Sharon Fen
asked
Rachel Morgan:
Hey, Rachel! How do you find the courage to self publish your first book at the very first place? Would you recommend new/yound authors (basically without marketing experience) to self pulish like you or tradition publish? What's your tips for young authors on writing and publishing?
Rachel Morgan
Hi Sharon,
Years ago, I dreamed of having a traditional publishing career. But by the time I got around to actually finishing a book, authors had begun successfully utilizing digital self-publishing. I saw the freedom and control this gave them and decided I wanted this for myself. That's why I chose to self-publish rather than submit my story to a publisher.
What gave me the confidence to put my book out there was the fact that a number of people had read my work and really enjoyed it. It was a great story, it had been edited, proofread (numerous times!) and generally polished as much as it could be, and I was proud of the finished product I put out there. (Although this didn't stop me from being completely terrified once the book was live on Amazon and available for anyone in the world to read!)
You don't need marketing experience in order to write and publish a great book. Marketing is something you learn along the way, both for traditional and self-published authors. Which route you choose depends on what you want to get out of your writing career. If you simply want to write stories and not bother with anything else, then it's very helpful to have a traditional publisher take care of the rest for you. But if you're a bit of a control freak (like I am!), then you probably want to be in charge of every aspect of your writing business.
My tips for authors starting out is to read a lot and write a lot. Read a lot of well-written books in your chosen genre, as well as books that teach you the craft of writing great stories, and write, write, write so that you keep getting better at it. Once that's done, get feedback from fellow writers or a writing/publishing professional and take it from there.
Years ago, I dreamed of having a traditional publishing career. But by the time I got around to actually finishing a book, authors had begun successfully utilizing digital self-publishing. I saw the freedom and control this gave them and decided I wanted this for myself. That's why I chose to self-publish rather than submit my story to a publisher.
What gave me the confidence to put my book out there was the fact that a number of people had read my work and really enjoyed it. It was a great story, it had been edited, proofread (numerous times!) and generally polished as much as it could be, and I was proud of the finished product I put out there. (Although this didn't stop me from being completely terrified once the book was live on Amazon and available for anyone in the world to read!)
You don't need marketing experience in order to write and publish a great book. Marketing is something you learn along the way, both for traditional and self-published authors. Which route you choose depends on what you want to get out of your writing career. If you simply want to write stories and not bother with anything else, then it's very helpful to have a traditional publisher take care of the rest for you. But if you're a bit of a control freak (like I am!), then you probably want to be in charge of every aspect of your writing business.
My tips for authors starting out is to read a lot and write a lot. Read a lot of well-written books in your chosen genre, as well as books that teach you the craft of writing great stories, and write, write, write so that you keep getting better at it. Once that's done, get feedback from fellow writers or a writing/publishing professional and take it from there.
More Answered Questions
Caitlin
asked
Rachel Morgan:
After reading A Faerie's Curse, I decided to go back and read the whole Creepy Hollow series starting from book one. When I finished A Faerie's Curse for the second time, I couldn't help but feel like I read a few things that hinted that a certain character might not have suffered the fate I initially believed. Am I imagining things? Am I too hopeful?
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