Cutting about 10% out of my novel was pretty brutal. However, to be brutally honest, the 10% I cut really sucked. That's the technical term. I'm in the process of writing an entire new chapter, then properly linking it into the rest of the text.
It's not actually all that difficult, but you can run into continuity errors if you screw up.
However, having actually optioned something now, I think it's time to get this book out there and move onto something new. The publishing business is a mess right now, though. It's very, very difficult to get someone to read your writing, let alone print a book of it.
It used to be a real negative to publish your own work; a lot of people still try to force that traditional schema on people. To me, though, it's really like an audition to get picked up by a publishing house. If you can find some modicum of success in digitally publishing for the Kindle or the like, you'll get picked up. At the very least, you might make a little bit of spending money.
So, to that end, I'm actively seeking out people to help me get the manuscript in order. Primarily, I'm trying to find the right artist for a cover and someone to edit/proofread the darn thing. So, here's fingers crossed that it goes well. It's a brand new world.
