Hey people, I’ve got 10 copies of the book to give away, but I need your help. What do you think I should do? Complete the below questionnaire to help me decide!
Category Archives: Ramblings
General Ramblings
Getting Started – Part 1
I want this blog to help people write books. But I think I need to start by discouraging some people. This sounds strange, but try and follow me for a minute.
There’s a fairly famous quote by William Targ that goes “The trouble with the publishing business is that too many people who have half a mind to write a book do so.”
The problem isn’t the desire to publish or the desire to share your creation, the problem is in the half a mind. It’s not that you can’t be out of your mind, as many people are convinced that authors are crazy. If you are not sold on the validity of what you want to share you will not put in the effort required for your book to have a chance of success. I’m an ideas type, not a detail type. To get my book to the state it was in when I published it required me to do a fair bit of what I enjoyed (create the book) and an awful lot of what I didn’t like (keeping notes, cross-checking facts, endless revisions and rewrites, standardisation of the punctuation I used, etc).
If I only had half a mind to write a book I would have given up. Can I suggest to you that if you are not sold on writing a book, don’t bother starting. Once that itch gets to the point that it’s driving you crazy, then you’ve reached the zen-point of authoring. Spend the time with your kids or pets, make a difference by volunteering.
Here’s an interesting little site I came across. I don’t think (or maybe desperately hope) the self-publishing angle will not be this bad, but have a go. if you can’t wade through this article then maybe you’ve not ready for the epic trek in front of you to be a self-published author. But what do i know? I’ve only sold 10 copies of my own book so far.
http://www.conts.com/Introduction.htm
Brett
Author with ‘L’ Plates
I reached a milestone. I’m into double-digit sales!
Yes, that’s right, After a week and a half, I’ve now sold 10 copies of my e-book!
Great Expectations
I’d not been prepared for the emotion involved in having the book finished. I was really excited.
But I’d been so concentrated on actually publishing the book that I hadn’t really thought much beyond that. So after I’d finally released the book on Amazon, I breathed a sigh of relief. I’d finally made it.
Again, I wasn’t expecting the roller coaster of emotion then. As the sales of the book stopped at 5 copies for three whole days, I started feeling really down about it all.
A timely sermon, a bit of a re-think, a chat with friends and I realised that the publishing wasn’t the end, it was just the beginning of the next phase.
As I’m a self-published author, I’ve now got all of the leg work in front of me to show people that they really do need to buy my book!
the Facebook page I started has to be fed. The 500 odd people that have now been exposed to it have to be captivated. They have to like the page so much that they’ll want to share it with their friends.
The Author’s blog (that you’ve currently reading), has to grab, excite and compel.
The little advertising cards I’m handing out have to matter. I started handing them out because I saw the little card as the end. I’ve got to stop that and look longer. The card is a waste of money if I haven’t engaged the person I gave it to. They have to be inspired to act on that card (so my apologies to those who got a card, but walked away without getting me or my book – I’ll try to do better next time).
I really do think my book is good and that it’ll provide entertainment for my readers, but like anything worthwhile, it’ll take time to fulfill my great expectations.
Welcome
Early in 2013 I thought about writing a book. Early in August 2014 I published my first book.
Between the two was an exhilarating, frightening, frustrating adventure.
This blog is about sharing this journey so other people on this road might learn some lessons or laugh along with me about lessons already learnt – and the rest of you can confirm to yourselves that authors truly are mad.
Author with L Plates 