Creating a whole new world takes creative energy. My creative energy these days are going through questions like ‘what should I do for my baby’ ‘what will my life be like next?’ So many questions swirl that it’s like when I was getting married.
Luckily I have a lot of books that need editing, revising and the like to touch. 2015 was a year I wrote a lot of books, but wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with them. So I’ve been sitting on this pile, and I have found that it is easier to go through a book I wrote a while ago and say ‘time to fix.’
So if you are a writer, understand the waves you ride. Sometimes it’s time to write. Sometimes it’s time to revise. You have to do both until your tired of the book. Then you edit. You clean it up. Then either release as a self publisher or submit to publishers and/or agents.
Since the release of Winter Peril through Kindle Press in August 2015, I have struggled internally how I want my career to go. It was why I wrote a lot of books, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with the novels. So I wrote as I made a decision.
Pregnancy delayed me making this choice for a while. In the first trimester I was so tired, I didn’t write, revise or do anything but sleep. Now that I have energy again though, I have to say I made a decision.
I’m cleaning up my House of Morgan series and will release them close in time, later in the year. I’m editing two of them right now. Once they are in the pipeline and ready, then I’m not waiting anymore. I had requests from major houses. In the almost year of ‘what do I want to do with my life’ I collected requests as I queried. I also have a YA fantasy that is completely edited for book one. Book two is half done. They are my property and I don’t want my future daughter to be born into a world where her mom is like ‘I don’t know what I want.’ I should teach her that you set the pace for your destiny and that you work to feed the body and soul. She’ll ultimately make her own choices so I should show that I make mine too.
So look for a few books from me very soon. I’m super excited!
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you find the energy to revise a book when life is overwhelming?
Revisiting older manuscripts can be easier than starting something new when life demands creative energy elsewhere. Instead of building a world from scratch, you’re simply fixing what already exists. Writers going through major life changes — like pregnancy or career decisions — often find revision more manageable than drafting, because it requires less generative energy and more editorial focus.
What is the right order of steps to finish and release a book?
According to one author’s process, the steps are: write, then revise until you’re satisfied, then edit to clean up the manuscript. After editing, you either self-publish or submit to publishers and literary agents. Revising and writing happen in waves and repeat until the book feels done, while editing is the final polish before release.
Should I self-publish or submit to traditional publishers and agents?
The decision between self-publishing and traditional publishing is deeply personal and can take time to resolve. Some authors query agents and major houses while simultaneously preparing books for self-release, keeping both options open. Collecting requests from publishers during the querying process doesn’t prevent you from self-publishing, and many authors weigh both paths before committing to a direction.
