Thoughts At One In The Morning is proud to present a blog post series for unpublished writers on the self-publishing world. I have asked four indie authors to share with you the different steps they have taken on their journey. They will discuss the writing process itself, the steps in between, and publishing itself. Please join us every week for a new topic on the journey to becoming an indie author!
Our Indie Author panel:
Marie Landry, author of Blue Sky Days
You can find her on her blog Ramblings Of A Daydreamer.
A.M. Hargrove, author of The Guardians Of The Vesteron series
You can find her on her blog A.M. Hargrove.
Avery Sawyer, author of Notes To Self
You can find her on her website The Teashop Girls.
Michelle Flick, author of The Owens Legacy: Revelations
You can find her on her blog Oh! For the LOVE of BOOKS!.
~*~
This week on The Journey of Self-Publishing:
What would you like to tell unpublished writers to keep them motivated?
Michelle Flick: Two things: Don't say I want to be a writer: If you are already writing - you are, in fact, a writer. Two-It's a lot of work-but I promise you it's worth it.
Marie Landry: Never give up. If this is what you really want, if it’s your dream and your goal, don’t let anything or anyone stop you. It’s hard work, but it’s also rewarding work. The indie community is amazing, and it’s growing every day.
Avery Sawyer: It is very possible to make a living as a writer. These are exciting times to control your own destiny.
A.M. Hargrove: I look at it a different way. If this is really the career for you, you will stay motivated because you love what you're doing. If you get to the point where you don't like it or don't want to do it, then stop.
Michelle Flick: Once you proof it, walk away - walk far far away, and after you haven't thought about it for a while-like a month-then go back and edit.
Marie Landry: One thing I always say is that despite the fact that the stigma attached to independent publishing is changing, there’s a reason it still holds on - people putting out poor quality work. It’s not as simple as writing a book, doing some cursory edits, slapping a cover on it, and publishing it. You need to go through all the steps and be patient. And once you are published and you realize maybe it’s not as hard as you first thought, and you see all these other authors pumping out books every few months, remember: quality over quantity should win out every time. If you can put out a quality piece of work every few months, great, more power to you, but if you’re publishing for the sake of publishing, that stigma of poor quality will always remain, and it gives all indie authors a bad name.
Avery Sawyer: Revise, revise, promote, promote. How’s that?
Michelle Flick: Do it. -This person was very simplistic in his support.
Marie Landry: I was told that the four months before your book is released is the most crucial time for a new author. Get your name out there, let people know your book is coming out, send out ARCs, get pre-release reviews, generate buzz, set up your website and blog if you haven’t already, post excerpts and teasers, organize blog tours, etc. Then when the book actually comes out, there’s already an interest in it.
Avery Sawyer: One of my guiding principles is you can’t get what you don’t ask for. So I’ll send email to just about anyone. I’m always reaching out and hoping to make new contacts. The other thing isn’t so much advice as learning that self-publishing is a viable option for writers. My friend Karen McQuestion guided me toward Kindle Direct Publishing and I’m so glad she did.
Avery Sawyer: I would have started self-publishing sooner.
~Last Words~
What would you like to tell unpublished writers to keep them motivated?
Michelle Flick: Two things: Don't say I want to be a writer: If you are already writing - you are, in fact, a writer. Two-It's a lot of work-but I promise you it's worth it.
Marie Landry: Never give up. If this is what you really want, if it’s your dream and your goal, don’t let anything or anyone stop you. It’s hard work, but it’s also rewarding work. The indie community is amazing, and it’s growing every day.
Avery Sawyer: It is very possible to make a living as a writer. These are exciting times to control your own destiny.
A.M. Hargrove: I look at it a different way. If this is really the career for you, you will stay motivated because you love what you're doing. If you get to the point where you don't like it or don't want to do it, then stop.
What kind of tips do you have for them in general?
Michelle Flick: Once you proof it, walk away - walk far far away, and after you haven't thought about it for a while-like a month-then go back and edit.
Marie Landry: One thing I always say is that despite the fact that the stigma attached to independent publishing is changing, there’s a reason it still holds on - people putting out poor quality work. It’s not as simple as writing a book, doing some cursory edits, slapping a cover on it, and publishing it. You need to go through all the steps and be patient. And once you are published and you realize maybe it’s not as hard as you first thought, and you see all these other authors pumping out books every few months, remember: quality over quantity should win out every time. If you can put out a quality piece of work every few months, great, more power to you, but if you’re publishing for the sake of publishing, that stigma of poor quality will always remain, and it gives all indie authors a bad name.
Avery Sawyer: Revise, revise, promote, promote. How’s that?
A.M. Hargrove: Don't be afraid to go for it. If you work hard and believe in yourself, do it. Don't listen to your family when they critique your work. They'll give you a false sense of how good you are. Families tend to sugarcoat things. Use beta readers or join a workshop…anywhere where you can find an honest opinion of your work. Find a mentor. Look for another author that has found success and see if you can get that person to mentor you. They're out they and as a rule, they like to help others get started. Write write write. the more books you have, the more you'll be noticed.
What’s the best piece of advice you were given?
Michelle Flick: Do it. -This person was very simplistic in his support.
Marie Landry: I was told that the four months before your book is released is the most crucial time for a new author. Get your name out there, let people know your book is coming out, send out ARCs, get pre-release reviews, generate buzz, set up your website and blog if you haven’t already, post excerpts and teasers, organize blog tours, etc. Then when the book actually comes out, there’s already an interest in it.
Avery Sawyer: One of my guiding principles is you can’t get what you don’t ask for. So I’ll send email to just about anyone. I’m always reaching out and hoping to make new contacts. The other thing isn’t so much advice as learning that self-publishing is a viable option for writers. My friend Karen McQuestion guided me toward Kindle Direct Publishing and I’m so glad she did.
Is there anything you would do differently?
Avery Sawyer: I would have started self-publishing sooner.
~*~
Thank you for those wonderful last words!
This is the last post in The Journey of Self-Publishing blog post series... but don't fret! There are a couple bonuses coming up very soon. The last two Mondays in this month are going to be dedicated to two very special posts. What will you have to look forward to?
Next Monday I am hosting a GIVEAWAY of epic proportions where you can win FOUR ebooks, one by each author in our INDIE AUTHOR PANEL! Please stay tuned for that. You will not want to miss out on winning this package of awesome. ^_^
The following Monday after the giveaway, will be a special bonus where our Indie Author Panel will answer your extra questions that weren't mentioned in the blog post series. Another post you won't want to miss.
Thank you all for keeping up with this series! I hope you have enjoyed this journey as much as I have. I also want to thank Michelle Flick, A.M. Hargrove, Marie Landry, and Avery Sawyer for participating in this blog post series. They are all lovely ladies, so please check out their sites and books because they deserve it after all they've done.
~If you liked this, check out the earlier editions of The Journey of Self-Publishing series~
