The joy of pressing PUBLISH

[Emilymcplugger]

So today I posted part 4 of HOT AND FUZZY and I always forget what an exciting and terrifying feeling it is.

The moment you push that button a little part of your soul is flying through the inter-verse to be consumed by thousands (or in my case hundreds) of people. Will they like it? Will they appreciate the humour? Did they enjoy the original source material? Am I making the right decisions as author? All of these and many more questions are going through my head right now.

How do you feel when you press that publish button? Still excited or as jaded and cynical as Rick Blaine?

 

[MelissaBaby]

It feels like when you take a left turn in front of an oncoming semi-truck, and you wonder if maybe you're cutting it too close, but then you make the turn and it's fine.

 

[Voboy]

Satisfied.

I feel satisfied. Job done.

 

[MrPixel]

Angst. I re-read and edit stories to within an gnat's-hair of their existence, but when I hit "publish" there's always the nagging feeling that I'm going to find a typo - usually missed punctuation - six months down the road when I read it on LitE for my own entertainment. You know, the Homer Simpson "D'oh!" reaction.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

I'd rather call it the joy of seeing the tag "published". Hitting publish is a mixed bag for me. It is always heavily lined with concern if moderator (software, Laurel, whoever else - we still don't know for sure) will find it somehow against the rules, if its going to be rejected after a long wait and so on. Long queues just make the frustration worse. But yeah, once your story hits the board, it is always a great feeling. The perfect mix of trepidation, anticipation and joy.

 

[Emotional]

Its definitely a rush everytime.

Then the worrying starts.

 

[Emilymcplugger]

It feels like when you take a left turn in front of an oncoming semi-truck, and you wonder if maybe you're cutting it too close, but then you make the turn and it's fine.

Yeah. I mean at this stage most of us know our audience and when they see our names, our stories and our taglines we know they’re gonna be coming around the mountain to see what we’re doing.

 

[Emilymcplugger]

Angst. I re-read and edit stories to within an gnat's-hair of their existence, but when I hit "publish" there's always the nagging feeling that I'm going to find a typo - usually missed punctuation - six months down the road when I read it on LitE for my own entertainment. You know, the Homer Simpson "D'oh!" reaction.

The thing that bugs me is a badly structured sentence in a published post,

You read it back when it’s on the page and think “How the funk did that one get past me?”

 

[Emilymcplugger]

Its definitely a rush everytime.

Then the worrying starts.

Yeah, @AwkwardlySet mentioned this. I was very worried last time after a dog-crap starting score in the threes.

Now it’s moved back to its usual levels and I had someone comment on every part my confidence is back to usual levels (until Saturday or Sunday at least).

 

[gunhilltrain]

It feels like when you take a left turn in front of an oncoming semi-truck, and you wonder if maybe you're cutting it too close, but then you make the turn and it's fine.

Well, sometimes after its posted it isn't fine but, unlike this guy, I know it's just words and I can always write more of them.

 

[Northstar4695]

Yeah, it's always fun. I like watching it for the first few days to see if it's going to take off okay too. I still really enjoy watching the interactions.

 

[alohadave]

Angst. I re-read and edit stories to within an gnat's-hair of their existence, but when I hit "publish" there's always the nagging feeling that I'm going to find a typo - usually missed punctuation - six months down the road when I read it on LitE for my own entertainment. You know, the Homer Simpson "D'oh!" reaction.

Don't worry, commenters will point them out to you pretty fast.

Yeah, it's always fun. I like watching it for the first few days to see if it's going to take off okay too. I still really enjoy watching the interactions.

Then obsessively refreshing the control panel to see the numbers the first couple days.

 

[Zenith77]

How do you feel when you press that publish button?

Need to go and check whether it's been published yet. How long has it been now? Nearly *7 whole minutes*?!.

Ok, I can be patient.

Wow, cool, up to *8* minutes! Must be published soon... right?

 

[Zenith77]

Don't worry, commenters will point them out to you pretty fast.

Heh. I had a commenter, once.

 

[EmilyMiller]

It feels like when you take a left turn in front of an oncoming semi-truck, and you wonder if maybe you're cutting it too close, but then you make the turn and it's fine.

The following translation is brought to you by Emily, who knows way too many British people…

“It feels like when you make a right turn in front of an oncoming articulated lorry, and you wonder whether perhaps you're cutting it too close, but then you make the turn and it's jolly well OK.”

You’re welcome.

