And it’s done

Love or Lust is edited. I’m giving it another read through to make sure everything reads the way I meant it to, but it’s otherwise done.

I’ve submitted a query to the last agent I’d found and was interested in submitting the story to (would have done it days ago, but didn’t see that she wanted only 3 chapters, not the entire manuscript when I’d found her before). So this is the way it’ll work: if I’m accepted by an agent I will discuss details with them, I still might self-publish it’ll depend on various things. I’ll keep you posted on when the book is due based on the publisher, and will (of course) post links for pre-ordering if that becomes an option.

If I am not picked up by an agent, or decide not to go with one the book will go on sale 1 June 2012, and I may elect to set up a pre-order with Apple’s iBookstore before then.

It’s always a rush to not only finish a story, but to finish putting the polish on so that it really shines. All the little typos (theoretically, never fails you’ll find more — I swear little gremlins or imps sneak into the books at night and rearrange the print or edit the files!) are gone, the sentences clear and orderly. Beautiful.

Part of me does wish that I were just self-publishing this and had never thought about agents and publishers, but teen romance is not sci-fi/fantasy. I feel that, given a sensible and competent agent and publisher that there is genuinely more benefit in the long run to a contract. I hope I won’t be proven wrong, and I wish there were some way to know for certain … but I can’t exactly put the book out now and then go hunting for a publisher — it’s possible, but tends to go rather badly.

In the mean time, Ready or Not is on a quiet little hold for another week. I have only a chapter or two left but I want time to consider how the school year wraps up.

So … this is it, wish me luck. I may go mad with the waiting. I just hope it’ll be worth it.