It has been a while since I had even thought about this book or its history. This was, in part, because I did not like remembering the crap I went through to get it out. But, I had once written that I would write about what I went through with it, so this blog entry will tell that story.
After a really crappy time, when my first book had done terribly, thanks in part to a poor choice in an editor, and a second that sank without a trace, I had not had any ideas or inspiration for a book for a long time. I loved science fiction and still do, but the ideas were just not coming. I had always wanted to write a mix of a science fiction movie and a disaster one, but still, nothing arrived. Just as I thought about shelving the idea, a strange and interesting story appeared in the news.
Mikaela Kellner was an off-duty cop in Sweden who was sunbathing with a friend when she nabbed a thief who had stolen from them. The news spread because she had done so wearing a small bikini. She acted without thinking and became an Instagram star. Last I read about her, she had quit the police to become a bodybuilder.
Respect to her.
The story stuck in my mind and I played with it. What sort of situation could I put someone in, where they had to act without thinking, while stuck in a bikini? From that, Crush Depth in a Bikini was born.
Writing it was the fun part and I had a blast. The editing process was what turned it into a nightmare.
First, I tried running an Indiegogo campaign for the book's editing and production. That failed, mostly I suspect, that I was a complete nobody and had no real following. But throughout the process, I had come to know an editor, a lady who had done the work a long time ago (she told me) and wanted to get back into it. I thought I was in luck with finding her. Jesus, how wrong I was on that one.
Now, for the sake of this story, I will not refer to her by her name. Why? Because I know how the internet works and I really don't want anyone going after her.
She had my book for about two months, if I remember correctly, and returned it with some good notes. I went through them in the space of a day and sent them back to her. She assured me that they would be returned in a month's time. I thought this was great and went about my business.
Four months later, I get them back. What awaited me was nothing short of a red-marked blood bath.
I couldn't understand where the newer edits had come from. She had found those parts fine in the first draft but was now tearing them up in this one. I accommodated them in the first draft, but there was one I ignored. The scene was a homage to a moment in Aliens, where the characters begin a fight to the death after the creatures break in through the ceiling. The editor told me it would work better in a different way, but I did not agree, so I ignored the comment. In the second draft, she had seen that I ignored the comment and demanded to know why I was fighting her on it. Later on, she instructed me to remove another scene as she found it boring and that it added nothing to the story.
This was where I got annoyed with her.
I responded that, if I removed the scene, one character would disappear without explanation, and two others would arrive at a new destination, also without explanation. Her response? "Oh, yes. I see your point there. You might want to get someone else to take a look at it."
I got so angry at that response. I had no money to pay another editor and my patience had run out. So, I edited the book as best as I could, but my morale had long since dried up and I did a terrible job. There were many grammar mistakes that remained in the book, ones I completely missed, and I kicked myself about it for a long time. My confidence was at an all-time low and it would be almost a year before I would write again.
To be fair, she did improve some parts of the book, I have to acknowledge that. I did try working with her again, thinking the experience was a one-off, but it was just the same. Peta, my cover artist, and her husband suggested she had been this way with me because she was trying to write the book by proxy, something I thought was not far off reality, but I never investigated further. I haven't spoken with this editor in a long time and have no idea what she has done since, besides publishing a book of short stories.
Fast forward to this year and I remembered Crush Depth shortly after publishing Ataris Station. I had such a wonderful experience working with my editor, Ellen Klowden, that I asked her to take a look at the old manuscript. She did her thing, but in retrospect, the story was very much an imperfect one. There are a couple of plot elements that are a bit of a stretch, but I decided not to change those as I still look fondly on the book.
I added some of my own fixes, like splitting the chapters and formatting it better, but ultimately, it will always be a learning experience for me. The main lesson? Pick your editor well. They will make or break a novel, in my experience.
Crush Depth now sits on Amazon at the lowest price I can make it and is now part of Kindle Unlimited. Will it encourage new readers and break the bank in sales? I doubt it, but at least there is now a version of it out there I can be happy with. I know people say you should always be looking forward, but I have found it is good to look back once in a while, and I know I'm going to do that at least one more time.
