P-p-publishing panic...

I have done some scary stuff as a writer and broadcaster.

For years I wrote a newspaper consumer column (battling on behalf of the underdog) which regularly attracted threats of law suits. Thankfully they never came to anything but – trust me -  I had some sleepless nights.

Then as a broadcaster I spent half my life with a huge knot in my stomach, waiting to go “live” and wondering if this would be the disaster that would end up on You- tube.

No idea why I worry so much. The broadcasting career went very well, actually. The consumer column was a hit too. But I was born to worry …so worrying is what I do.

Imagine then my terror as I press the publish button on Amazon for my first ebook . 
“I think I’ve made a hash of it. Uploaded the book twice. Messed up the picture. It’s a complete disaster. I will be a laughing stock.”

The Husband – well used to this ritual- ignores me. He says that it will probably be just fine and that I should wait and see. I can always “unpublish” if there is a technical glitch.

But what will people think? What have I done? I am a professional. I have standards. . I should never, ever have started this whole ridiculous project…

So while other authors are busy putting together their marketing plan, tweeting to potential readers with smiles and a twinkle in their eye, I am wondering how long it will take me to “unpublish” the technical catastrophe that is my first e-book.

Kindle tells you that you have to wait 12 hours or so before the book surfaces.

TWELVE HOURS ? Are they serious?  Do you have any idea how many stomach ulcers I can develop in TWELVE HOURS?

You may well have guessed ( and yes – the Husband has said he told me so) that I am publishing this post on the discovery that  contrary to my fears, the book has  - well, come out perfectly all right in the wash after all.

I did not apparently upload all the stories twice as I feared. Nor did I mess up the cover upload - even though an ominous warning triangle appeared at one stage.
Miraculously the finished product looks – well, absolutely fine actually.

For those who may be interested in the book – it’s a republishing project rather than a self-pub as the stories have been previously published by a range of national magazines. All the details are on my books page.

I will blog soon on the all the lessons I learned putting this little project together.

But, sorry – not just now.

For now,  I need a bit of a lie down.

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