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So, You Want to Write a Book and Self-Publish?

8 Basic Rules for the first-time writer.

By Katlynn BrookePublished 4 years ago 11 min read
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So, you want to be a writer?

I have put together some helpful suggestions for the wannabe novice Indie writer/author. This article is not meant for those who are already published or wish to go the traditional route to locate an agent/publisher.

It is said we all have a book inside of us trying to get out, and that is true, but not anyone can successfully self-publish. Don't let that stop you, though. If you follow some basic rules it is possible to achieve success. All Indy authors were beginners at one time and knew zip about writing and publishing.

I see so many would-be writers who think the hardest part of writing a book is writing the book. That is the easiest step, by far. Once you've written the book, there are steps you can take after that to ensure it won't disappear into obscurity. Amazon alone publishes millions of books, and it's challenging to make your voice heard in the clamor, but there are tried and true methods you can use to rise above the fray.

The first steps are in writing and completing the book. The advice is general, not specific, but it has worked for me. I have written five books, working on a sixth, and seventh, simultaneously. Once the writing bug bites, it is difficult to stop and you’re hooked.

You can plan on investing some money in this project. While it's free to publish on Amazon, making the book ready for publication is not free. Unless you're already an expert in this field of writing and publishing (then you won't be reading this article) don't try to do it all yourself. You will need advice, support, and help. You will need to pay for excellent guidance.

A word of warning: don't fall for any self-publishing scams—people who contact you saying they will publish your book for a sum of money. This is a scam, and there are plenty of these people looking for novice authors. Take a look at this site: https://accrispin.blogspot.com (Writer Beware). It will save you a lot of heartaches. Don't sign any publishing deals where you must pay or give away your rights. IT'S A SCAM! A legitimate publishing company or agent should pay YOU, never the other way around.

If you are still keen to write and self-publish a book, congratulations! I hope my 8 Rules below will be of help.

1. Set Aside Time to Write.

Just write the damned book. Sounds easy enough, right? For me, it's the fun part, but this stage still requires work. Don't second guess yourself, plant your butt in the chair and write. Don't stop. Set aside time to do this. Every. Single. Day. Writers often have other jobs to keep a roof over their heads, and sometimes by the end of the day, you're so exhausted all you want to do is slump into the sofa with a drink in hand. That's fine. But get up again before you go to bed, or get up earlier in the morning, or during lunch break, and put some words down on paper. It doesn't matter how you do it, pen or pencil, or computer. Just do it. The ideas are okay. It doesn't have to make sense. Write something relevant to the book. J.K. Rowling wrote her first Harry Potter book while commuting by train. Some days you'll do more, some days a lot less. You'll end up with something that is the bare bones of a book, or perhaps it will be a mess of half-baked ideas, characters, plot, etc. This might take months, or years. It doesn’t matter.

Now is the time to proceed to the next stage.

2. Rewrite.

This may be where some people give up. Don't. We all need to get through this stage. It's important. We've all been there and will be there again. Don't try to edit grammar or minutia unless it's crucial. Once again, you go through the bones of the book and do some rearranging. How is your character development? Does your character grow? Do they feel real? Look at your world building, your descriptions, and your setting. Now you are filling in the blanks (at this stage, don't worry too much about grammar or spelling). Do this step as many times as you feel is necessary.

By this time, you'll be able to recite your book backward. You'll be so tired of it you want to scream. Put it aside for a month, or at least a few weeks, then return to it. You will find things you never noticed before.

Now, you can go over and edit, make corrections, change anything that you missed before. Use Grammarly, or any other editing software if you wish. I love Grammarly, but there are additional editing programs out there that do the job too. If you don't have these and don't want to use them, that's okay.

3. Find an Editor

Don't think you can edit your manuscript yourself or rely totally on Grammarly or editing software. Just…do not. You think you know it so well that surely, by this time, you would have discovered all your mistakes? Nope. Nope. Nope. To find an objective editor with a practiced eye is the next step and one that should never be skipped. You need an editor that comes recommended by other authors in your genre because a good editor can make all the difference.

There are different editors: line editors, who catch spelling and grammar mistakes, and developmental editors. They will tell you if your plot and character development make sense and point out where the story can be improved. It's pretty essential to use both types if you can afford it. It's worth the money you spend to have two editors or one who does the job of two. Make sure they are qualified, though. There are too many "editors" out there making money off rookie authors. You'd be better off with Grammarly. Join author groups. You can get good recommendations and see who the editors are with your favorite books. Sometimes they're listed in the info sections where the book is sold.

Step 3 is the most crucial step of all. Don't cheap out on it, and don't think you can get by without it.

4. Cover

While you're waiting for the editing process to be completed, you can be looking for a good cover artist. Don't use your friend's son or daughter who's good with Photoshop. As with an editor, the cover is an essential facet of your book and will determine failure or success. Do some research, some asking around, and find someone who excels in your genre and comes recommended. There are relatively inexpensive cover artists out there who don't overcharge and do a good job. I always ask for 3 types covers: ebook, print, and audio (if you're thinking of going in that direction). And most of all, please—unless you're a professional cover artist—don't try to design your own cover.

