Plans That Go Awry and Time to Pivot

Have you ever planned something, built in extra time as a contingency, and still have your whole timeline blow up?  Well, that has just happened to me. As an Indie author, all aspects of writing, publishing, marketing, and business falls to me, along with assistance from my indispensable husband, David.

Due to unforeseen issues with obtaining an EIN number and a spelling error mistake that cascaded into a myriad of publishing processes, I decided that it is necessary to push my release of both books back until April 7, 2026.

There are so many moving pieces in publishing and each piece has a sequence that takes time. I don’t want to launch the books live on any platform until I have been able to review a proof copy of each book, just in case something goes wrong in the printing process. I expect something will. The worst thing that could happen is to release the books having only seen an E-File and the print copies look horrible; that would be a total nightmare. (Imagine saying this like Ms. Vito from the My Cousin Vinny Movie😊)

I have learned that nothing in the world of writing and publishing is easy or quick! In the traditional publishing world, a book can take up to two years to be physically published. Consider that once a story is written, the author then sends out a query letter (think many) to gain representation of an agent; this process can take months or even years. Once you obtain an agent, then the agent reaches out to the publishing houses. If a contract with a publishing house is achieved, then two more years is added before the book is found online or on a bookshelf.

I guess, when I look at the bigger picture, waiting another few months is worth it to present both books in the best possible light and to make the best possible impact.

Plans and contingencies are wonderful, but being flexible and having the ability to pivot as needed is invaluable. Patience is now the word of the day, week, and the next few months.

 As you can see, my writing journey is full of bumps, lumps, and upheaval-but it’s okay. It’s more time to revisit work not finished, start something new, or continue to work on the craft of writing.

Today I’d like to leave you with a few thoughts, which one do you think fits best?

“The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry” translated from poet, Robert Burns

“If the plan doesn’t work, change the plan, but never the goal” Napoleon Hill

“The ability to pivot and adjust plans is your strength. Be like the water, shaping to fit any vessel.” Quote Mantra and adapted from Bruce Lee.

Until next time,

Cheers to the storyteller in all of us!