Perfect Is the Enemy of Good

 My cousin Linda quoted her friend Dennis Mahar—“Perfect is the enemy of good,” as we were in the middle of painting her soon-to-be airbnb apartment in her downstairs. You know how it is—when the trim is a bit wobbly, when the spackling texture doesn’t quite match the rest of the wall, when we both have paint on our faces and the bottoms of our shoes and we track it where it is not wanted.
    Immediately I felt better as we gazed at our work—yes, this is good. Not perfect. Good enough. I imagine an airbnb guest arrive and instead of seeing our imperfections, will appreciate the fresh paint job.
    This phrase could change my life. Every time I feel inadequate I say to myself, perfect is the enemy of good. I am good. Goodness flows.
    I’ve been using that phrase a lot as I navigate publishing Guilty by Degree—I noted two typos after the print book was completed, found by the eBook spellcheck. What? Where were you two days ago as I proofed and then proofed again the print book? I could not go back at that point without starting all over! Could I live with those two typo’s?    
    Plus, creating an eBook is not nearly as satisfying as a book one can hold in one’s hands. The formatting is nondescript; choosing a font or a page layout is not possible, and the fun graphic timeline titled “Waiting for the Feds” along with the author photo was not allowable without major computer engineering. From an author’s perspective I now I understand the simplistic styles of eBooks—that’s all that is allowed.
    Formatting the print version had elements of creativity, satisfaction and cohesion--so gratifying I was surprised with the eBook process—like being cooked in a microwave.
    This comparison is similar to analog versus digital sound. Live music is even more “alive” with real time changes in tempo and vibrations. Analog is at least from a “live” recording; digital may not even include a human being playing an instrument.
    I have kindle on my iPad. Living on the road I sometimes do not have access to books, and yes it is convenient, light-weight, and takes little space. EBooks have their place, and I am happy to provide my book in that format. But if you find yourself missing the feel of a book, it’s not just the weight of it in one’s hands that is missing—photos, diagrams, carefully chosen fonts and sizes of indents, bold lettering and a particular page color—the craft of a book—may be as well. This crafting experience was an unexpected bonus: satisfaction beyond the manuscript.
     Kudos to book binders, art from scratch, words not put together by a machine, sounds from handmade instruments, and home-cooked food.
     I write this on my computer, hooked into the web.
    If you decide to purchase the eBook, scroll down below for the two missing components--included here for the fun of it.

Love, Warmth, and Blessings, 

Lynn

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