Proposal... On the Way!

Currently, I've been spending much of my time working on the proposal for Book 1. It's harder than it seems. What is a proposal? It's a large (roughly 100 page) document, that describes the book, plot, market, genre, about the author, has comparisons to other (similar) books, and other various sections, that are essentially there to entice a publisher.

There are many things that go into a proposal... a great deal of research is required, and is currently under way. Much of it is already complete, and at this time, I'm roughly 60% of the way through it. I am also not doing it entirely alone. I have help (thankfully), because as much as I am a creative type, and as much as I like to write, that doesn't necessarily mean I can write marketing text. I've written the book, but can I sell it? That's a different process entirely, and I'm not so foolish to assume that I can do it all on my own. This proposal has to represent the best quality work that I'm able to produce... otherwise it will end up in the infamous "slush" pile, that so many other manuscripts have ended up.

At this time, I've decided that the proposal will be completed in the same fashion as book 1. On its own time, and it will take as long as it takes, to produce the quality that I'm looking for. For a time, I tried to track towards a project plan... but that proved difficult, as the entire team is made up of creative types... who don't normally like being held to timelines. I also didn't appreciate the process while going through it in that fashion... for the follow reasons:

- How many projects have I actually worked on that met their "Go Live Date?" - Zero
- How are the stress levels of individuals who track towards projects? High
- How does the process feel when tracking toward a plan? Laboured and difficult

The end result of that experience was me hating the proposal process. Now... I love it again! The syergy is back, the right people are available to help me, and the process continues. The first book was written in my spare time over a 2 years span. And for a book this size (400+ pages), that is quite good timing... as most first books take about 5 - 7 years to write. Because when I get in the groove, I really get into it, and produce like a mad man. So it's just a matter of when I feel the timing is right, and my mood is there, and the stress levels are low... and now, I'm back in the groove.

I estimate the proposal to be done by end of summer. At that time, various press releases will be sent out (probably over the summer), so stay tuned... a listing of local papers will be posted on this site, so you can catch a glimpse of my first public press release for the Trilogy. After which, I will be approaching various publishers in the fall.

Then my agent in New York will get involved, after an initial deal has been made with a publisher... and I'm off to the races. What does all this mean? I could be a full time author this time next year, and no longer will I need to work within the confines of a corporate world! My days and nights will be mine again, along with my energy and my creativity (during the 9-5). Where I can take things from there... only time will tell.

Most likely, I'll continue my journey in Mexico, writing and researching on a full time basis. Coming back up to Canada for 4 - 6 month intervals, to continue my education and training in my various realms of interest... (kung fu, psychology, spirituality, etc.) visiting friends, and family. The dream is becoming a reality, and now... the count down is only months away. Not years.

God bless, to all those who continue to maintain interest. You will not be disappointed, and you'll be getting some autographed copies as well! All the best, thanks for reading.