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.

No, not a final, edited manuscript. But I hired a cover designer! I’ve booked Jenny from Seedlings Design Studio. I always loved her style, and I’ve looked up (and read) several books in her portfolio, just because of their covers.

She’s not available for me until the end of May, but I still feel like I’m getting a step closer to something. (And I can’t get a print wrap until my manuscript is final and formatted, so maybe it will be motivation for me to get finished with revisions so I can look for an editor, and a formatter, so Jenny can complete my print cover.)

A lot of my current writing life has me pretty frustrated, but I’m pretty excited about this.

And just so links to this will show an image, here's a graphic that non-graphic-designer me put together.