This post is intended as a motivation booster and (hopefully) inspiration for all who find themselves contemplating self-publishing.
Two weeks ago, I was
- a chemist who had left her job (I am not advocating walking away from your day job, but this particular job was having negative effects on my health and as such it was necessary that I politely, but firmly made my goodbyes);
- I had a manuscript that had been years in the making, and one that I had edited extensively. I loved the story, had planned out the entire series in my mind and even written the first draft of book two, but continued to waffle over whether I should ever send it to a publishing house (how overwhelming is that idea? And who wants to wait months wondering whether you have to start all over again?).
Two weeks ago I listened to an online course on how to self-publish an eBook. Then I listened to another on how to make a book cover. I also noticed that my local library has free workshops for would-be writers by local published authors.
I spent hours reading articles and making a plan. Two weeks ago was when I decided that I would self-publish!
Two weeks ago I
- Started this blog (and I now have 30 wonderful and engaged followers. I must thank you all who read this and give me input, because you’ve truly helped me in my quest!) and have been posting routinely (although my serial is on hold, but I am excited that I started something that I have been contemplating for a looooooong time);
- Have chosen a release date (December 19, 2016! It seems so soon, but I decided on it because it gave me two months to really get my ducks in a row);
- I have edited and formatted my first ever book (and it took me a few hours, but the result is professional and min boggling. If someone had told me it’d be so easy, I would have called them a fool three weeks ago);
- I CREATED A BOOK COVER that I really like! (I was totally willing to pay someone to make one, but I thoroughly enjoy the look of this);
- Wrote a book blurb (I couldn’t have done this without feedback. Thank you Sharon and NJ:)), which I was always dreading, even when I was contemplating traditional publishing;
- Found eight beta readers for Fay Storms thanks for GoodReads (where I also now have a book page and an author page). I am both excited and very nervous about seeing the reviews, but the idea that there are people who are enjoying my story is just too exhilarating! Also, I had individual contact me for an ARC because she learned about Fay Storms through word of mouth (amazing!), and several of them agree to read it after being captivated by the blurb (wow!);
- I was featured in an author interview;
- I have figured out what a blog tour is, and have even made some headway in getting one ready for my release.
Two weeks have passed, and I am still have work to do. I have to
- Continue to grow my network as a new author and to advertise my work;
- Continue learning about self-publishing, book promotion, and writing too;
- Continue work on the trilogy! (NaNoWriMo will help me finish the first draft for book three, then back to editing book two)
So call me crazy, but that seems like a pretty eventful two weeks. I can’t believe I got this far in such a short period and if I can do, then you most certainly can too.
Have a wonderful Monday, and keep on checking back for more information on my pursuit of self-publishing 🙂
A.A.
I love the cover, it’s very catching. I look forward to more of your self publishing posts and your book! Happy writing!
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Thanks Joanna 🙂
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Reblogged this on My train of thoughts on… and commented:
Dear readers, today’s share:
Useful information (not only) for ‘about to be indy authors’ like me. 😉
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Good for you! I have recently had a similar experience and decided to hand my notice in for my job, because life’s too short to do a job you don’t like- ya know? Hope this goes well- good luck with everything!
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Thanks! Yes, when you realize that most of your time is spent in a place where you don’t want to be, it’s time to make the tough decisions. I have to say, I am really glad I did it 🙂
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Yes exactly!! Great! 🙂
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What momentum! How exciting though, diving in like that. Your book cover drew me in when I saw the thumbnail, very warm and eye-catching, good job~ Best of luck on your self-publishing journey!
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I am so glad to hear that the cover drew you in 🙂 I was hoping for it to be an invitation to step through the door and into the world of this book!
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Congratulations on making your dream come true! One thing I didn’t see on your list is a copy edit and proof read by a professional – I hope you’re planning on that as well. Best of luck.
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Very sound advice! I am waiting on some final feedback and edits before I have it proof read (because if there is one thing that drives me crazy is finding typos in books!).
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I am really excited for you! I can’t wait for the release.
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Congratulations. I am self publishing my first book on 14th November but I have had a LOT of professional help along the way. Your book cover is really good.
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Thank you and best of luck with your release! Will you be sharing the release on your blog?
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Thank you. Yes, I have a book cover reveal tomorrow and a celebration party on Saturday.
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Sounds like a very eventful two weeks! Good luck with NaNo: it’s been hard for me! Love the simple cover you made all by yourself: pretty but not cheap looking. Good job and I’m excited to hear all about the book!
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Good luck on the writing! I know people who can write 50K in their sleep in finish NaNoWriMo successfully every single year (but never re-visit their work or edit it), and others who have hit and miss years but use their work as the basis for their novels. You can do it!
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Sounds like you could teach me a thing or two about motivation! I’ve just completed a four year diploma in professional writing, so I’m hoping to have more time to focus on building my blog (posts AND followers), and getting at least ONE of the five projects I’m working on published (I’m not sure if I want to do the whole self-publishing route yet). How did you build your blog followers so quickly?
Happy writing! PS – Love the cover, great job! Can’t wait to read it 🙂
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🙂 I am lucky in that I have always had some good motivation, but that said, I have days like anyone else where I slow right down. I think the trick is positive reinforcement when you’re productive, and not to beat yourself up on days when you are not.
I spent a lot of time researching what I needed to do to self-publish (I have also spent a lot of time learning about what to do to publish the traditional route too, so for me it was a conscious decision which route to take), and in that research, I realized that a blog would be helpful in building my profile as an author. So to make a good blog, I started reading other blogs to see what I liked, how to arrange my site, what people responded to, etc. Doing this also allowed me to connect to both authors and readers, and as I started discussions with people by leaving comments on posts I developed the basis for my following. Once I had a good basis I got more spontaneous traffic and more exposure through shares and WordPress itself.
Also, don’t forget to maximize on tags when posting, which really helps people find your page 🙂 If you want to chat more about this, feel free to send me an email through the contact page 🙂
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