From brainstorming a manuscript idea to consistently writing,Amazon Book publishing, and then waiting for sales, getting your book out is not an easy task! No matter how gifted you are with writing or how passionate you are about the idea, there are bound to be times when you will question ever taking up the endeavor at all! Talk to any seasoned writer, and they will tell you that it’s days like this that really test your mettle as an author.
Anyone can write on a good day; it’s what you do on the bad days that counts.
Although that’s sage advice that’s bound to give you much-needed motivation, it does little in the way of guiding you through the hurdles. As a first-time author, you need all the guidance you can get. And worry not, for the internet is rife with guides that detail how to publish a book. But is that all you need?
Quite simply, no.
What you need is to learn from someone else’s experience so you don’t make the same mistakes that set other new authors behind. Pearls of authorial wisdom that took veteran writers years to collect—something that instantly elevates your work and eases your process.
So, here are the top three tips that will go a long way in helping you publish your first book!
1.The only way over writer’s block is through it
Every writer has come across writer’s block, and it can be very demotivating and frustrating, especially if you don’t know how to deal with it.
It can take writers capable of producing literary genius and convince them that what they had been doing up until that point was nothing more than luck. Imposter syndrome hitting you at its best.
Suddenly, your ideas don’t flow the same way, your thoughts are disconnected, and your prose looks like a personal essay submitted by a middle schooler.
This can be very upsetting—and is often where a lot of new writers tend to give up.
And while we understand how you feel, we need you to equally understand that we have all been there. Think of your favorite author—someone who is incapable of producing anything short of brilliance. Yes, them too.
There was a time when they, like you, looked at their work and thought: “I guess I can’t write.”
Had they given up, the literary world would have been worse off for it. And the same is true for you—even if it is hard to see it when you hit a bump. You need to tell yourself that because it is so common, it is curable. There are ways past it.
The best is to find your personal creative jumpstarter.
Think of a car having battery trouble—it could perhaps need a kick to restart. But just because the battery needs recharging does not mean the whole car isn’t worth driving anymore. With the right technique and a good set of jumper cables, you’ll be all set to go.
The same is true of you as an author.
Stimulate your mind in a way that works best for you. Ask yourself: what inspired me to have my last writing epiphany? Perhaps a walk? Meditation? Dedicated brainstorming? Whatever the answer, recreate the experience.
But even if it doesn’t seem like it’s working, continue to write.
Yes, what is coming out is not reflective of the potential you have as a writer. But first drafts never are. They are supposed to be messy, chaotic, and downright bad in certain places. No book, no matter how inspirational, looked this way in its first draft.
Yours doesn’t have to either.
All you need at this stage is content. No matter how insanely poor it is reading to you, stop critiquing yourself and let everything flow out of you. Trust me, when you revisit this draft, it will surprise you how blinded you were to some really good ideas because it seemed like everything you were producing was bad.
2.You always need an editor—especially when you think otherwise
One of the biggest mistakes first-time self-publishing authors make—something that yours truly would also have made had someone not stepped in and course-corrected me—is dismissing the importance of an editor.
Chances are, if you’re picking up the proverbial pen and deciding to share your literary musings with the world, you have been writing for a while—even if it wasn’t professionally. You feel confident in your gift, and you know you can put out a hard hitter.
And as much as we love and condone this confidence, relying too heavily on it can blind you to your shortcomings.
Writers are not editors, plain and simple. These are two different tasks that require vastly different skill sets. And admitting that you need someone’s help with the latter is a sign of strength—not weakness. Remember, it’s not a comment on how brilliant you are as a writer. It is a question of how exceptional you want your published work to be.
Editors are trained to spot things you cannot.
Again, not because there’s something wrong with your skill, but because it simply isn’t your job. Especially if it is your first time writing, you will need someone’s help telling you what works for the reader and what doesn’t. Which parts of your book require you to step back, reconsider and re-do.
Because your book is your idea, it can be easy to conflate what is in your mind and what is on the page.
Since you are already coming from a place of understanding—you have the root of the thought in your head—something that makes no sense to an outsider could still make sense to you. For that, you will need someone who can look at the text objectively and make it work.
Will it cost more? Yes!
But as they say, you need to spend money to make money. Nobody is going to buy or recommend a book that is ridden with plotholes or has parts that don’t make sense. And this will definitely impact your book’s bottom line—forget the bestseller’s list.
So no matter how much you think you don’t need an editor, you do.
A professional who has worked with published authors before and has expertise working with first-time writers—not just your aunt, your best friend, or that colleague who does a brilliant job with corporate memos.
3.Self book publishers and first-time authors are a match made in heaven
Just because you’re self-publishing doesn’t mean you have to do it alone.
All the greatest writers have had a ton of help getting where they are today. There’s more to publishing a book than simply writing and editing. In fact, knowing the kind of editing help you need could also be something you might need guidance with.
This is where companies that offer Amazon publishing services come in!
Truth be told, I was very skeptical of this at first, too. Do they work? More importantly, do I even need them? I had an editor who I thought was doing a stellar job, she and I had an excellent working relationship, and she was giving me all the food for thought I needed.
It seemed like I was good to go.
That is until I got done with editing and was faced with the monumental task of formatting to industry standard, getting a book cover, purchasing ISBN, marketing my book, and publishing to multiple forums. It just seemed like no matter what I did, there was always something more to do before my book would actually sell—like a hydra head: you cut one off, and two more grow back.
The actual task of publishing can sometimes become so overwhelming that you can feel like giving up, even when you’re so close to the finish line.
This is why taking professional help wherever you can is always recommended. There are companies that offer complete publishing services which take care of every little detail so your book can perform well. Sit down and analyze what you need, and then get someone who’s done it a thousand times to do it—and do it right.
Again, it might put a dent in your pocket starting out, but if the aim is an award-winning book, then this step is crucial!
Final thoughts
Your manuscript, willpower, and these tips are all you need to put you on the road to literary success. Yes, this advice might not feel like much right now, but if you were to compare your trajectory to those of a lot of struggling new writers, you will realize that knowing these little secrets is what makes all the difference.
Remember, there’s a very thin line between having potential and realizing that potential, and while the world remembers the latter, it holds no sympathy for the first.
All the best with your first book!