Do you dream of writing and publishing books? Why? It sounds awkward to ask such questions. On the other hand, being a writer requires a lot of hard work (it usually involves completely unpaid long process), so it’s good idea to have right mindset.

0% ROMANCE, 100% HARD WORK AND A SPLASH OF MAGIC

Perhaps writing your book is your biggest dream. You share that dream with many others. People feel good about both writing their own and reading other people’s stories. We live in a time when self-publishing, as never before, is available to everyone. This is excellent news for us with the writer’s dreams.

Publishing is available in all forms – from traditional publishing as well as hybrid publishing to pure printing services, where you are your publisher. Being accepted by a publisher is not impossible but difficult. Instead, many choose to publish their book themselves, giving you control over the entire process, and you decide for yourself how much money the publishing will cost.

Once you have decided to try self-publishing, you are faced with a myriad of decisions to make. It is an exciting journey, which I highly recommend. First of all, however, I would like to emphasize this: You will not wake up one day, and suddenly find that your work is on the shelves.

Self-publishing involves many steps, which you must take in order for your dream to come true. Most of the steps include hard and time-consuming work, but who really does great things without effort? Achieving your goals requires perseverance, patience and hard work in addition to talent.

Few experiences are comparable to holding your own book in your hand if you love writing. The journey with everything you create as well as everything you learn along the way up to publishing is difficult to describe in words. If this is truly your dream, and if you are willing to work for it, it is worth all the effort.

YOUR STRATEGY

Why are you writing? Is it to inform others, or maybe you are very angry about something? It is not uncommon for the desire to write from an intense personal experience such as an injustice, a loss or an injury. Do you want to express hope, faith, fear or maybe a laugh to your audience? No matter what, it’s you story and it hasn’t been told before. 

What is your goal? Is it enough to physically hold your own story in hand, or should sales revenue should pay your bills, leave a legacy, options are endless. Regardless of goals, please work with intermediate, smaller goals and set a (realistic) schedule. Many steps are more time-consuming than you would expect.

How much does it really cost? The costs depend on the extent of your own involvement in activities other than writing. What can you do for yourself, and what do you need help with? I recommend that you take help with editing, proofreading and visual design aspects of your book. Sure, you can do all by yourself but time you spent on tasks not related to writing does not worth it.

Find out what you don’t know! If this is your first time publishing a book, you can’t possibly keep track of everything. Others have made the trip before you and can tell you about it. Be curious, and learn.

Feel free to take a courses and ask questions on social media! There are groups and forums for authors and self-publishers, which can be of great use. Network with other writers. Writing can often feel lonely, which is why networking with others can be very beneficial. Also, it is more fun to share experiences with others.

Be purposeful, and don’t give up! Self-doubt is human, it happens to all of us. Creation most of the time happens outside the comfort zone. Feel free to go back to your goals as often as you need to maintain motivation.

We describe this process in three blocks: editing, production and distribution.

EDIT

Writing a script usually involves in different phases; producing a raw script, which is then edited, in one or more sessions. In this phase test readers, editors and proofreaders help.

PRODUCTION

The production is about transforming your submission and your cover, both physically and electronically, into a concrete product. It is now that you convert all text into a print-ready PDF file and create the cover, which must also be converted into a print-ready PDF file. You decide what format and what kind of binding and paper the book should have. In this part of the publication, you also print the book in case you want your own small edition.

DISTRIBUTION

You can sell your book in several ways, the most common of which are an online bookstore, traditional bookstore, directly by you, through your website, or at fairs and events. Don’t forget the libraries! As a self-publisher, you have a lot of work to do to reach your readers. It has to be creative, purposeful and persistent. It helps you if you create well-planned marketing and are active in social media.

Best Regards, Melissa.