Going it Mostly Alone: the Publishing Path of Perfect Blindness

In answer to my own question: yes, I would keep finding mistakes, so many that I started a Word doc to collect all the errata for me to fix. As I worked on engaging the FB group with updates, which hadn’t yet very many members, did finally gather enough votes to make a final decision on the cover: A blend. The one I liked the most and had sent as a mock-up originally was the clear favorite in the polls, more than doubling the votes for all three other covers combined, and for both men and women. Still, I liked some of the elements from other covers, so instructed the creation of a hybrid version based on the most people’s favorite cover.

After I sent in the directions for design, I returned to struggling with its genre. I had NEVER liked the suggestions of Contemporary Romance, or Urban Fiction. I went back over lists of genres on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads, and from the BISAC (Book Industry Standards and Communications) site—BISAC classification numbers are used throughout the industry—and came up with nothing that described the book well at all, except for literary, and that mainly because no other genre worked.

As I keep researching, I came to the firm conclusion that literary is its genre, especially considering it is in dialogue with so many other texts, from novels to movies to songs. Again, I brought up my concerns with my contact at the Special Recognitions Board. She countered with “New Adult,” a fairly recent genre that deals with newly minted adults up to roughly 25 years old, dealing with school, work, and what life on one’s own is like. I came close to convincing myself that this could be right, even though 2 of the 3 point of view characters are in their late twenties, and one is 19.

I could of course simply direct her to use whatever genre I wished, but if I wanted to keep my designations and the benefits that come with them, I had to follow industry standards, and she is the judge in those matters.

Then, my contact responded to my long explanation with, “Yes. It’s literary fiction.”

FINALLY. After almost two years.

That settled at long last, I went back to building the platform for the book so when it launches there would be support for it. Frankly—support for me so I can show people stuff, and it’s not punk.

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