Ok. I know that’s a strange title, given what I’m doing, but let me explain. You see, I’m an unpublished author with a series of books in various stages of editing and am looking at the ‘end goal’ of publishing. To be honest, I knew I wanted to publish when my manuscript was only a few chapters long.

Being the researcher I am, I did like all excited writers do, and I got online to see what to do next. Back then, I expected publishing to be an easy process; I mean, writing is the hard part, right?

Wrong.

I’m in the third year of development, have all five manuscripts done, and have decided that writing was the easy part! Come to find out, there is no fast-track to getting a quality finished product. It seems as if there are a gazillion opinions out there about what should be done, and what should be avoided when pursuing publishing. Some of the resources are free, others are not, and both camps make some pretty outlandish promises.

While I’ve never had work published, don’t have years of education in literature, or know the proper use of the Oxford Comma (just ask my editor), what I do have is a great book and the passion to give it all I’ve got.

Most of what I’ve researched encourages writers to get started this way:
Write a great story
Polish your manuscript
Get a website
Be present on social media
Start a blog to generate interest

My immediate question was, “What do I blog about? My story is about a family no one knows, in a place no one has ever been, with themes no one has ever experienced. Start a blog???”

When I reflect on what I’ve been doing the most over the last year, it’s not been on writing (other than rewrites.) I’ve been consumed with all the other stuff that will get my material into the hands of enthusiastic readers.

It’s that monumental task that led me to an idea: blog about what I’m learning. I can’t be the only aspiring author with a great story to share, who is overwhelmed by the process. I bet there are lots of people just like me!

This is for us. The unknown creative people who want to have their work known. This blog-ish will follow all the stuff I’m researching, contemplating, and find useful on the road to publication. I don’t have the answers, but I’m not sure any author does, published or not. I’ll confess my true struggle, and reveal my decisions with justification for my choices. I’ll provide links of articles I’ve found useful and tools I’d like to keep for future reference.

So here I am. A blogger. Even though I never thought I would be. Maybe I won’t be for more than this...we’ll see.

If you are a writer, author or reader, I invite you to take this journey with me. We can be friends and muddle through this together like two bats in a tanning bed.

Someday, when all is said and done, I hope to introduce you to my friend and blogging muse, Scavenger Girl - Season of Atchem.

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Jennifer Arntson is a hopeful Bestseller, professional friend maker, wife, mom, and sworn enemy of Caillou. When she’s not writing, she’s reading about writing, and if she ever gets one of her hands free, she uses it to grab a glass of wine.

Follow her on one of the gazillion social media platforms because the best friends are the ones that don’t require phone calls or birthday cards.

http://www.ScavengerGirl.com

http://www.facebook.com/scavengergirl