Mickey J Corrigan talks about Write, Edit and Publish!

Write. Edit. Publish.

That's what we want to do as authors. It seems so simple. Write the little gem of a story that's in your head, polish it up, edit it over and over until it shines like a diamond. Then show it to the world! And sit back to wait for the rousing and appreciative applause.

Sadly, it doesn't always work this way. As authors, we can always write. Well, almost always. Sometimes life gets in the way and we can't. But when we can, write is what we do. And as seasoned authors, we know how to edit. We'll spend more time editing a manuscript than we spent writing it. Just to make sure the characters come to life, the dialogue sparkles, and the plot twists and turns until everyone's head is spinning like it's an exorcism. We authors can do this because that's what we do and we like doing it.

But then comes publishing. Ah, this is where being an author gets tricky.

First we need to submit our new manuscript to a publisher. And wait to hear back. And wait. And wait. I had a manuscript accepted by an acquisitions editor last spring, but I didn't receive the contract until August. Why? Red tape. Controversy about the subject matter. Issues regarding language use. Now the book is in production. The process is flowing quickly. But for a while there, the waiting was long and hard.

And that's one of my success stories. I've got lots of failure tales. Horror stories. An agent who claims she will get me half a million dollars from a top New York publisher, then has a stroke and dies. A publisher who goes bankrupt two weeks before my book's release date. And recently, the publisher of my newest book, GEEKUS INTERRUPTUS, suddenly closed up—only three months after releasing this funny little story of geek love. Fortunately, that story had a happy ending. The wonderful Bottom Drawer Publications took on the book and gave it a new and improved look. Then they re-released it—only a few weeks after it disappeared from third party retailer shelves.

Ask any author and she will tell you: after your book is published, there's no sitting on your, um, laurels. Because that's when the real work begins. Most writers are introverts, we'd rather create than communicate. Because creating IS our method of communicating. But these days, whether your publisher is in New York or in a digital universe, even if your publisher is YOU, marketing your new book is essential. This means yakking it up on social networks, garnering reviews, and chatting in interviews. Which can be a tough slog for writers. Especially when we are in the middle of writing our next book.

Most writers are always in the middle of writing the next book. But all authors know the ugly truth. Write. Edit. Publish. Promote. And hope like mad for a happy ending.

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Mickey J. Corrigan lives and writes and gets into trouble in South Florida. Her pulpy fiction includes novellas like DREAM JOB, a paranormal cyber romance, PROFESSIONAL GRIEVERS, a romance featuring people who go to funerals for a living, and ME GO MANGO, a girls go wild when they're over forty story. GEEKUS INTERRUPTUS, her newest novella, is available from Bottom Drawer Publications. Visit at www.mickey jcorrigan.com and on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5828647.Mickey_J_Corrigan

Buy links for GEEKUS INTERRUPTUS:

Publisher's link: http://www.bottomdrawerpublications.net/#!geekus-interruptus/c1odt

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Geekus-Interruptus-ebook/dp/B00F7CH7Q6/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1379251537&sr=1-7

All Romance: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-geekusinterruptus-1295959-149.html

Book Strand: http://www.bookstrand.com/geekus-interruptus-0

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/geekus-interruptus

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/357720