Before you self publish your book. Advice.

[Rosemary (grooving with the Picts)]

Good thread

[Will]

Patti (baconater) wrote: "Hmmmm....

Who had the axe last?"

Eugene. He's being careful with it.

[Thomas]

Anne,

One of the beauties of self-publishing is that you can edit your already published book and simply release it as a new edition. You are not bound by the rules of the print media.

Simply add in the details you need to the first book and upload it again wherever it was loaded the first time.

As you are discovering, linking to your website and other places where you are visible is essntial to making a financial success of your writing career and you have an advantage not given to previous generations of being able to correct your errors instantly, for free and almost without trace!

[Thomas]

When you haven't got the money, any professional service is expensive. Maybe RMF could do a skills swap with someone: an illustrator for a proof-reader for a writer for a publicist ... I can sort of see a profit-share co-operative in the making!

[Anne]

Thomas wrote: "Anne,

One of the beauties of self-publishing is that you can edit your already published book and simply release it as a new edition. You are not bound by the rules of the print media.

Simply add..."

What a great idea! Thomas - thank you!

AU x

[R.M.F.]

Thomas wrote: "When you haven't got the money, any professional service is expensive. Maybe RMF could do a skills swap with someone: an illustrator for a proof-reader for a writer for a publicist ... I can sort o..."

Too weak to do that from lack of food! Damn this recession :)

Pooling resources is a good idea.

[[deleted user]]

I wish I would have studied the how tos of marketing better before I released anything. I was living under the delusion that if you build it they will come. Now I know better and I'm planning the release of my next novel now, with an expected release date of Fathers Day 2014.

[Victoria_Grossack]

R.M.F wrote: "My advice for self-publishing: proof-read, proof-read, proof-read, proof-read, proof-read, proof-read, all proof-reading and no play makes Jack unhappy, proof-read, proof-read x 1000 to the power o..."

Ditto!

[[deleted user]]

Thomas wrote: "When you haven't got the money, any professional service is expensive. Maybe RMF could do a skills swap with someone: an illustrator for a proof-reader for a writer for a publicist ... I can sort o..."

Or swap with something they no longer need. I had a laptop that just sat around my office. Bought it back when I actually had money. (years ago) I traded it recently for editorial services on my next four projects.

[Patti (baconater)]

Hmmmm.

I'm a mug.

Beta read and buy the book before I review to be sure I show as a verified purchase.

What do I get in return?

Abuse and bad puns.

*sigh*

[Jim]

And chicken

[Kath]

And personal satisfaction, which money can't buy,

[Patti (baconater)]

Jim wrote: "And chicken"

That is not chicken.

[Patti (baconater)]

Ignite wrote: "And personal satisfaction, which money can't buy,"

Yes, Ignite. The very personal sharing with friends of books that I've enjoyed. It's a huge joy.

Our group has given me a much wider group of friends to share the joy with.

[Bryan]

Thanks to Adam, Andrew and all for the excellent advice. I wish I'd had it when I started self-publishing; but then I would not have understood a lot of it - or at least not in the same way as I do now.

[Katie]

I admit that it took me almost three years to finish my first book. I had to seek the advice of a literary consultant to make a bunch of ideas into a 'story.'

I'd been sending my work to agencies, but only two came back wanting to see the rest. My consultant said self-publishing is the way to go, but it's not as simple as putting a book on Kindle and waiting for the sales to come in. A lot of promoting is required.

I don't expect to become the next JK Rowling. But I do get some personal satisfaction when I see someone has taken the time to download my book and leave a review.