six steps before you publish
There are a number of steps to take before you decide to publish a book, but we're going to zoom in on six today. These steps are key to helping you get clear on your publishing goals and also what steps to take before you move forward with publishing. Check them out below and begin to do a mental cross off of what you have finished and what you need to do next.
1.Finish Your Book.
Okay, this may seem obvious, but many folks get so focused on publishing that they lose sight of their writing. Friends, if this is you, please return back to the blank page. Focus on the words now and the publishing will come later. How do you know that your book is ready to publish? Well that leads us to number two.
2.Find Beta Readers.
What are beta readers? These are select readers that you have chosen to read your manuscript before it is released to the public. These beta readers will offer feedback and reflection on your draft to let you know what can be improved and what they loved most.
These readers will ideally be in the same category of your ideal audience. For example, if you are writing a nonfiction book about healing from addiction, then you would find beta readers that are interested in that topic.
These beta readers will not only offer you feedback, they will also be the first to write you reviews and blurbs for your book once it is finished. You need these reviews for promotion and presale of your book.
3.Edit Your Book.
Before you release your book out into the world, you will want to to get a developmental and line edit.
This edit helps with structure, story flow, and consistent themes throughout to make the best book possible. You will also want to do a line edit (these are classic grammatical edits to make sure you don't have any glaring errors.) If you need an editor, I take on a limited number of clients each year. You can reach out to me at info@yourbookyear.com.
4.Get Clear On What Being a Successful Writer Means To You.
What does being a successful writer mean to you? In a world filled with "vanity publishing" it can be difficult to identify what one actually wants. Take a moment here to free write what being a successful writer means to you. Maybe it's a regular writing practice, published or featured on platforms you admire, a finished book or manuscript, a certain following or engagement, finding a literary agent, self-publishing, traditional publishing, listed in a best seller list, or maybe it just means you write and thus you are a writer.
Try to remove the external expectations and get clear on what this looks like for you. Seriously, stop what you're doing, set a timer for 15 minutes and write it out.
5. Build An Author's Platform.
Having an author's platform is important as you build a readership for your work and create your credentials as a writer.
A few places to create and build your author's platform:
Create your own writer's website, sign up for the Good Reads Author Program, and lastly set up an Amazon Author Page.
Choose two social platforms to build up as a writer. These are the most popular for writer's and why: FaceBook–create a public author page (great for longer format posts. Aim to post 2-3 posts per week. Also great for advertising). Twitter–create an author's page (great for authors who like to share quick thoughts with high frequency, because there is virtually no limit to how many posts are appropriate for you to share daily on Twitter. This also a great place to connect with other writers, readers, and even literary agents.) Instagram–create an author's profile (great for using images and short posts, also to connect with writing communities and readers through hashtags).
6.Identify Your Publishing Platform of Choice.
Before you begin making steps towards publishing, get clear on what publishing platform you prefer, traditional publishing and self-publishing. Both have their pros and cons, so take a moment to consider what your big vision is for your book in terms of sharing it. Once you identify that, then you will know which platform is based for that.
IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR SUPPORT IN WRITING YOUR BOOK, THEN CHECK OUT MY 1:1 BOOK COACHING WHERE WE WILL WORK TOGETHER TO TAKE YOU FROM BOOK IDEA TO COMPLETE DRAFT WITH GUIDANCE IN DEVELOPING AN OUTLINE, A WRITING SCHEDULE, FEEDBACK ON YOUR WRITING, AND A FULL DEVELOPMENTAL EDIT AT THE END OF OUR TIME TOGETHER.
Megan Febuary is an author, trauma-informed book coach and creative mentor. Helping women write their books, heal their stories, and understand their unique human design. You can learn more about working with Megan at meganfebuary.com
