I have made the mistake of the “Boy Who Cried Wolf” once too often. My version has been crying that the book is ready. Wrong. Unlike the boy who deliberately deceived the townfolk for amusement, my announcements were well-intended yet premature. Facebook friends, at least five times, have heard me blow that done horn. I have put the trumpet in the closet.
I had pretty much given up hope that an influential person was going to review my book and had decided to close the door and open the book up for distribution. Then, he emailed me 16 pages of notes on suggestions single-spaced of how to make the book better. From “very good” (his words) to even better. I would have been a fool to not incorporate his thoughts. They were right on. That explains the last two months.
Then, I gave my Dad a draft copy of the book. He is well-read and has a well-honed bullshit detector. His feedback has been different that the two others, but also right on. Too many commas for one, and second, conduct an official grammar check through Word. There is a comprehensive tool in Word the identifies suspicious grammar issues that looks at more than just that line under the words or words. That was a helpful process.
Has publishing the book been harder that I expected? Yes, very much so. Maybe it is the male equivalent of having a baby. I have cried out more than once “how long?” in trying to deliver this book. I think the last ten percent of the book process is the hardest. I am weary. I want to move on. I am tempted to compromise. But, then I think that the difference between good and great is a question of degrees and that I have come too far and sacrificed too much to give up now and being content with where the book stands. So, I march on.
Here is hoping, with faith, that the journey will help others, those college-bound students who need a hand and a hope. Amen.