 It has been well over a month since I set out to publish my first novel on Kindle and Kobo. It has been quite a long process for me. I have written, altered, and edited several times through this past month as well as republished the book on Kindle a few times. Kobo, however, I found to be quite a challenge. It specified the book would be available in the store within 72 hours, but it seemed closer to a week! That aside, I'm relieved and ecstatic that my work is done and my book is finally available to my anxious readers out there. Now I have a new goal--marketing the book, and that probably won't be easy!
For those of you that can access and purchase from Kindle, I doubt I need to explain the process of getting to my book other than providing that link for you, but for Kobo it can be a little complicated. If you have a smartphone, you can easily download the Kobo app, and it will be quite easy to read the book from your library once you have purchased it.
On the other hand, if you have a computer, it will be slightly more difficult. The book is in an epub format, and DRM-protected. I suggest Adobe Digital Editions as the reader, which you will find a link to under my "Books" page, and you will be asked to make an adobe account when you first try to open the book, and that is the only account the book will recognize afterward. Once you have made it, do not forget the ID or password, or you will be unable to access the book if you are required to reinstall the program or wish to open it through another epub reader.
It may sound complicated or complex to a first timer of Kobo books, but I assure you it isn't. I have bought many books from Kobo before I published my own and I found it quite easy once I became accustomed to it. If you're ready or interested in purchasing the book, go to my "Books" page, and you will find the Kindle and Kobo links, as well as links to free previews on Wattpad if you wish to read a little of the book beforehand!
 Just a funny thought for the day...
I came across this image the other day on Facebook and it struck my funny bone. I think I was laughing to myself for at least several minutes. But it also has a ring in truth. Ever noticed that your teacher had to make the author's words of a past reading assignment during your school days completely over dramatized when the actual meaning was so obvious?
 Finally! I have published the book on Kindle! Actually, it's been there for three or four days now, but I am still excited about it.
However, I have come to face a problem with my Kindle publication. Kindle only sells to select territories and my book is only available to those territories, and most of my anxious readers are not within those territories! I find it annoying and troublesome that I have to publish the book on two different ebook stores if I want it to be available worldwide, though I do prefer Kobo over Kindle for a variety of other reasons.
My biggest fan and reader database exists in China. There is an Amazon China and a Kindle China. However, getting my book on China's Kindle store eludes me. There was no option for distributing to Amazon China when I published, and none of my Chinese readers were able to purchase from the primary Amazon store.
I also have a group of readers located in the Middle East, and there is definitely no Amazon website for that territory, and neither do any of the Amazon websites support the purchase of Kindle books from Middle East locals! So now I impatiently await for the my second place of publishing to finish its processing of my novel.
It has now been well over 72 hours since I approved the publishing on the Kobo store, yet I was told that the processing shouldn't take more than that. However, I did update the content last night, and that may have caused a delay. I am uncertain. I will wait another 72 hours, and if the book still hasn't been published, then I will contact them. Until then, I and the rest of my anxious readers wait impatiently!
 Well, I thought I had everything planned, and I was set to go--but then the unthinkable happened! I did notice that there were several grammar errors in my work that I somehow hadn't seen during my last phase of editing! What was a dream come true has now become a nightmare of waiting!
Originally, for my writing, I was using Microsoft Word and I was doing well with it. Then my product expired, and I needed a free replacement, and fast. That's where Apache Open Office comes in. It is mostly an adequate word processor, but it doesn't come with a built-in grammar checker as Microsoft Word does. There is, however, an extension for grammar checking available for the program. Sadly, the grammar checker is a nightmare to use. It froze up several times when I tried to use it, and I ended up losing work and having to repeat the same process at least five or six times!
However, the nightmare isn't over yet! Before noticing said mistakes in my book content, I did upload the material to both Kindle and Kobo! That means waiting for a maximum of 12 hours for Kindle, so I can take down the file and replace it with the edited version, and a total of 72 hours for Kobo!
Well, we all make mistakes, and a writer without a professional editor, like myself, is bound to make several. Hopefully this is my last mistake. I am already being badgered about the book I promised to be released and available by today, but my setbacks have delayed that. The book should be available by the day after tomorrow, and hopefully this time without overlooked errors!
 Dear readers, fans, followers, and who else may read this, I have now reached the end of my journey. My creation and I have finally reached our goal and our destination. This is the day we part ways and wish for success on this continued road.
This may be the end for us, but it's not a complete goodbye. No, my dear reader, for we will reunite again in my very next creation, which is now a work in progress. Once again, I will strive and work hard through endless writing and editing processes to reach that perfection...
For now, however, I will bid you, my creation, a tearful farewell and remember the good times, the hard times, and the bad times. I wish you success on this road I have placed you on, and soon enough--I hope--you will find it.
 These last several days have been spent endlessly editing. My every waking hour is in front of this computer combing through the text of my novel, removing some, adding some, and improving some. If you've never written and published a book, let me tell you now, it is a tiring never-ending process! It took me 2 years to get to here, and I'm still working on it!
I'd love to settle down for a nap and sleep for a week at this point, but I've got more work to do! How much have I done in the last 2 to 3 days? 10 chapters? More? I have no idea, but I'm almost there! I have almost reached my goal, and that's the important thing! A few days more, and you'll be reading about where you can find and purchase my work! Excited? Interested? I hope so! I sure am!
Last night, I somehow managed to finished editing from chapter 24 to chapter 30. I was determined not to stop until I had reached that number--of course that came with the consequence of going to bed at 3 am in the morning! Between 12 pm this afternoon through to 4 or 5 pm--I didn't really check the clock when I finished--I managed another 5 chapters! And the good news that comes with that is that only 8 chapters remain left to be done!
This project is coming to an end. It's time for it to reach its destination and for me to fulfill that dream. But this won't be goodbye, I will have a new upcoming project once I'm done. Plans and ideas are already in progress in my head, and I cannot wait to start!
 At long last--my publication date is nearing! After two years of writing, rewriting, editing, and re-editing, my hard work is paying off. I am publishing my first novel, and I can't wait!
I worked with the best designing company during this month for my cover. They took my simple ideas and made it look far better than I had ever expected, and for a very reasonable price, too! If you ever happen to be writing a book and need a cover designer, I recommend you look up Streetlight Graphics.
I have worked through 24 chapters of my 40-something chapter novel. What was it again? 43? 45? Not sure. I can't be too far off from the final completion of the novel. Then, look out! It'll be available on Kobo Books and Kindle by next month. Interested? I'll keep you posted!
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