If you are self-publishing, aim to produce a professional quality book. Read books and articles about successful self-publishing – books written by successful self-publishers. Consider hiring professional book editors, illustrators and book designers. Learn how to make your book available through normal print and electronic distribution channels. Learn how to publish smartly and economically so you do not waste your time, energy and money.
- Write every day until you reach “The End.”
- Remember: Good writing means re-writing.
- Read plenty of books in your genre.
- Visit websites and read articles and books about writing in your genre.
- Join writers’ groups whose memberships include traditionally (not only self-published) authors.
- Decide if you want to go for a big publishing house, a smaller press, or if you simply want to see your words in print and get some people to read it. Obviously, going big is the hardest. Big publishing houses can also be brutal and impersonal. A smaller press might give you more individual attention and support. And self-publishing will be the quickest and easiest way to print. Also, self-publishing an e-book can be relatively inexpensive and some writers have found a lot of success with this.
- Attend writers’ conferences where you can form relationships with writers and publishing industry professionals and have your manuscript critiqued by editors, agents and/or published authors.
- Before submitting your book to editors and agents, pay to have it edited by a professional editor – one who specialises in your genre and has helped authors land contracts.
- Seek out criticism. Take it with grace. Use it to improve your work.
- Learn how to pitch and submit your book to publishing house editors and agents.
- Think of the best book in your genre that you have read. Set out to make your book just as good, or better.
- Persist until you reach your goal.
- Create good karma. Whatever you learn about writing and publishing, pass it on.
- Don’t send a book out before it is ready. Even though on the back of many books it says “This is his/her first book” that’s a lie. It’s just his/her first published book.
- Write another book. The above steps to get your book published take a lot of time, so while you are going through all this, try writing another book or two. The more you write, the better you will get. Sometimes taking the focus off one book will help you come up with better revision ideas for that book.
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