I’m a good example of how to fail as well as find success when it comes to writing. On my videos, I usually talk to my failures and how to avoid them. Here, I would like to dwell on some of the good things that I learned from my first expeditions. Hopefully, these will be six helpful hints for anyone who wants to go a similar path:
- Get fully invested in writing a good book. This sounds a bit elitist. However, what I mean is enjoy writing your first complete book without worrying about any other parts of the process (like marketing.) I serendipitously did this, and I don’t regret it. I would never have completed my book if I tried to get everything going at once. There’s just too much involved with getting a book all the way to market. It can be overwhelming, and naiveté goes a long way in getting things done!
- It certainly is fine to pay someone for advice early, but later pay only the people who will produce. I paid for some marketing advice, and it was helpful. However, at the end of the advice, it was up to me to do everything. I wandered quite a bit as I’m not skilled at this area. Parts of the marketing were quite hard, and I couldn’t get anywhere (even getting an e-mail response!) It is important to recruit people that will actively help you achieve your dream. If not, you may end up spinning your wheels.
- Pay someone else for something you can’t do as well. This is the silent partner to the last point. You have to remember that you’re an author. You write books. You aren’t responsible to be great at everything. A good example of this might be something like a virtual tour. I did this for my first book. I would have never have been able to set up all of these stops in such a short time. Someone with experience can help make this happen for you. It may seem like too much money in some cases, but balance that with how much time that you think you’d waste doing the same task. You can always do side work to pay for it. That’s time better spent.
- Editing is essential. I’m a prime example of this. I’ll admit that I can be sloppy. I need several re-writes and people to look at my work. Everyone makes mistakes, and the person who makes them is least likely to see them.
- Submit to the dual publishing platform. I think that for me it was essential to get both an e-book and a paperback out there. This method attracts more readers. Different people like different things. So, why not offer them more? In my case, I can also offer better pricing to e-readers who don’t want to spend a lot on books. Believe me, there are so many little benefits. After that, add audio books J
- Thank the people who helped you without benefit. Even if the book is a dud and sells nothing, it is still a privilege to publish a book. In all endeavors, there is someone who gives you something without receiving much in return. If you pay someone for their effort, gratitude is the polite response. On the other hand, if the people who help you get nothing or very little in return, thankfulness is a requirement. I am very thankful to my family who I couldn’t have done this without. I had friends who went out and bought copies and shared posts. I really believe these types of people are the major force of getting anything done in this world, the helping hand that exists just because they love you.