Finishing a Book

The Joy of finishing a book

I will never forget the feeling of finishing my first book. The joy of holding a finished manuscript in my hands. I showed it to my biggest fan, my mother. She read through the first few paragraphs’ then looked up at me exclaiming. “It’s like a real book. With characters and dialog and ever thing.”

My first “real” book.

Of course I did not understand that writing the book was just the first step on a three year odyssey. After writing the story comes editing. Editing never ends.
While you’re waiting to hear back from publishers, agents, and other assorted people you’ve begged to read your baby, you edit. Then comes the wonderful day you sell your book and discover the reality of how much your baby is really work or you give up and go the self publish route, discovering your work is only beginning. Now it’s time to edit your book again and again. And then, just when you think you’re done, you get it copy edited.

The joy of finishing writing a book quickly fades and turns into a grim determination to just survive till it’s in print. But, the joy returns as you complete the final edits and again you are holding a finished manuscript in your hands.

I can’t wait for the joy of opening my first box full of copies of MY book. And the joy of selling my first 10, 20, 100 books. Until then of course, all my spare time is spent editing my second book. And editing and editing and editing...
Laura’s book Las Vegas Chew Toy will be launched on October 10.

Check out my Website LauraLAlton.com