Ack!

More publication progress

I just booked a developmental editor. (That's a stage of editing before the typo type of editing. They help you with large scale story issues--plot, character, consistency, etc. Not all writers use a developmental editor. Many are able to write, self-edit, and go straight to proofreading. But I don't trust myself to make a book good without one.)

I've booked her for July. I'm a step closer, and it's exciting, but also a little terrifying. I'm actually kind of afraid of publishing. Once I put a book out, it's fair game for all kinds of reader reviews (or perhaps even getting no readers at all). Once I have readers, I suspect I'll feel pressured to keep a steady publishing pace to keep them happy. Yet I'm a tortoise writer. I'll have a lot of time before my next release to obsess over this book's sales. If it doesn't do well, I suspect I'll feel very little motivation to keep going.

Ack!