Welcome to the world of book writing, editing, rewriting, obsessing, publishing, printing, marketing, and obsessing some more. This is a new and fascinating word. One in which you always felt you would feel right at home. You take one step in and feel completely out of your depth. But don't worry overmuch. There are many who have gone before you and who will offer you a hand. Those helping hands may come in the form of encouragement, advice, tips, or personal experiences, all making you feel like being an actual author is a real possibility.
The list of trials and errors go on and on. Here are the first five that stand out in my mind.
Trial #1 Discouragement
There is a very steep learning curve here. Be ready for it! The nature of a learning curve is making mistakes and learning from them. You can't really be ready for something you can't see coming. So when I say "Be ready for it", I mean be prepared to not know everything from the get go. Prepare yourself not to be overly discouraged. It's a learning experience. Cherish the education.
Trial #2 Believing You Are The Real Deal!
People will say unless you write 6 million words a day you have no business calling yourself a writer. When I read that a "real" writer bleeds ink and is not the genuine article unless he writes daily I felt like crap. If you are working your tail off on your book or anything to do with your new author business; i.e making a website, learning SEO for said website, creating a video book trailer, networking, and so on, IT COUNTS. Maybe that's the difference between a writer and an author.
Trial #3 Social Media.
Say no more, right? So many writers are introverts and find the social part of social media problematic. It feels like putting yourself out there way to much. But that is the idea! You have to get over that anyway if you plan on the general public reading the words that have dripped from your soul onto the pages of your work. Some self promotion makes you feel more confident as an author. Believe me when I say that once you get started with social media the next challenge is being balanced about it. It sucks you in!
Trial #4 Also Social Media.
It's easy to feel like you need to spend every spare second on Twitter or FB or any or networking site. I got a little addicted myself constantly checking notifications, seeing how many new followers I had, how many people liked my post, how many RTs, it never ends. When you catch yourself checking these notifications on your ever present smart phone during dinner with your family or any other time you are supposed to be focused on those near and dear to you, it's time for a reality check. It's easy, even for someone on the reserved side, to get carried away. This can be a real time waster and life sucker! While it's necessary to be active on some of these sites, find a balance. (There are many helpful blog posts on this)
While most of your followers, friends, and Tweeps won't know who you are, there will be a handful of valuable connections that you make that make it all worthwhile.
Another value is the amazing blog posts you'll read along the way. You'll get quite an education. There's essential information here on just about every facet of the business. Soak it up! Don't see reading blogs relevant to your business as wasting time on the computer. It's part of your job, too.
Trial #5 The Difference Between a Publisher and a Publicist.
When first dipping my big toe into this giant venture I had no idea what the difference between a publisher and a publicist was. Sounds similar, probably about the same thing, right? Nope. Even if you already have a publisher, you will learn one thing very fast. You are your own publicist. Your publisher may prove invaluable to you by showing you the direction you need to go and possibly doing some publicity for you. When it comes down to it, you will learn that you will be your best publicist! No one loves your "baby" like you do. No one else will work harder then YOU to make your work a success.
It's paramount for you to learn about your target audience and find out how to put your book in front of them. Go beyond the obvious. For example, I have a children's book. So my obvious market is children, parents, even grandparents. But my book has artwork/illustrations of the area I live in. So it appeals to people interested in Art, specifically "local" art. Even souvenir and gift shops have bought it to stock on their shelves. It also features a dog, so my vet has been willing to help promote it to dog lovers and their families. Go beyond the obvious, get out there and promote your book. Just remember that without the trial and error you can't have the success and smiles of satisfaction. Hang in there! Every once and a while look back and see how far you've come. Give yourself a pat on the back and keep at it.