Check out this Facebook group for good advice: https://www.facebook.com/groups/doesmycoversuck/

5. Getting it out There

Now comes the tricky part—at least for me: Marketing. Preparing a platform. What is a platform? It's how you connect with your readers. If you don't have a platform yet, don't worry. You can build one. Social media is your friend—Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, wherever you think your market hangs out. For me, it's mostly Facebook and Instagram, but for others, it might be some other media.

Get to know your market, who they are, what age group, etc. It also helps to have a website. The better the website, the better your platform. Look at the social media and websites of your favorite and most admired authors. Who do you wish to be like? Take some hints about how they organize their media and use it as your inspiration.

Look at building a newsletter with subscribers. I use Mailerlite. It’s user friendly, and one doesn’t need to pay for the first 1,000 subscribers. This should link to your website, with an incentive to sign up. Perhaps you'll offer a freebie, such as the first 3 chapters of your book, or a previously written novella (as I did). Since this is your first book, you won't have any giveaways yet, but as soon as your book is published, you may offer freebies for newsletter signup.

6. Formatting

Formatting your book is also an essential step in the process. If you're self-publishing, you will most likely be selling your book/s on Amazon or Barnes & Noble and trying to "go wide." For each of these outlets, you will need different formatting, depending too upon whether you're going ebook (please do!), and paperback. It's always better to have both, then you don't have to do it again.

Like cover artists, there are many excellent book formatters out there. Get recommendations (always!) and find someone who is reliable and doesn't overcharge.

7. ARC Reviews

ARC means "Advance Review Copy." Once you've got your book formatted, you can offer it to potential readers for free. I use Bookfunnel, but there is also Netgalley and other sites that provide ARC reviewers. The only requirement from Amazon is that these reviewers state they received the book free.

Why do I need reviews? Many readers, including myself, find reviews helpful when deciding whether or not to buy a book. I am more likely to buy a book that's come recommended. Yes, I am big on recommendations! Also, to have a Bookbub deal, which many authors swear by, one needs a certain number of reviews before Bookbub accepts it. This site is essential as a marketing tool, as is Goodreads. I find the more reviews my book has, the more success it enjoys. Work hard on getting these reviews! That also means placing requests for reviews in the back matter of your book.

8. Publishing

Hitting that publish button on say, Amazon, can be scary when you do it for the first or even tenth time. Is your book really ready? Have you done everything you can think of for a successful launch? There are so many ins and outs to publishing that would take too long to list here. Perhaps I'll save that for another article, but one learns as one proceeds.

Publishing can be both exciting and depressing. If you don't see sales immediately, don't despair. You are just starting out on the journey and it doesn't all happen at once. Sometimes, it doesn't happen at all, and one needs to go back to the drawing board. Often, it's the platform, cover, or description.

Writing a blurb for the book can be the hardest part for many authors. This what the book is about. Readers have short attention spans, so one must hook them almost immediately. Of course, this is tricky. I will leave a sample description of my first book in the series below, with the hook and first paragraph. It's not the be-all and end-all in descriptions, but it works fine. Look at other author's descriptions to find inspiration.

My description starts with a review I liked, then the hook (in bold), and then the body of the description. I’ve provided one paragraph:

"It is a story of honor, courage, friendship, and betrayal that goes beyond time. It unravels slowly and smoothly so that any reader can follow the plot easily." Maria Beltran, Reader's Favorite.

Six powerful teens. A shared nightmare. One last chance to save humanity…

ON THE FRAGMENTED CONTINENT OF IALANA, WAR THREATENS. THE POPULATION HAS FALLEN INTO IGNORANCE AND SUPERSTITION. A BAND OF SIX TEENS, EACH DRIVEN FROM THEIR HOMES BY FATEFUL EVENTS, FIND THEMSELVES CAUGHT UP IN THE DESTINY OF A MUTANT RACE ENSLAVED BY A DESPOTIC RULER.

General Advice

What is genre, and does it matter? Genre is the category in which you will be writing. Be very clear on this before you begin to write. Is it fiction, and if so, what kind of fiction? Fantasy, romance, mystery, literature, etc. Look at the different categories of books on Amazon and notice how they are organized.

You may want to do some research and write to the market. In other words, find out first what is selling and what isn’t. Some authors swear by this. I have not done that myself since I write what I want to write when I write. It is up to you. Sometimes romance is hot; other times, it is vampires or memoir. My advice would be to write what is in you and what wants to come out. It works for me.

Be clear about the genre, once you’ve decided, though. There’s nothing worse than to be stuck with a book that doesn’t fit in anywhere, and you don’t know where to put it. If you don’t know what kind of book it is, you won’t know how to market it, or who your market is.

Read. Read books in your genre. I can’t stress this enough. Find the hottest books in your genre and read them. You will discover why they are popular and learn a lot about writing.

Practice. The more you write, the better you will be at it. I cringe at my first book, but I didn’t stop there. I got better. I improved. You can do it too! Writing more than one book is an excellent idea. The more you write, the better you get, and your chances for success increase.

Watch this space. I will write more about writing and publishing. Feel free to comment and ask questions! Thanks for reading. I appreciate it, and good luck with the book!

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