Did you know that 80% of Americans dream of writing a book! And how about the rest of the world? How many wannabe authors are desperate to spread their literary wings?
I was one of those statistics. All my life I’d wanted to be a novelist, but we can always find excuses, can’t we? Mine were my work, my family, renovating the house, the litter of puppies. And so it went on. Let’s face it — there’s always some reason why we can’t succeed. And if we don’t try at all, it’s easier still. Because then we can’t fail.
But something’s shifted over the past twenty years.
Whereas, in the past you had to spend hours, days, weeks, years penning a novel, only to have it rejected by one of those prickly, heavily armed gatekeepers — namely the literary agents and the publishing houses — these days we’re self-empowered.
Roll up the new liberator of our talents: self-publishing.
Instead of the desolation of endless rejection, we can lift our chins and say,
“Fine, I’ll publish it myself!”
Just a quick note here: Did you know J K Rowling’s Harry Potter was rejected by 12 publishers before she struck it lucky with number 13!
Back to my dream. The years rolled on and almost before I knew it, I was celebrating my sixth decade. Too late to become a writer? Well, if Mary Wesley, the British author who went on to sell three million books, could publish her first book at the age of 70, then surely I hadn’t missed the boat.
Once the cake crumbs and candles were swept away, the balloons deflated, and the cards put away in drawers (no evidence please!), I sat at the kitchen table and started my novel.
Two years later I rolled up my sleeves and pressed the PUBLISH button. This is what I learned.
Lessons Learned From My Self-Publishing Journey
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Keep it Quiet
You want to talk about your book. Of course you do. But don’t! Keep it to yourself.
Firstly, if you talk about your plot or ideas, in effect, you’ll talk it out of your system. And then there’s the risk that well-meaning family and friends will try and inject their own input. Don’t let them. This is yours!
Some people refer to their literary work as their ‘baby’. Treat it as such. Keep it hidden and nurtured for at least nine months, or until completion. Only then are you ready to start the process of unfurling.
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Write With The Door Closed
In Stephen King’s book On Writing (highly recommended) he says you should write the first draft for yourself, with the door closed — in other words, write it only for yourself without imagining what other people would think of it. Just let it flow.
When you’ve finished the first draft, put the manuscript in a drawer for a few weeks. When you bring it out, you’ll look at it in a different way — almost as a fresh reader. This is important. Then you’re ready for the first edit.
Don’t skip this step. Try not to hurry it.
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Don’t Beat Yourself Up
Starting the first edit can be hard. You may feel that the first draft is rubbish. Be kind to yourself, or better still, try to detach yourself. Remember, no writer — even one of the greats— has ever rattled off a perfect manuscript the first time round.
It’s easier if you print the whole thing out and then go through it, making marks and quick notes in the margins. Don’t try and re-write it at this stage. You just need to go through, without breaking the flow, and come back to it later.
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The Honed Draft
This is where you start to pull it all together. Could you weave in some foreshadowing in the earlier parts? Could you flesh out a character more? If you’re writing non-fiction perhaps you should clarify certain points earlier on?
Remind yourself that you are, in effect, the conductor of an orchestra and all the instruments are the characters and the plot. You want to make the music sound as lovely as it can be. Here’s your chance.
Move forward. Have faith. If you are doubting yourself, just say you’ll do the best you can this time and get it perfect next time. Anything. Just keep moving!
Striving for perfection is your enemy
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Beware Editors
The one rule everyone in the self-publishing world quotes is “You must get an editor.” This can be a stumbling block to many independent writers as good editors can be expensive. And there’s nothing worse than paying out a chunk of money only to feel that your writing has been stripped bare.
The first editor I chose seemed promising, but when she submitted a sample of marked up manuscript my heart sank. Immediately, I was back in my school art room with the teacher drawing over my pictures. I’ll never forget that feeling. This editor seemed to strip the prose of emotion and rhythm, and it ceased to feel mine. It awakened the maverick in me.
Being an independent publisher means that you are empowered to make the choices. If you can’t afford a really good editor that you feel is in tune with your writing, then why get one at all?
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Editing Without an Editor
I didn’t have the funds to spend on a good editor and as my first test experience wasn’t positive, I decided to go my own way.
First, I ran the manuscript through editing software. I used Pro-writing Aid but Grammarly is just as good. Then I ran the individual chapters through the Read Aloud function on Word. Together, these two are powerful allies.
Finally, I paid a friend to do a full proof-read of the manuscript. She wasn’t qualified but she was thorough and spoke and wrote excellent English. I think she did a good job. In fact, one of the reviews says ‘well edited’ which is encouraging. Unless, of course, my friend slipped in that review incognito. Lol!
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Beware Naysayers
There are always going to be people you know who are negative. They’ll come up with reasons why you shouldn’t self-publish. They’ll believe the only route to go is the traditional way, through a publishing house. Then they’ll probably concede that it’s very hard to get a look in with a publisher without an agent. But then getting an agent is nigh on impossible. So, what’s the point…
Ignore negativity.
