So, is it?

During my pregnancy I wondered aloud (over several months) whether writing a book really was like having a baby, as many seemed to say (www.likehavingababy.blogspot.com). I had the baby in May but it has taken until now for me to publish a book. Finally, after four years of writing, editing, re-writing, searching for an agent, submissions to publishers, proof reading and self publishing Wild Rose is available to buy as an EBook. (Amazon, Waterstones, Kobo, iTunes)

So, is writing a book really like having a baby? A few similarities suggest themselves in light of recent experiences.

You feel the need to tell everyone you've ever known. After weeks of anticipation, phone calls, texts, well meaning badgering, it was a relief to be able to tell people that our daughter, Meredith, had safely arrived. There was also a degree of parental pride. Similarly, I have been talking about the book I’m writing for years and asked almost as much about when it will be available to read, so when Wild Rose appeared first on Amazon this week I was quick to tell (almost) everyone in my email address list.

Your mother feels the need to tell everyone she’s ever known. My mother is a very proud grandmother to four grandchildren so far and Meredith’s arrival prompted no less enthusiasm for being third of four. The appearance of a book written by one of her daughters has inspired a similar zeal and I am very grateful for the promotional powerhouse that she has become.

You obsessively check their vital signs. When Meredith was first born it was easy to hear that she was breathing because she made little bubble popping sounds each time she breathed out. Once she was at home I spent many long moments with my own breath held trying to detect the tiny rise and fall of her tummy. Amazon updates sales ranks hourly and it is just too tempting to click on to Wild Rose’s page and see how it’s faring. (There are a LOT of books on Amazon…)

You thought it was the goal but it’s just the beginning. Throughout my pregnancy I was much more focused on the birth than the hours and days immediately following it. What had seemed like the goal was just the start of a long first day, an extraordinary first week, and an exhausting six months. I have wanted to celebrate the release of my EBook  but it is also just the beginning. Not only do I now need to promote the life out of it, I am also ultimately hoping to walk into a book shop and find my books on the shelves.

Writing a book is, then, quite like having a baby. And what I've learnt from having a baby is that with the joy and excitement there’s a lot of hard work ahead.

Related posts: Welcome There's no re-writing a baby Cheerleaders