The DIY Writer's Checklist
It is undeniable that the publishing industry is transforming, changing patterns, and trending away from the traditional ways of creating new works of literature. Increasingly, authors are shying away from the publishing paths of old and forging new territory with self-publishing, or self-assisted publishing, routes.
The most common mistake new authors make is to go at this process completely alone. As talented as we all are, we are not capable of acting as writer, proofreader, editor, publicist, and publisher to our own projects. For one thing, it is virtually impossible to proofread your own work. There are bound to be discrepancies between how your prose sounds in your own mind, and how it reads to your audience. This may be because we are all too familiar with our own "voice." Our speech patterns may not translate as well to the written page as we would like to think. Nothing solves this problem better than getting help from a qualified individual or established enterprise. Ultimately, there is a reason why publishing a book is a team effort.
Fortunately, there are companies out there, like Spirited Press who offer services to authors on a contract or as-needed basis. Author coaching, proofreading, editing, and marketing assistance is available in a variety of customizable packages. However, there are a number of tasks you, as a writer, can handle yourself.
Here's how to start:
Once you know what you're going to write about, it is important to discover your audience. These are the people who will be buying your book! You need to know how to reach them.Start researching your market. There is an abundance of information available to you on the internet. Use it to find out what books have already been written on your topic and demographics about the people reading those books.Pinpoint what is unique about your particular perspective/take on the topic and focus on that angle when writing. (This will come in handy when doing PR work later on.)Get writing! If this proves to be more difficult than you imagined, or you get "stuck," it may be time to employ a writing coach. Creatively, writers function in different ways, but keep in mind this is your job. (Isn't it great?) Set aside time to write, create your own schedule, and hold yourself to it!When you've written 15,000 words, consider publishing the work as a min-e-bookTM if the project feels finished to you. If not, keep writing!When you have finished, proofread, edit, and spell check until you feel you have the best version so far. Have an avid reader look it over. Make any suggested changes if they resonate with you.Hire a professional editor who can turn the book into what it needs to be: a finished, publishable, marketable product. Employ page layout software (like InDesign, PagePlus, or Scribus) or get help from an actual book designer.Print hard copies of your manuscript and have a professional proofreader work on it.Make any necessary corrections, then proofread again.Repeat until you are certain there are no flaws in the copy.Send the completed manuscript to a printer, or submit to a publisher that fits your topic and genre.Spirited Press is an assisted self-publishing platform which operates under the umbrella of Absolute Love Publishing. We offer a wide range of services a la carte, or in the form of an author package. We can help at every step of the writing process. From creating material and editing your book, to jacket design, marketing and promotions, our editors will assist you in making an exceptional piece of literature. From there, you can choose to publish with Spirited Press, or you are free to submit your finished manuscript to any publisher you like.
Spirited Press is currently accepting submissions of both fiction and nonfiction. If you are working on a book and it has a positive message and you'd like to find out more about what Spirited Press can do for you, please email Danielle at assistant@absolutelovepublishing.com.
Copyright 2011 Absolute Love Publishing
The most common mistake new authors make is to go at this process completely alone. As talented as we all are, we are not capable of acting as writer, proofreader, editor, publicist, and publisher to our own projects. For one thing, it is virtually impossible to proofread your own work. There are bound to be discrepancies between how your prose sounds in your own mind, and how it reads to your audience. This may be because we are all too familiar with our own "voice." Our speech patterns may not translate as well to the written page as we would like to think. Nothing solves this problem better than getting help from a qualified individual or established enterprise. Ultimately, there is a reason why publishing a book is a team effort.
Fortunately, there are companies out there, like Spirited Press who offer services to authors on a contract or as-needed basis. Author coaching, proofreading, editing, and marketing assistance is available in a variety of customizable packages. However, there are a number of tasks you, as a writer, can handle yourself.
Here's how to start:
Once you know what you're going to write about, it is important to discover your audience. These are the people who will be buying your book! You need to know how to reach them.Start researching your market. There is an abundance of information available to you on the internet. Use it to find out what books have already been written on your topic and demographics about the people reading those books.Pinpoint what is unique about your particular perspective/take on the topic and focus on that angle when writing. (This will come in handy when doing PR work later on.)Get writing! If this proves to be more difficult than you imagined, or you get "stuck," it may be time to employ a writing coach. Creatively, writers function in different ways, but keep in mind this is your job. (Isn't it great?) Set aside time to write, create your own schedule, and hold yourself to it!When you've written 15,000 words, consider publishing the work as a min-e-bookTM if the project feels finished to you. If not, keep writing!When you have finished, proofread, edit, and spell check until you feel you have the best version so far. Have an avid reader look it over. Make any suggested changes if they resonate with you.Hire a professional editor who can turn the book into what it needs to be: a finished, publishable, marketable product. Employ page layout software (like InDesign, PagePlus, or Scribus) or get help from an actual book designer.Print hard copies of your manuscript and have a professional proofreader work on it.Make any necessary corrections, then proofread again.Repeat until you are certain there are no flaws in the copy.Send the completed manuscript to a printer, or submit to a publisher that fits your topic and genre.Spirited Press is an assisted self-publishing platform which operates under the umbrella of Absolute Love Publishing. We offer a wide range of services a la carte, or in the form of an author package. We can help at every step of the writing process. From creating material and editing your book, to jacket design, marketing and promotions, our editors will assist you in making an exceptional piece of literature. From there, you can choose to publish with Spirited Press, or you are free to submit your finished manuscript to any publisher you like.
Spirited Press is currently accepting submissions of both fiction and nonfiction. If you are working on a book and it has a positive message and you'd like to find out more about what Spirited Press can do for you, please email Danielle at assistant@absolutelovepublishing.com.
Copyright 2011 Absolute Love Publishing
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