Self Publishing – The Errors of My Ways…

Posted on by Chris The Story Reading Ape

Like many budding authors I felt on top of the world when I completed my first book. The euphoria was quickly replaced by the stark realisation that no one was willing to publish or promote my work.

It took me over six years to finish my first book, so I was a little impatient to see it published. Unfortunately I rushed through the self publishing process only to discover that my book had some inherent copy editing issues that had not been addressed. I made quite a few mistakes when I first self published, but it is through these mistakes that I learnt so much.

What I should have done

  • I should have had my manuscript professionally edited.
  • I should have taken the time to seek out successful mentors for advice, support and personal development.
  • I should have researched the publishing, marketing and management process more thoroughly.

I don’t regret any of these mistakes; I did fix the edit and re-release my first book. It is the fear of mistakes, perceived failure, ridicule or embarrassment that prevents some emerging authors from publishing their work, which is a little sad really. It was only through this imperfect publication that I learnt how to do it all again, but so much better.

What I needed to know

I have been self employed in business for over 25 years and what I have learnt about writing is very similar to what I have learnt about business over the years.

  • Know your skills and limitations (I really suck at editing).
  • Know your target market (or audience in the case of a writer).
  • Know your industry, its developments, trends and expectations.

As a business woman in my particular industry, I had learnt these things over time. However, as a writer, I really had no idea and quite a lot to learn. So I have spent the last year not just writing my next novel, but learning all I can about the world of books. I still have so much more to learn but some successful and influential people have helped out enormously along the way.

What I did next

  • I started following a number of successful novelists online; both fiction and nonfiction, self published and traditionally published.
  • I enlisted the help of a professional editor.
  • I built relationships with like minded people.
  • I read as much as I could find about editing, fiction writing and book marketing.
  • I planned the release of book 2 in the Covenant of Grace Series, Seed of Hope.

Writing for me is about my own enjoyment and the expression of my ideas and passion on paper (or computer). I can’t guarantee that what I have learnt will see me selling millions of copies of my new book Seed of Hope. All I can hope for is that the better I get, the more likely more people will read my work. So I will keep on writing and learning all I can along the way.

Destiny of Kings          Seed of Hope

 

As a special offer to all of Chris’ readers.

I am offering a FREE copy of Book 1 – Destiny of Kings, with the purchase of Book 2 – Seed of Hope.

lf you buy book 2, all you need to do is join my newsletter list and send me a copy of your online receipt. I will send you a link to a free download of Book 1.

Fiona Tarr

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Seed of Hope Links:

Smashwords – Barnes & Noble

Amazon:

UK – USA – Canada – Australia

30 thoughts on “Self Publishing – The Errors of My Ways…”

  1. Been there, done that. Yes, that is the way it is. Took me awhile to get my first book out and it was fine on the editing side, but in a hurry, I didn’t get the network of prospective readers lined up either. Trying to a little re (no forget the re) kindling now. The other hope is that the next one will get people to read the first. Tricky though; the first being a memoir and the second being fiction.

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  3. Pingback: The Error of my Ways; shared with The Story Reading Ape « A Time to Write - Fiona Tarr

  4. I appreciate your candor, Fiona, and your willingness to share what you’ve learned. Authors need to support each other in order to survive in the market. I’ve shared this on my social network pages, with the hope that it will help other authors as it has helped me 🙂

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  6. Very sensible advice for the Newbie. Us old hands have been there, done that, bought the tee-shirt. A little more patience and a job well done by a professional makes all the difference to the finished product.
    xxx Massive Hugs xxx

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    • Sure. I am currently reading a book on editing by Shawn Coyne called The Story Grid; this is a really helpful resource. I follow a number of blogs for research, you probably need to find writers who you gel with, but Chris’ site is great of course, plus Jeff Goins. I interviewed a number of successful authors and asked them how they got into self publishing and how they made the progression to traditional publishing. Marie Lavender is one such interview which will be on my blog in August. I joined an online course on self publishing and I also read Smashwords style guide until my eyes bled 😉 There is no shortage of information out on the internet & some really talented authors who are always more than happy to mentor new writers. Holly Lisle is another one. They all have paid courses available, but they also offer loads of free advice and support. Good luck!

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  8. You are not alone! Everything shifts and changes in this business so getting up to speed and keeping up is challenging. Being brave and learning from mistakes is a tried and true approach (that I am well familiar with). 🙂

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