Well.  The Other Side of 30 2nd Edition has been out for 11 days and still no e-book.  *Sigh*  This is one of those growing pains and learning experiences that I just have to appreciate.
I thought that the e-book should have been the easiest part to get up and running, but unfortunately, I didn't know that my book designer worked in the opposite direction.  It's okay, though. I've gotten the final product, and it turned out really well, from what I can tell.  The only thing is that I've uploaded it twice and it's come back with errors both times!  Fricken Frack!  

And since I'm new to this side of things, that "true" self-publishing that some folks seem to be bent on bragging about, I'm still green and rough around the edges.  I don't have a clue what's taking so long to validate a file that the "validator" said was successful.  Geez Louise.

I'm almost afraid to go back to the website and check on the status. I'm supposed to get a "good to go" email when the e-proof is ready for review and approval, and so far, I haven't gotten that.  And two days of "The title has been rejected" with no freakin' discernible reason why is driving me a little nuts.
Never have been a patient person, and this is the worst feeling.  Waiting.  Waiting.  ARggggh!

But, I'm living and learning.  By the time I get around to publishing future projects, for myself and others, I'll know a lot more about what to do when and what not to do at all.  Winning!  Sort of.

As the target date of 16 September approaches, I have a bundle of mixed emotions.  Again, I will have the opportunity to release a body of work in memory of my uncle Harvey, and in honor of all my family and friends who have supported me along the way.  But I'm also very nervous.  I know the work is good, but even after having been a writer all of my life, I still get a case of "Is it good enough?" swirling about in my head.  Not in a crippling fear sort of way, but in an always overthinking everything sort of way.  I tell myself that such is the life of a published author.

I've put in a lot of effort to making this revision of The Other Side of 30, 2nd Edition (TOST2), something that readers can enjoy as much as (hopefully more) than the last release.  I'm a good kind of tired, with lots more to be done, to make sure that the book is available for purchase on time.  Figuring out these links is exhausting, but I want to make finding and buying my book an easy task, so I gotta just work it out.
 
And right on the heels of the TOS2, is the Up from Here project, and then The Other Side of 40 (TOSF), my sort of sequel to TOST2.  All of this, I'm hoping to get accomplished by the end of the year.  Whew! Work, work, and more work!  But I'm liking this life.

I said I wanted to own my own publishing house, and that's what I've got. And everything that goes along with it.  Planning, budgeting, publicity, marketing, hiring editors, designers, publicists, and running everything by my attorney and accountant before making my decisions.  It's not what I thought it would be like, but it's nice to be in this kind of control.  Plus, once I'm good and off the ground with my own pet projects, I'll be a better informed and vastly more experienced publisher.  I can start helping other unknowns and upstarts to get their chances at sharing their work with the world.

I'm not in the "Awesome" phase, yet, but I think I'm on the right track. I no longer fear not being "good enough"  If someone doesn't like the work, I just tuck that away into the "needs improvement" file, and know that I just have to keep improving and growing.
I think that's important for anyone who would call him/herself a writer.  I think that writers who don't improve and grow are not being the best they can be.

As always, good luck, to all writers and artists to put out the best products possible.  We have to remember that no matter how hard the work is to get to quality, junk peddling is not an option. Love the craft.