Flies in the Ointment

I recently found out through a devoted reader that my latest release was full of typographical errors?

These are her words: The first two books [in the series] are 5 star.  I had to give [the third book], 4 stars because it has far too many errors.

My initial reaction was a mixture of anger and no-she-didn’t-say-that.

Then I re-read my manuscript.

I was floored at the number of errors I found and I felt like an utter failure.

My book, written and rewritten and revised, missed the mark. It was meant to be an ointment of sorts for the ills of racism in the Body of Christ. But what use is an ointment if no one can stand to use it?

I could make excuses for my failure. I could say that this is my first attempt at self-publishing. I could tell you about being without work for several months. I could tell you about how I could not afford a freelance editor so I used beta readers instead. But I won’t.

At the root of my shortcomings is my uncertainty as a writer. With three books in print and more than seven years’ experience writing for publication, I still feel like a misfit. Who has ever heard of a female engineer who writes fiction about race issues? So, I still struggle with building a following, a platform, a brand (in publishing-speak).

In short, I have allowed my own disappointments, or flies in the ointment, to derail my craft and distract me from God’s purpose for me as one of his hands in the Kingdom. I apologize for this.

And to my readers, I apologize publicly for publishing Saving Tate Michaels too early. It has been re-released with a ton of corrections. If you find others, please tell me. I won’t get mad at you. I promise to do better.

Thank you for your patience and your prayers.