Em

 

[EmilyMiller]

How do you feel when you press that publish button? Still excited or as jaded and cynical as Rick Blaine?

Relief, then terror.

Em

 

[SimonDoom]

It's been about six and a half years for me, and it's still fun and exciting. There's the satisfaction from knowing it's done, and it's out of my hands. There's the anticipation for how it will be received--that part of it is still unpredictable. I know when I post a new story, especially if it's in a popular category, it will give my older stories a boost as well, and I enjoy knowing that. It surprises how steadily older stories continue to get read. For many of them I'm not sure where the readers come from.

 

[Seadog777]

So today I posted part 4 of HOT AND FUZZY and I always forget what an exciting and terrifying feeling it is.

The moment you push that button a little part of your soul is flying through the inter-verse to be consumed by thousands (or in my case hundreds) of people. Will they like it? Will they appreciate the humour? Did they enjoy the original source material? Am I making the right decisions as author? All of these and many more questions are going through my head right now.

How do you feel when you press that publish button? Still excited or as jaded and cynical as Rick Blaine?

Always feels good to hit that publish button.

I'm doing my first long series "Marriage and Depression".
So, I really look forward to seeing how people react to the different chapters.

 

[MrPixel]

You know, you guys are making me think hard about what I have in the barrel oh-so-ready to go, that needs to get uploaded so I can actually click on the dreaded "PUBLISH" button. I'm re-reading the entire thing for the umpteenth time, and running across a few, "Oh, that's awkward..." constructions that only need a word or two tweaked, and one chapter that looks like it should probably be split in two.

The thing is... it's been more or less in this condition since December.

...sigh...

Anyway, I need to PDF it all for my editor and dump it on her plate. All 90,000 words of it.

 

[Duleigh]

I normally love pressing publish but right now I am experiencing:

THE AGONY OF PRESSING PUBLISH​

In the very near future I'm going to press Publish on Chapter 14 of We're a Wonderful Wife and bring a story I've been working on for a year and a half to a close. I fell in LOVE with my characters, and even though I'm not saying goodbye to them, the story has ended. It didn't land where I originally wanted it to end, but in a better, sunnier place, a happier, more loving ending. But the thought of pressing publish hurts, almost as bad as the day I came home and gathered up the kids and said, "Daddy has orders, I have to go to Korea."

 

[oneagainst]

The following translation is brought to you by Emily, who knows way too many British people…

“It feels like when you make a right turn in front of an oncoming articulated lorry, and you wonder whether perhaps you're cutting it too close, but then you make the turn and it's jolly well OK.”

You’re welcome.

Em

Splendid. I was indeed struggling to follow why an oncoming vehicle would be to the left of you, unless they were dangerously astray.

 

[Djmac1031]

I've been in a bit of a rut lately BUT have a recent new inspiration for a story I'm trying to buckle down on.

I'd love to say it'll be ready by next week but...

 

[oneagainst]

How do you feel when you press that publish button? Still excited or as jaded and cynical as Rick Blaine?

Not that part that's the big thing. It's when it gets that yellow tag and you know it's passed review it's now locked in, like the bit at the top of the roller coaster. Hands in the air like you just don't care!

 

[Voboy]

I normally love pressing publish but right now I am experiencing:

THE AGONY OF PRESSING PUBLISH​

In the very near future I'm going to press Publish on Chapter 14 of We're a Wonderful Wife and bring a story I've been working on for a year and a half to a close. I fell in LOVE with my characters, and even though I'm not saying goodbye to them, the story has ended. It didn't land where I originally wanted it to end, but in a better, sunnier place, a happier, more loving ending. But the thought of pressing publish hurts, almost as bad as the day I came home and gathered up the kids and said, "Daddy has orders, I have to go to Korea."

I wondered whether I'd feel anything different when I ended my series.

Nope. Still just satisfaction. It helped that I thought I ended it the right way, and it was definitely time to do it. Though I've got readers who still email me telling me to revive it, lol.

Submit it. Put it to bed. When it's time, it's time. On to the next one.

 

[Duleigh]

I wondered whether I'd feel anything different when I ended my series.

Nope. Still just satisfaction. It helped that I thought I ended it the right way, and it was definitely time to do it. Though I've got readers who still email me telling me to revive it, lol.

Submit it. Put it to bed. When it's time, it's time. On to the next one.

I have several more in the on deck circle, and one includes the characters from this series, but damn, I'm just so in love with the way this one ended.