I have hit “Publish”! Slightly anti-climatic, because now I have to WAIT FOR 12 HOURS!!!
I think I’ve read about it before, but chose to forget that the title does not appear in Amazon instantly. They’re probably checking it for profanities (check!), drug use (check!), and smut (not really, but certainly sex references). Not sure why, considering the stuff that gets published these days. I would probably give it a PG-13 rating.
At least I get to show you my slightly improved (I think) cover:
I have given up on adding color to my name – every single one I’ve tried made my last name completely disappear from the thumbnail. Finally I decided to go with “simpler is better” and made it all white. I’ve played with the whole thing for a couple of hours, but the only other change that’s happened is the title font. I’ve ended up printing the cover, and then tracing the name with a flat-tip marker, hopefully giving it a bit more “handwritten” look. Then it was a matter of scanning it in and changing color to white, and bam! My own font 🙂
Ok, so it’s once again “T-minus 12 hours and counting.” Damn it!
Ana Spoke, author 
Congrats on the job well done! I love the cover. I am also very encouraged by watching your progress. Not sure when I will finish my blog novel first draft, but I fee I tend to. Great job again.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much Candice 🙂 btw, I never finished any of my previous drafts, but I used a spreadsheet with a “goal” trend line, and Shizzle, Inc first draft got done in less than 3 months: https://anaspoke.com/2015/01/22/spreadsheets-are-the-writers-best-friends/comment-page-1/
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sigh…this story has taken me soooo long to write, whereas other manuscripts of mine have taken 100 days or less. I am already past a year and some change on this one. Each story is different and requires a different kind of attention. But I would like it at the “the end” mark so that I can focus on other works. Totally not complaining though. I have learned a lot. 🙂
LikeLike
Yes, the 12 hours is a bit frustrating…every time you make a change! Congratulations!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Congrats and thx Ana for sharing your publishing journey. It reads like a novel and with the high, lows, twists and turns deserves its own Amazonian adventure (travel guide into publishing territory genre?). I have learnt heaps .. hope I get to use it all as my blog blooms!
LikeLike
Congratulations! All the best wishes for when the book comes out! 😀
LikeLike
Thank you so much, Dimple! It’s live!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m happy for you; must be a great feeling to hit “publish,” the 12-hour wait notwithstanding. Think of it like putting a cake in the oven.
LikeLike
Yes, thank you! And it turns out it only took them an hour! It’s now published! Yay!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Looking good! You will wake up tomorrow morning and you will be a published author! Cheers!
LikeLike
Hey, it’s there already! I just checked!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Whaaaaaaat???! Thank you, I thought they would email me????
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nope, it rarely takes 12 hours, maybe 1or 2! You’re published! Pop the champagne!
LikeLike
Congrats, Ana!! I wish you all the best with the book.
LikeLike
Thank you so much, Amy!
LikeLike
I really love the cover! Best of luck!
LikeLike
Thank you so much! Hope you like the one I’ve ended up uploading to Amazon, it’s only slightly different
LikeLike
How exciting! Congratulations! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Johanna! I feel like a new mother 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
How incredibly exciting!!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Omg, it is! I’ve spent at least an hour with my sister just looking at it on Amazon 🙂 found a typo already 😦
LikeLiked by 1 person
So awesome! I would love to read/review this for you and post it on my blog!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow, thank you so much! I can’t wait for the first independent review!
LikeLiked by 1 person
send me an email if you are interested :)comfyreading@hotmail.com!
LikeLike
Cool cover Ana! Always a tense time!
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂 I’m so glad to hear that, it’s been SO much work…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love that cover!!! (And I’m pretty picky.) : )
Congrats! Yay for you on your book! That’s awesome!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love the book cover, Ana. Am going down the same route as you re publication, but probably won’t have things up and running until December. There’s so much to learn. Must have a browse of your site, to learn more about your journey.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Sarah! The end of the marathon is exhausting, best of luck!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Congrats!
I, too, have hit the publish button on Amazon Kindle and then sort of deflated, waiting. It’s soo hard! I have two books I want up before the New Year (HW2 and the Rolf book). The next thing – marketing. *shudders*
So is book cover design. I like this version you have here (although I haven’t seen the other and, really, this is my first time to your blog). It’s bright, eye catching and certainly tells us what’s what.
Thanks for the follow! I look forward to exploring your blog more. 🙂 Nice ta meetcha.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Catherine, and congratulations to you too! I’m looking forward to marketing, will be blogging about what works for me, hope it could be helpful.
LikeLike
You’re welcome and thank you. Marketing is something I struggle with because of my health issues. One of them – Multiple Chemical Sensitivities – makes my abilities to understand things or focus on something extremely unpredictable. I look forward to seeing what you do.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi, Catherine, sorry to hear that – that makes your success at finishing a novel that much more amazing! I have a whole list of things to try, lots of material for future blogs 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Congratulations!
Why do they make you wait 12 hours? They allow an author to pretty much write anything don’t they?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! Turned out, it’s about an hour. They just say up to 12, to cover their, you know…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Congrats!!! Happy Bookday to you! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Jon 🙂
LikeLike
A huge congratulations to you, very exciting & I think the cover is great, white works fine for your author name 😊
LikeLike
Got it, reading it, I’ll keep you updated. I’ve posted a link on FB. I’m hoping some of my friends will read it or at least share the post. So excited, I know (virtually know) an actual published author. Woowho, go gal.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Dee! Really appreciate it – I can’t be an author if nobody reads my books 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
10% Read, interesting. Think Harden is going to be a player. No spoilers, the plot is safe with me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
How awesome, thank you Dee! Can’t wait to see what you think of the whole thing…
LikeLiked by 1 person
PS. Don’t stop blogging.
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂 How can I stop, when you keep reading them? Thank you so much 🙂
LikeLike
Love the cover. I think the white text is perfect!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much, Jude! I love it too, now – it was a hard, hard process!
LikeLike
If you don’t mind me asking, who did your editing? I am in need of an editor, and haven’t had any luck lately.
LikeLike
Hi, did I not answer this? Sorry! It was Lu Sexton of A story to tell – she is in Australia.
LikeLike
That cover is KILLER! ‘Can’t wait to read your book!! #goodbyebookban xD
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! Not bad for self-designed…I’ve even submitted it to the Book Designer competition, will se what he will say. Please let me know what you think of the novel!
LikeLiked by 1 person