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Author & Editor of Dark Fiction

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Clan Witch & Word Refinery

Tag: Micro Prem

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Updated cover for ‘One Step Forward, Two Steps Back‘— May 2021.

New Cover!

March 2018, working on and releasing this book was my first time venturing into publishing independently. Being so intimate, I didn’t consider sending proposals to publishers. It could be said that this was my baby for my babies. I’ve always been a writer, but publishing was a way for me to show an example of fearlessness and gratitude to my girls, a lesson that they have taught me, with so many others.

On this, I did everything solo; writing, editing, working with feedback from my very supportive pre-readers, formatting for digital and print, cover design, promotional material and publishing. It’s effortless for those who don’t understand the labour and learning that goes into self-publishing (let alone doing so with something so profoundly personal) to dismiss those who choose that route, like myself, as amateur or playing a vanity game. That could not be further from the truth for many writers who choose to self-publish or join forces with small press’. I touched on this a little recently; https://clanwitch.com/2021/04/06/publishing-which-way/

It’s been three years now since ‘One Step Forward, Two Steps Back’ was released, and there are a few niggles that I often think about changing.

The first is editing. This was my first time editing something at this length, a piece that was (is) as intimate as a diary, journeying through a very traumatic time when it hadn’t even resigned itself to the ‘past’ yet. My heart and head were still sore. On top of that, I can admit that my skills have developed since this publication — I would love to go back and improve. For now, though, with so many other commitments, the past will have to wait, maybe one day. Truthfully, it’s a place I’m not ready to re-visit.

The second is that I’ve never been fully happy with the cover, which I have re-worked and updated. The image of the dandelion, particularly when seeding, has always been one in nature that I find poignant and inspiring. This image, this flower commonly regarded as a weed, represents so many ideas; resilience, strength, perseverance, endurance, determination, life cycles, and innocence. Pairing this with the rainbow’s significance in parenthood (symbolic of a child born after loss; the joy after the storm).As simple as it may be, I love the intertwining of the seeding dandelion head and rainbow. The fit with ‘One Step Forward, Two Steps Back‘ feels right.

Author Natasha SinclairPosted on 18th May 202118th May 2021Categories indie writer, NICU, Self-PublishingTags Birth Trauma, Born too soon, Honest Account, Hospital experience, In Real Life, Memoir, Micro Preemie, Micro Prem, Motherhood, Natasha Sinclair, Neonatal, Neonatal Unit, New Baby, NICU, NICU Baby, NICU Parent, One Step Forward Two Steps Back, Parenthood, Preemie, premature, Premature Birth, Prematurity, Premie, Publishing, Real life stories, Self-Publishing, Traumatic birth, True Account, Wishaw General HospitalLeave a comment on One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
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  • Delevan House 26th May 2022
  • Writing to Music 4th May 2022
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  • Woodworm 15th April 2022
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I’ve had this image #loved this. 🖤 Well, it’s been two weeks since my novella was released. Sunday stroll 😭 🐦 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Sinclair Hunting Ancient 🚨Some new merch on my Etsy store today! #BookQuotes #NeilGaiman #AmericanGods

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  • Word Refinery
    • Word Refinery: Editorial & Creative Support
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  • Books
  • Book Merch on Etsy
  • Blogroll
    • Delevan House
    • Writing to Music
    • Mental Health in Horror
    • Clan Witch on Etsy
    • New Cover Art
    • TBM Horror
    • Writing and other such Beasts
    • Mental Health and Writing
    • Summer 2022 Release
    • What If I Can’t Decide If I Need An Editor?
    • What Kind of Editing do I Need?
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    • Things I ‘Should’ Be Doing
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    • Yes, My Kids are Vegan
    • Another Lost Blog
    • Gorefest!
    • Collector’s Edition
    • New Releases from KJK Publishing
    • ‘Horny Dead Fucks’
    • The Spiralling Pit
    • Horror Sleaze Trash
    • Murmur: Collected Horror
    • Juicy June
    • Beltane Creeps
    • May Day
    • Publishing: Which Way?
    • The Junk of Magic
    • Marching
    • D&T Publishing – Interview
    • KJK Publishing
    • February Mentions
    • Quick 2020 Wrap Up
    • FREE HORROR
    • NaNoWriMo — Not this Year
    • NaNoWriMo Kick-off
    • NaNoWriMo November 2020
    • RELEASE: The Sirens Call eZine Halloween 2020 Edition – Issue 51 | FREE Online #Horror & #DarkFic #eZine #magazine @Sirens_Call
    • Books Releasing in October
    • Insignia Stories — Horror Matsuri
    • Reading, Writing and Subbing 2020
    • Painting
    • Southeast Asian Fantasy
    • The Macabre Ladies Drabbles of Dread
    • An outlet
    • Southeast Asian Fantasy Drabbles (#2)
    • Free Books
    • Writing 2020 so far
    • What’s Happening
    • New Release!!
    • New Free Short Story
    • Teaser Concoction V2
    • Concoction V2
    • Lost Shadows Cover Reveal
    • Cusp of Power
    • Door Number Nine
    • Concoction: A mini anthology of shorts
    • Tease
    • Concoction: A mini anthology of shorts
    • Summer Sale
    • Work in Progress
    • Freedom
    • Blue Hue
    • The Whisky Stories FREE
    • Concoction Teaser
    • Concoction Anthology
    • New Order Disorder
    • Out of Colour
    • Lost Shadows: A collection
    • Featured Author
  • Short Stories & Poetry
    • Titles List
    • Woodworm
    • Dead Waltz
    • Your Heaven is a Lie
    • LoveSick
    • Fate Never Waits
    • The Child is Gone
    • Blood On Your Hands
    • Just Words
    • Undertow City
    • Figment
    • Clownhead
    • The Flow
    • One Shake Too Many
    • People Pleasing Massacre
    • One Last Time
    • Penumbra
    • No Good Grief
    • Cookie-Cutter Lane
    • Reluctant Reaper
    • Goddess in Motion
    • Speed-Meat
    • Unicorn
    • Painted Black
    • Wasteland Witch
    • Damaged Goods
    • Wildflower Weeds
    • Just One More
    • Always Tomorrow
    • Bomb Shelter
    • Organic Steak
    • Snapped
    • Game boy
    • Mindless Motions
    • Subway
    • Devil between the Lines
    • Eager Little Pervs
    • Frozen Slack Still
  • Delevan House
  • Featured Guests
    • The Stranger By G G Flavell
    • Falling Seas and Espionage By Andrew Taylor
  • Contact
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