More and more writers are self-publishing to tell their unique stories, share their life story or share their business. Many long to have their work distributed through a regular publishing company, but that dream means having less control over your work.
Ownership is great and being online helps open you up to the other options out there. When self-publishing you may experience struggles with getting your books enough exposure. However, the costs and experience of putting the book together can bring about many revelations. Here are a few keys to success:
Focus and get it done –
One challenge of self-publishing is the lack of deadlines. You can become too relaxed in terms of demands on your own time. If you have no deadline pushing you, you can take as long as 10 years or more. You may have to create your own deadlines and it may mean being a hermit at home to write sometimes.
Relax and let it flow –
You will have writer’s block. This can cause your project to take longer. Don’t pressure yourself too much. Relax through it and go with the flow. Allow yourself some grace during the dry spells while remembering your objective and it will come to you.
Research and ask for help –
Research, Google and YouTube searches are your friends. Do your research. Join writing groups and ask questions. People are more willing to help than you realize. You may choose to pay someone for their service. Editors and others can make your book more polished. Others can help with publicity. There are companies out there like ours that can facilitate much of the busy work. We can take many of the hassles out of a challenging endeavor. If you don’t love research, dealing with Facebook, waiting for uploads, formatting then you may want a partner in publishing. That’s where a company like ours comes into play. We can find and facilitate the services you need to succeed.
Thicken your skin –
If you’ve asked people to critique your work, do not be hurt when they say ‘this reads wrong’ or ‘I don’t understand this’ because that will sink any sort of mistakes that people will catch. One of our authors, Author Cory Jenkins, who just published the Amazon bestseller “I Love Myself So… A Guide to Creating a Life You Love,” said “You can read your own book as many times as you like and still miss so many mistakes. You know what you mean to say so your mind reads it that way. Also, if you’re reading it just after writing it, then you read it as you meant to write it. You need a gap in between writing and reading. When I came back and read my book after a few months, I found several mistakes that grammar check wouldn’t normally catch. None of which I had noticed because I knew what I meant to say. I also saw flaws in the organization that I had missed before. I was able to completely reorganize it and release the second edition.”
Make it a priority –
Outside pressures from work, friends, and family will come. The best way to view writing your book is as a second job. Give it as much importance as anything in life that you want to get done. You have nobody to police you, but you, so prioritize, to keep from getting frustrated.
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