It’s been said that publishing a book is a lot like giving birth, and while I certainly don’t wish to belittle the miraculous event of bringing a new life into the world, I can kind of see the parallels!
You start with dreaming of one day having a book of your very own, one that carries your name, and is a little part of you. You carry out extensive research, reading informative literature and online articles galore, you look at timelines, and then you conceive (sorry) the idea.
After what seems like forever, the exciting news comes back positive- you’re going to have a book! Everyone sends congratulations, and you are giddy with anticipation, as well as a little nauseous at the fear of the unknown. You read your precious words while they are still your own, before any outside editing occurs, and you nest. You make files, sort paperwork, set up a website… maybe even decorate the study in appropriate color schemes. And then you learn to be patient. (Not my strong suit.)
After an appropriate incubation period, you have a set date for release. As that date draws closer, the excitement builds, and it’s all you can think about. You plan what it will wear for the homecoming in the way of cover art, and buy announcement cards to be really organized i.e. author bookmarks.
Right on cue, labor pains begin- or editing, the stage I am currently in the midst of. It’s a little painful (did I say “little”? Maybe that’s where the analogy breaks down!), but at least you know that the end is in sight…
I’m actually rather enjoying these labor pains, which is more than I can say for my “real” birthing experiences. There’s something cleansing and honest about editing. The goal for both the editor and the author is to make that finished product the very best that it can be. To rid it of all the dross, and enhance the best bits.
I know in my real life, I don’t always enjoy the editing. When God shows me my folly, and shines a mega-beam flashlight on my areas of weakness, it’s painful! I don’t like it much at all. But I know that He only wants the very best for me. He knows that I will learn and grow and become the woman He wants me to be when I give Him the go-ahead to edit my life. You see, editing isn’t just cutting out, it’s enhancing, it’s amending for the better, it’s making more beautiful. I want that.
So I’ll continue in my state of embracing the labor pains, and look ahead with tremendous excitement to seeing the finished product. My book, and me.
