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It took me ten years to write my debut novel. When I typed those final, delicious words, “the end,” it felt like I had just won an Oscar. My masterpiece complete, I was left with a question I think you can relate to: now what?
If you’re anything like me, you're a writer, not a publisher. Not an agent. Not a salesperson. A writer. I had no idea how to go about publishing a book.
So I did what any millennial worth their salt would do and hit Google. A ton of research about the industry, publishing options, how to prep my novel for
publishing, the business side of it all, you name it, helped me make my decision on how to go about publishing my book. I came across several things I think every author should know before publishing.
And a few things I wish I had known.
1. Know all your publishing options
I spent a ton of time researching this as I had absolutely zero knowledge of how to publish a book. It boiled down to three options:
- Self-publishing. Do everything
yourself. You’ll spend a lot of time and money, but you’ll retain all profits and rights. High risk if you don’t know what you’re doing.
- Traditional publishing. Publisher does everything for you. You don’t spend a penny, and you’ll have the support of an experienced publisher, but you do spend years pitching, and share rights and profits with your
publisher.
- Hybrid publishing. Publisher does everything for you. You pay for the publishing services, but you get your book out quickly, and retain your profits and rights.
They are all viable options, and the better you understand the pros and cons of each, the more confident you’ll be in your decision of which to go with.
I chose to publish my book through a hybrid publishing company for a few reasons:
- I wanted the expertise and support of a publisher, but also wanted to retain full rights to my novel.
- I wanted a publishing company name attached to my book to ensure
credibility and quality.
- I didn’t want to wait years for my book to hit the market. As a new author, even if a traditional publisher picked me up, it could still be years before my book saw the light of day.
- Self-publishing required more time than I had to give, and I didn’t want to rely on my own knowledge and ability for my first book.
It was the right decision for me, but
you’ll need to determine what fits your needs best.
2. Writing conferences are like . . . really helpful (go to at least one BEFORE you publish)
In these last few months since publishing
my debut novel, I’ve hit the streets, networking and learning everywhere I can. That includes writing conferences, book festivals, author events, book stores . . . anywhere my people are. I’ve attended Pike’s Peak Writing Conference in Colorado. Illumify’s Writers Conference, Killer Nashville, and Austin’s Agent’s and Editor’s Writing Conference.
I really wish I had gone to at least one writers conference BEFORE I published.
These are so incredibly helpful. Not only will they make you a better writer, but they are fantastic networking opportunities to meet agents, editors, publishers, and fellow writers at all different stops along the writing career
road.
Find a conference that suits your genre, budget, and interest, and talk to everyone you can. The agents and editors I’ve met are happy to coach you through the traditional publishing process, and every conference has multiple sessions on self publishing, marketing, pitching agents, the publishing industry, and more. They are a gold mine of
information.
3. You are about to become a business (you have a product; get ready to sell it)
As a composer and musician, I already had a decent platform built online: a website, a brand, a social media presence, etc. I was able to
simply add my author side to my existing brand, but boy was I grateful I already had it.
If you don’t have a platform, an online presence, a website, get cracking on all that BEFORE you publish. The stronger your brand is set up (even if you don’t have many followers) before you have a book to sell, the more comfortable and easier it will be for you to promote
your book when it’s out.
Remember: you are a business now. You have a product to sell. Learn the business side of things, and get ready to do the footwork to market your book, even if you are traditionally published.
4. Join a writing community
This one goes hand-in-hand with writing conferences. Find your community.
You’ll have the chance to support fellow authors, and be supported in turn. This
is a great way to find constructive beta and ARC (advance reader copy) readers, and to be one yourself, which WILL improve your writing.
I am part of Sisters in Crime, and it has been a great community of support, webinars, events (both in person and virtual), and designated writing retreats so you can focus on what you do best in a supportive
environment.
I didn’t find Sisters in Crime until after I published, but I highly recommend you find a writing community in your area, and in your genre. Check Facebook groups, ask at writing conferences, and definitely ask ChatGPT. You’ll get a nice long list of communities to explore until you find your perfect fit.
5. Don’t be discouraged by the horror stories. Be smart.
If you’ve already started your research, then you’ve no doubt stumbled upon the publishing horror stories for new authors. Everything from being taken advantage of by traditional publishers and losing
all their rights to their novel, being out a ton of money from a sketch hybrid publisher, dropping thousands to self publish that doesn’t make a dime.
Read these stories. This is the industry you’re entering. These things do happen and the more you learn about them, the more likely you’ll be to avoid them. Remember, millions of authors have their books published
properly and professionally every year through all three publishing options. You can avoid the novice pitfalls by simply being aware of their existence.
6. Know what you want, and what you don’t want
The number one thing you
need to know before you publish is a tough one: yourself.
What are you hoping to accomplish when you publish? What’s your goal?
Do you just want to have a book out for yourself? For friends and family?
Do you want to write full-time? Part-time? Do you want to be a best-selling author, or make just enough for a passive-income?
There are so many things you’ll be advised to do to promote your book after publishing, but not all of it is applicable to
your personal goals. The better you know yourself, what you want, and what you don’t want, the more confident you’ll be in how you get your book published. And the more efficient you’ll be with your time when your book hits the market.
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Thanks, Yasmeen, for an excellent blog post. And yes, there are predators out there, just like in any business. At Illumify, around half of the books we publish come from repeat authors or author referrals. We believe in under-promising and over-delivering.
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