I put the novel in the metaphorical drawer over the Christmas period, and ignored it. I handed it out to a few people to read, and I’ve had responses from all of them. They were all very positive.

One of the main ones, was from an author friend of mine who I respect very much, generally, but explicitly in the case of judging my novel. If they said it wasn’t good enough, then I would whole heartedly believe that to be the case. I would maybe put it aside for a while, and write another one. Then rinse and repeat.

What I was looking for from them, was a go or no go response.

There are two paths open to me: traditional publishing and self publishing. From a vanity and validation point of view, I would like Annabelle to be traditionally published. If it’s good enough to publish, then both options are on the table, but ONLY if it’s good enough.

I got that from them.

We had a very long talk a few weeks back about some areas that need polishing, and that’s what I am now working on. But in the scheme of things, they are small changes.

I am hoping that in a few weeks time I will have another draft that I can start hitting potential agents with. I am expecting a long and probably demoralising, roller coaster of journey. There are no guarantees; traditional publishing is not easy at the moment. But I have to give it a go.

I will give myself a deadline. I will keep working on the next novel during that time, but when I hit that deadline, I will pivot, and start the self publishing approach.