sunfright: Cover design for "Lest They Leave" by Michael Sinadjan. (lest they leave)
S. ([personal profile] sunfright) wrote2024-06-27 08:43 pm

thursday.





Warmest day of the year today in Denmark, all-around temperature about 30 degrees Celsius which is a lot for us.

I've spent most of the day in a frenzy, because five days ago, I ordered a small batch of my book, Lest They Leave for print with a local printing company. I've never had to get anything I wrote printed in book-format before, the closest I got was the anthology a friend and I wrote a handful of years back, but she was in charge of all the practical stuff about it, so I only got the sweet feeling of having a book shoved into my hand with my name on it, once it was all in the clear.

This time, the whole process has been my own alone. The writing, the editing, getting a cover made (though I got amazing help from a friend's brother who does this for a living) and now, ordering a batch of it printed. Only a small batch, mind, I'll get fifteen finished books and 1 proof out of it. It was expensive as all Hell, too, and ever since placing my order, I have harboured a nagging anxiety that I've made some mistake and something's bound to be wrong with the layout or design when it gets here, but. But I will be getting something and it will be mine and as my gf says. If it's completely horrible, we'll order another batch, knowing what not to do next time.

Writing this book has been such an experience. Is there anything I wish I could've done differently? Quite a lot of things, actually, and maybe one day in the future, I'll look over this and put some love and effort into a rewrite, but for now this is where I'm at with my progress as a writer. This is the best I can do right now and I'm damn proud of it! Besides the story itself, which is endlessly dear to my heart now, Lest They Leave has taught me so many things about my own working methods, my weaknesses, strengths and everything in between. I think I'll move forward from here so much wiser and with so much more experience as a writer.

And I think good things are waiting ahead.

Besides the proof that I can hopefully pick up at the post office tomorrow! That is what has kept me in a frenzy all day. The printing company texted me at 11 am and told me they'd shipped off my order (meaning just the proof, I think and hope), but then I haven't been able to track the package all day, until just a moment ago when it showed up as on its way to "depot" which I guess is for further distribution. I've never used GLS before. Anyway, I've had no rest since. And now I'm supposed to sleep in this weather before being able to see what the printing guys made of my fumbling explanations and requests... I predict insomnia tonight.

The fifteen copies are all, give or take, promised to people in my immediate circles. I think I have three or four left when everybody I've promised a copy has gotten theirs. Which is fine, I didn't do this to sell books. I just wanted to share my little story with the people who matter to me. Once I have the whole batch, I'm planning on posting the whole novel to AO3 for free reading to those of you who might have an interest in seeing what all my fuss is about. I'll probably post it chapter by chapter (there are 13 chapters all in all) over summer. Look forward to it!

For now, I got an icon with the cover art. I am waiting for my books to get here. I am working on little extra "fics" to slip into the back of each of the 15 copies. And I have a whole playlist, should anyone feel like getting in the mood for reading.

I don't think I've been more ready and more nervous for anything in my life.


adore: (drifting)

[personal profile] adore 2024-06-28 04:25 am (UTC)(link)
I was going to ask whether you'd be releasing an ebook version; I'll wait to read it all in one go at AO3. I love the cover and the icon :) and you should be rightfully proud of accomplishing this.
earthspirits: (Default)

[personal profile] earthspirits 2024-06-28 02:57 pm (UTC)(link)
Congrats on the book and the cover art is lovely.