Three Critical Things I Learned From Publishing Magicless
Magicless went public in July of 2014, so I am now about two months into the life of a published author. I’ve learned a lot of lessons over those two months, as well as the year prior during which I finished writing the book and got it ready for readers. Here are the three things I feel were the most critical lessons I learned about writing and publishing.
1. It is remarkably easy
Technology is an amazing thing and it has made the actual act of publishing easier than I ever would have imagined. It requires only five little steps. 1. Write a book 2. Professionally edit the book 3. Hire a professional cover designer 4. Hire a professional interior book designer 5. Publish on whichever platforms you desire, including print on demand if you’d like physical books as well as ebooks.
Five steps are all that stand between you and being a published author.
2. It is remarkably difficult
It takes a very long time to write a book. It is among the most enjoyable things I do, and it’s among the hardest things I do. It varies by the day. Sometimes by the minute. It all depends on how generous my muse is at any given moment.
And editing – ugh! If you thought the writing was hard just wait for the editing. You’ll read your manuscript 5, 6, 8, 12 times. You will pay someone your hard earned money to point out all your mistakes – the silly little ones and the ones you can fly a commercial jet through. You will rewrite and rewrite again. For Magicless I rewrote the ending four times before I hit the one that was right.
I laughed, I cried, I bled from my forehead.
3. Marketing is the hardest thing you’ll ever do
If you’ve spent time in marketing as your day job this may not apply to you, but hands down this is the hardest part of the process. There is no recipe for marketing success. You’ll get as many opinions are there are people in the world and they will vary wildly. Most of the mistakes I’ve made so far in this process have been around marketing. I’ve spent three digits + on a marketing approach that resulted in exactly one click. Not a sale, mind you. Just a click. And I’ve done this more than once.
Goodreads giveaways are an excellent way to generate buzz and I will do that again. Doing a giveaway on Amazon is another great way to generate buzz and get your name out there – though it will obviously not create any revenue for you. The only thing I’ve really found that works is networking. Spending time in places where your readers go and engaging with them. And by engaging I mean actually talking to them, not talking at them. And it is slow going when you don’t have a name to stand on. Magicless is selling regularly, but I’m not making enough to quite my day job anytime soon!
Marketing is a scientific study. Put on a hard hat and a lab coat – you’ll need them both. Experiment, record the results, then try something new. Eventually you’ll find those things that work best for you, your product, your niche.
There’s no question this is a turbulent journey. But it is also incredibly fulfilling and I’d not change it for anything. If you understand that the process takes time, build an excellent product (hire professionals!), and keep at it you will find your tribe and find success as you define it.
