When you venture into something new, and you're not sure what to do, observe what your peers are doing and mimic them first - until you come into your own.
If you've found yourself a mentor, you're lucky. But if not, these wonderful self-published authors are more than happy to share their wisdom.
SANDRA S. KERNS
Award Winning Author of The Masters Men Series, The Colorado Skies Series and The Colorado Dreams and Desires Series
"First and foremost, write a good book. That means taking the time to write, step away, read and rewrite. Sometimes (often) more than once.
Second, find an editor who does more than run Spell Check. You need an editor for more than spelling and grammar. You need an editor to let you know if there are holes in the story or threads that you let slip. It doesn’t mean their word is gospel, but it’s worth considering. That said, you DON’T need an editor who tries to change your voice and rewrite your story.
Third, always remember it is your story."
TAYLOR FULKS
Award Winning Author of My Prison Without Bars
"First: Do the research. Know what you're getting yourself into. Whether traditional publishing or indie, you need to do your homework. The best place for information on all aspects of publishing is Createspace.com/forum. Here you will find any and everything about publishing.
Second: Use an editor! Not an English teacher, a real editor. Your book is a reflection of you, as a writer. You want to be taken seriously? Get an editor."
STEPHANIE COLLINS
Award Winning Author of With Angels Wings
"There are two aspects of authorship – writing and marketing. Write from the heart and hire a really good editor. Trust me; it’s money well spent. Marketing is all about reaching a broad audience. Social media can work really well – as long as you follow the Golden Rule. If you wouldn’t want someone filling your Facebook notifications box with 20 updates per day, don’t do that to all of your Facebook friends by listing your book on every possible literary group page. If you want others to retweet you on Twitter, retweet everyone else. Good karma…it’s what sells books!"SHAHEEN DARR
Poet, and Author of Kismet, The Spectrum of Life and Soul Searching
"Last year while surfing the net I came across a publishing site called Createspace. It offered free tools for writers who wished to self-publish their written or audio material. I grabbed the opportunity. Before long, the poetry verses that were gathering dust in my home computer’s storage space found home in two books 'Soul Searching' and 'The Spectrum of Life.'
On hindsight, there are a number of areas I should have researched before diving into the world of self-publishing. Editing, proof reading, and formatting are vital in the “to do” self-publishing list, but so is the book cover and the book title. All these will ensure that before the big world out there sees your book, it has been dressed well and has no wardrobe malfunctions!
However, if you think these are sufficient, think again! Now comes the hard part, launching your book and then marketing it to the reading public. Begin by setting up a blog that reveals the person behind the pen and highlights your writing talent. Then get busy on various social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to get all your hard work noticed.
I have found enormous support from mentors like Eeva Lancaster who has set up a website especially for Indie writers. It has all the resources and advice they might need at affordable rates. http://www.thebookkhaleesi.com/"
ADITI CHOPRA
"A self-published author is not just an author, she needs to think like an entrepreneur. Although writing is the core product but it is a very small part of this business. A very important and essential aspect of self-publishing is being able to market yourself as well as your products well. What I have found is there is no magic flag in book marketing, one needs to figure out different avenues for book marketing and constantly try something new. Figure out which tool provides the most ROI and network well with fellow authors and marketers."A.M MANAY
Author of She Dies at the End and She Sees in her Sleep
"This may seem very basic, but I think it is incredibly important to thank the people who help you: your beta readers, those who share a link, those who write a review or offer constructive criticism, etc.As an independent author, those interpersonal relationships are so important. They are the foundation of your growth as a writer as well as your success as a publisher, and they provide encouragement to help you to persevere in a very challenging industry."
TRACI LAWRENCE
Inspirational Author of Accept No Trash Talk
www.tracisworld.com
"My favorite advice is found in Shakespeare’s Hamlet: 'This above all: to thine own self be true…'
Different genres, ways of thinking, idiomatic language, sentence structure, and passions, all contribute to a world of variety. We shouldn’t feel we have to stuff ourselves in a box that says, “Acceptable writer”. For instance, I guest posted once for a lady who insisted that I use flowery metaphors. It took me forever to satisfy her. In the end, I felt a sense of accomplishment, because I had never written like that before. However, deep down, I knew that kind of writing didn’t define the real me."
COREY CARTER
Author of Shadows of Deception, The Black Shadow and Nobody Home
"The most important thing for a self published author to do is produce quality work. This industry is tough. In order to stand out, it’s important to have an attractive book cover and a well edited story. Secondly, build your author platform before or while you are writing, and network, network, network. Help fellow authors and bloggers, and they will likely reciprocate in some way. Try a different marketing technique each week to see which avenue produces the best books sales or visits to your website. You do have a website, right?
Enjoy your writing journey, and don’t let anyone discourage you from your dreams!"
"I would say the most important thing I've learned along the way is the significance of networking, which I never quite understood nor gave much credence to prior to publishing. Making connections with other writers and readers via the many social networking avenues available to us invariably increase our reach and can help us in ways we can little imagine. However learning how to balance social networking with the continuation of our art is also extremely important as I am sure we are all very well aware of how quickly social media can take over your life."Thank you to all the wonderful authors who took the time to share snippets of their thoughts with us. In self-publishing, writing is just the beginning. There's much to learn, and we would do well to heed the advise of those who've done the time.
I would like to share my learnings with you too. So, I invite you to subscribe to my blog.
Do you have your own self-publishing tips to share? Leave a comment with a link to your website and book page. I look forward to what you have to say.
Recommended Reading: The Author Platform Series
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