Exposing Yourself

No, I have no plans on streaking down a street. But I have finally finished the first draft of my first book. I have sent the draft to my first reviewer. The result is that I feel naked.

For the last three months I have concentrated on writing an autobiography of my experience working for IBM and, in the second half of the book, the lessons that I have taken away from those twenty-one years in the corporate world.

Now that someone else is finally going to read those words which I have held so close to my chest over the last months I wonder many things:

1) will the words resonate?
2) will they please or annoy?
3) what mental image of Olivier de Sousa will they, the readers, create in their minds?

My plan is to have two or three more people review the book before I submit it. After those initial reviews I wonder how, not if, the book will change. Will the title change? Will the layout change? Will the choice of words change? Will new sections be added or redundant ones removed?

Should be interesting. Though I feel as if I am running around naked my hope is that people will keep their eyes open and spend the necessary time to have a good look. For my part I hope that I will have the courage to not put a bag over my head and crawl back into my corner but rather that I will stand proud of my accomplishment and take the cheering along with the jeering.

Let's see what happens.

Let me know what you think about what you have just read. Please and thanks!

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