The Book Is Written—Now Comes the Hard Part

 

I thought the hardest part would be writing the book.

Turns out, finishing the manuscript is just crossing one finish line… only to realize it’s the starting line of a whole new marathon.

I’m currently in the thick of the aftermath—where the creative fire meets cold logistics. And let me tell you, it’s a strange, frustrating place to be.

Publishers work Monday through Friday. My mind doesn’t.

My brain keeps spinning all weekend, analyzing decisions, second-guessing choices, wondering if I missed something critical. Meanwhile, the people with the answers are clocked out. Waiting for edits. Waiting for feedback. Waiting for green lights. That wait is heavier than I imagined. It’s like walking through fog hoping there’s a sign ahead—but not knowing if it’s helpful, harmful, or just a detour.

Even when the edits arrive, I find myself asking:

Which changes improve the story?

Which ones just flatten it?

Which ones come from someone understanding the heart of what I’m building—and which ones come from a template mindset?

It’s hard not to feel lost when something this personal gets processed through such an impersonal system.

And then there’s the metadata. The pricing. The marketing. The social presence. The blurbs. The platform building. Choosing categories. Hashtags. Book dimensions. Fulfillment logistics. Do I go wide? Go exclusive? Hire help?

There are a thousand shortcuts out there.

Freelancers who’ll take it all off my plate—for a cost. Tools that automate it—for a cost. Promises of “easy publishing”—but at what price?

The truth is, I don’t just want to publish a book. I want to do it right.

And that means weighing every decision. Do I dilute my profits—and maybe even my vision—by outsourcing? Or do I take the long road, learning as I go, keeping full creative control even if it means a steeper climb?

Some days, I’m overwhelmed. Some days, I feel like I’m standing in a storm holding a map that doesn’t show where I am.

But then I remember why I wrote this in the first place:

To reach people.

To share something real.

To tell a story only I could tell.

And that’s what keeps me going—even when the waiting gets long and the to-do list grows fangs.

If you’re in this phase too, know you’re not alone. The post-writing process is heavy, but we carry it because the work matters. We wrote the book. Now, we make sure it reaches the hands it was meant for.