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Decide the Importance of Money
This really should have been top of the list but first we need to dream, and then we can tackle the mundane.
How important is the money-earning potential of your book?
This will really depend on the type of book that you’re writing. If you want to write a memoir to be passed down through your family for generations, the payback of your efforts won’t be of such importance. But if you’re writing a book with an eye on financial reward, you’ll need to decide how commercial you want it to be.
A great deal of money has been earned by fiction books that were originally independently published: The Martian, Fifty Shades of Grey, and Wool to name a few. But if you feel inclined to write a modern equivalent of To the Lighthouse, the chances of earning money are pretty slim.
That’s the raw, bare truth of it. Going forward, you’ll need to keep an eye on your writing, process, and expenditure so it all tallies with your ultimate goal.
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Don’t be Offended
The brutal truth is that most people will be disparaging about self-publishing. They have the impression that it’s some form of vanity press. If they haven’t caught up with the times, then there’s little you can do to dissuade them.
You could try telling them that even Charles Dickens, Jane Austen and Beatrix Potter were self-published at one stage, but apart from a raised eyebrow it will be hard shifting them from their opinion.
Just smile and move on
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Don’t Give Your Book to Friends
Giving your book to friends can be awkward. Firstly, it will put pressure on them to read it, and it may not be their kind of book. Which means they might not read it at all, and that can be hurtful.
And if they do read it, will you feel that they’ve done so under duress? What if they read it and think it’s terrible? And what if they actually like it? Would you believe their complements? How would you feel if they were silent?
As authors, our self-esteem is fragile enough without creating a minefield amongst our nearest and dearest.
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Don’t Encourage Your Friends to Buy on Amazon
If your book’s not the type of genre that your friends and family normally read, then it won’t help you if they buy it on Amazon as it will affect the algorithm. This will have a detrimental effect on your ranking.
Also, they probably won’t be able to write a review as Amazon are very canny about social connections and don’t permit reviews from friends or family.
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Decide if You Would Like a Pen Name
Everything is so interlinked on the web nowadays that it’s very hard to have a totally incognito pen name. But do you really need one anyway?
I chose to write under a different name as I’m a designer in my professional life and I didn’t want to get the two confused. It makes for clearer boundaries but has its drawbacks on social media. If I write under a different genre, I think I’ll follow the recommendations to use a slightly altered pen name so that the Amazon algorithms won’t get distorted.
This needs to be decided now. I’ve heard many tales of people regretting not getting this crystal clear in the beginning.
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Remember You Are Self-Empowered
Publishing independently can have its drawbacks but on the flip side it means that you have a wide horizon.
It’s blissful to realise you can do what you want.
Always wise to listen to advice but there’s nothing to say you need to take it, as long as you’re not in danger of doing anything serious such as violating copyright or some such legal quagmire.
Embrace your liberty!
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Most of It Is Not About Writing
This is what disappointed me. We want to write, don’t we? But we also want to get our words out into the world. They are two very different sides to the coin.
I would say that 30% of the self-publishing journey is actually writing the book, then 20% is the editing and publishing process. The final half, yes HALF (or even more than that) is the marketing and promoting. It’s enough to floor you!
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The Grass Isn’t Greener on the Other Side
This is where the naysayers come back in. If only you had gone with a reputable publisher, you wouldn’t have to do any of this promotion. Not true.
When a publisher considers taking you on, they’ll want to know about your ‘platform’. Why do you think they publish so many novels written by celebrities? Is it because they’re brilliant writers? Doubtful. Great actors and brilliant writers? Come on! It’s all about clout. If they pick a name, there’s a built-in audience.
I listened to a brilliant series on Masterclass about writing. Dan Brown’s section was one of the best. Apparently, he advertised independently to promote The Da Vinci Code, even when he was with a reputable publisher. This was his fourth book and he had learned some lessons along the way.
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Treat It as a Business
There’s no getting away from it: self-publishing is going to cost you. How much will depend on how finely you tune the process. The list can be endless but there’s definitely the editing, formatting, book cover, ISBNs, and marketing.
It’s better to have a budget in your head before letting it run away with you. Treat it as a business. Writing is creative but the rest is cool clear business. Detach yourself emotionally and assess it as you would a product.
MY FINAL SEVEN PIECES OF ADVICE
Pay people to do the things you are hopeless at
Don’t skimp on book cover design — it’s crucial
Limit how much you write each day or you’ll get stale and start to hate it
It will take much longer than you planned
Keep your counsel — friends and family are not your allies
You’re not doing brain surgery; you’re writing a book. Enjoy it.
Your self-worth and the book are in two different buckets
So, as the saying goes, pick up your buckets and follow your dream!
The book I published “The Fortunicity of Birdie Dalal” is available from multiple channels or from your local bookshop.
https://books2read.com/u/mdldMw
