It’s the ending of February...closer to my official 10-year anniversary as an indie author. I want to share (hopefully) monthly the things I’ve learned along the way. My first poetry collection, My Quintessence, was released on September 18th, 2014. And, honey....formatting bit me in the ass something serious.

The Year of Trials and Triumphs

Aight, so boom: it's 2014, and I'm standing at the crossroads of determination and iffyness. It was the worst year of my life, and I found myself thinking, "Might as well drop this shit now instead of making 5 million more reasons to never publish." Little did I know that I was about to sashay on an adventure that I wouldn’t be able to quit on even if I tried (Oh, trust. I did try).
Armed with unyielding passion, I researched every nook and cranny of the self-publishing realm. I needed a platform, a tool that would bring my vision to life. After much exploration, I found Createspace, now known as KDP.

Da Cover

Oh, the cover! I couldn't just settle for anything ordinary. That's when Biscuit, my creative ally, stepped in. Together, we took an old image from my college days and breathed new life into it. The result?

Cover done, and it was time to move on to the next stage.

Da Manuscript

With my cover completed, it was time to tackle the heart and soul of my collection: The manuscript. Enter Muffin...dissecting every word and bringing clarity to my thoughts. Sittin’ up in her house for hours while we go over it was something I still think about ‘til this day. I’m thankful. Truly.

The Formatting Fiasco

Eagerly, I uploaded my manuscript and cover, awaiting the glorious moment of approval. But alas, my joy was short-lived, ya’ll. Members of my old church, the early readers and supporters of my digital copy, came to me with a troubling revelation. The pages looked weird, out of sync, and my mortification knew no bounds.

The Importance of Formatting

Desperate for a solution, I reached out to the wise folks at Createspace. *Insert eyeroll here. I remember having a hard time reaching out to them* They kindly enlightened me about the vital importance of formatting. Don't even get me started on the paperback version—that thing was out of whack too. I faced the challenge head-on though—determined to conquer the formatting catastrophe. I managed to salvage the paperback version, aligning the stars of each page with precision. Who am I fooling? I waited until had the coins to reach out to a professional to clean that shit up. Though I took a proud L in my first attempt at formatting the e-books, I held my head high. Why? Because I had finally overcome the excuses and published my work. In February of 2015, armed with newfound funds, I seized the opportunity to update the cover and professionally reformat my book. Here’s the updated cover:

There you have it! Please be sure to format your books to the standards of your selected P.O.D platform. Remember, always finalize your manuscript, ensuring it's fully done (as in..not sneaking in extra chapters or a few 100 words) and complete with illustrations, before diving into the treacherous waters of formatting.

Later.