So, you have this very organic urge building up within you. It’s been there for some time, but lately it has been gaining momentum and your brain is asizzle with one thought only: you want to, you need to…WRITE!
You may have already arrived at this point, even have a manuscript completed. If so, you have a choice to make. Do you want to seek publication via the traditional path or become an independent author who self-publishes?
Some Initial Things to Think About For Wannabe Authors
The former process involves presenting your work to a professional publishing house, usually by way of an agent. This process involves making many presentations (inquiries) and building the fortitude to accept the tonnage of rejections you’ll receive. If you are lucky, your manuscript may eventually be accepted and there, on one of those front tables in places like Barnes & Noble, will be stacks of your book waiting for the throngs of readers rushing to purchase a copy…or not. And, oh yeah, it may take several years for all this to play out.
Orrrrrr, you could choose to self-publish and have your book up for sale on a variety of Internet sites, including amazon.com. If your manuscript is ready to go and you have a cover likewise prepared, this process can take as little as a few days.
On the Internet, you will find an endless amount of information, including guidebooks and tons of tips, all about how to get published. This means that, “I don’t know how to do it” is a meaningless statement to make. The challenge is deciding what approach you want to take and then selecting and reading those materials that are most appropriate.
Long ago I chose the self-publishing route. If you do the prep work with care, the eventual publishing process is quite easy. If you know Microsoft Word, you are already ahead of the game. There are two major players in the self-publishing arena, in my opinion. Yes there are others, but these two offer the most—and most doesn’t cost you a cent.
First is KDP, short for Kindle Direct Publishing. Yes, it publishes bound, hard copy books, not just Kindle digital versions. KDP is an amazon.com company and offers all the punch that comes with that territory.
The next company has a name I am not crazy about, but it is totally focused on the self-publisher. It’s called BookBaby.
Both these companies offer the self-publisher all the tools and guidance necessary to get publishing in little time. Most of what is available to you is free. I have published all 11 of my books with less cost than I spend on a week’s worth of ice cream!
I suggest you explore both of these venues, sample the goods and decide which works best for you. Now, I realize I may have made self-publishing sound like a no-brainer, but I have dealt specifically with the process of getting your book published. There is much more to the process, including book design, artwork and any other appearance factors, pricing and placement and the big beast most formidable—marketing.
If you are at the starting point, you have much to learn…so get crackin’!