The Twenty Day Countdown To P-Day........... (Publish-Day)
Yes! It is officially countdown time. I'm excited and nauseous, giddy and terrified, eager and apprehensive. I'm running the gamut of emotions here. I was awake until two-thirty this morning, reading away, and so - my post is quite late! I actually slept in until ten-thirty! I couldn't help it....my faithful 'hund', Zutchka, curled up with me, and we slept lazily after my husband made his way to work. I love those lazy mornings when there's nothing pressing me to rise and shine. I've never been a morning person anyway.........
I've completed through chapter 14 on this third read-through, and how different this third go-over is! I'm still finding a few errors, but we're looking better and better! Maybe the fourth or fifth time will be the charm.
I sent a copy of Claiming The Prize out to another beta reader (who has been a beta before for others), and I have another reader asking to beta for me.
What criteria do you have for selecting betas?
Each of these women have something to offer in the way of skill, experience, and reader opinion, and it made me wonder what other authors look for in a beta reader.
I've only written a few pages in Her Dark Baron, leaving me STILL in chapter seven. But with the final days leading up to my publish date, I've decided to suspend all goals on other projects and focus my attention on the novel. I want it to be the best it can be, and to ensure that, I'm devoting these twenty days completely to my first little egg.....awwwwww. It's such an exciting time..............
Wish me luck and stop around fellow Round Of Words pages. Have a fantastic week everyone! ~ Nadja
I think taking the 20 days to polish your first precious egg is a great idea. Best of luck!
ReplyDeleteNot sure what to suggest on beta readers, all of mine are people I know at this point, so I'm interested to see what others have to say as well.
Have a great week Nadja!
Thanks, Gene. I'm glad you appreciate my 'hatchling' love...ha!
ReplyDeleteI have a few betas who I know, and I wanted to add someone who is 'once-removed', if you know what I mean. Someone who hasn't been with me, hearing about the characters as they developed or the scenes as they came to life, and someone who doesn't know me as well....and, therefore, doesn't know my 'voice'. I'm hoping this will give me a clear reader's perspective, as this beta doesn't have the background on any of the process and has no 'foreknowledge' of the story or characters.
Anyway, have a great week, yourself! ~ Nadja
I'm happy for you! And I think that's an excellent idea to acquire a beta reader who is pretty well oblivious to your 'voice'. A kind of blind study, if you will.
ReplyDeleteExactly, Julius! By the way, I truly enjoyed yor first chapter. Setting the hook......check. ~ Nadja
ReplyDeleteThose SMART goals are great, it really helps organize everything.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on starting the countdown!
Aww, SMART goals - the last office I worked at used those for all of our training techniques and whatnot.
ReplyDeleteThe countdown to P-Day sounds so exciting! Can't wait to read it when it's all done!
It can be hard to set aside other goals to work on one thing only, but it can be easier and less stressful that way. Well done :)
ReplyDeleteAlso, dogs are awesome for snuggling lol
Jamila ~ I thought that was a cute image, too. My office had a sign up that remains, to this day, my favorite. It had a frazzled woman at a desk with piles of work loaded in heaps everywhere...and it said, "I can only please one person per day. Today's not your day. Tomorrow's not looking good, either." I still laugh at it.
ReplyDeleteRebecca ~ I'm also hoping that I will use 'reverse psychology on myself...Ha! If I'm not supposed to work on my novella, I'll surely be swamped with creative inspiration. And yes, there's nothing like snuggling with my pup. He's a heater! I'm looking forward to that warmth come winter - since he always likes to plop down on my feet....
Deniz ~ Thanks! Nineteen days left!! Oh, boy.
~ Nadja