has been on my radar for a while now. They're spoken so highly of by my friend Dan and honestly, things look good. I don't want to be arrogant and pretend that I'm a shoe-in or anything, but for the first time, my hopes are high. If it doesn't work out, I can always try again elsewhere. It will suck, but I need to learn to cope with real rejection anyway. So, six weeks later, here I am beginning my revisions like a madwoman trying to meet their September 21st deadline. Even though my husband has given me until Sunday. I'm posting this on Tuesday. 
I'll update you when I make some progress with my revisions. The fact that I have views on this website still baffles me. It makes me think that people actually care what I have to say. Hopefully, we can all grow together. For now, I have a book to revise. AN ACTUAL BOOK, GUYS.
Be well. Be happy. Remember to breathe.
xoxo
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