Advice for First Time Authors

It's not easy.

Get that thought of your head. Writing a book has several steps, several many forget about. These are things that I wish someone would have told me before going in head first.

1 - The Idea: So you have a great idea for a book? Write it down right away. Often times the best ideas are the ones we forget. So write it down somewhere, anywhere. On a gum wrapper, on your hand, a napkin, in your cell phone. Just write it down! 

2 - Organizing: How long will the book be? What characters will you have in the book? It's smarter to do this before you start writing. I typically write all my notes before even starting the book. It's much more organized and everything is set up while you write the book. 

3 - Starting: The first sentence is literally the hardest thing you'll ever write. From there on, it gets easier - trust me. But that first line, that's all you. Just remember, everyone struggles with the beginning. 

4 - Writing: I don't know about you, but I feel at complete peace writing a story. And that's how it should be for you too. Writing shouldn't be stressful. Just let your imagination flow through your fingertips and create an amazing story. 

5 - Writer's Block: It has happened to all of us and it still happens. Easiest way I have learned to get over it is by going back and re-reading what you've already written. A good re-read will often give me a better perspective. Then if I need to, I can change some things and my block will be gone. If that doesn't work, then take a little break. There's no need to stress yourself out. It'll come back to you in good time. 

6 - Finishing: This might be the most important step. When you finish, you just want to get it published and out there, selling copies. But this is a mistake, a mistake that I have even made. When you finish your book, go back and re-read the entire thing before doing anything else. Re-read it and make corrections that you want, fix grammar issues, etc.. This is important. 

7 - Finding An Editor: This is probably the second most important thing. If you don't have a good editor, it will really hurt your book. Editors can range from being very expensive to a that really good friend who was an English Major who will work for cheap/free. It's up to you on which you have to chose. But you cannot edit it yourself. Why? Because you don't see the mistakes in your "perfect book". Trust me. Just get an editor.

8 - Let Others Read Your Book: Before you even think about publishing, hand out your book to your friends and family and people you can trust to get an honest opinion from. This is a great idea that I wish someone would have told me. This is how you will know if your story is a great story. People love reading a great story. People will buy a great story. 

9 - Self-Publish Vs. Publish: Okay this choice is very important. Both have pros and cons, more than you realize. 

-If you decide to self-publish - the road ahead will be rough, however - it'll be entirely your work. Meaning - no one will change your title, no one will change your content, no one will change your book cover (if you had someone make one). However, you will have to market it all by yourself from here till your death.  

-Taking to a publisher is more difficult than you realize. They don't just take everything that's handed to them. There's a lot of rejection, but if you get rejected by one publisher - don't give up hope, but just know the road ahead will be full of rejection until you get that glorious yes. However, the reward for finding a publisher is that they will promote your book and you will get a lot more sales than if you self-publish (usually). Down side is, the publishing company has the right to change whatever they want about your book. They can change your title, your story, your book cover. Just everything. 

So how do you chose? I chose to self-publish. I decided my content was more important to me than anything else and I would promote it myself. It's been a rough journey. The sales aren't exactly pouring in, but I continue to write and self-publish. I have faith in my work and I know they'll bring in a good income one day. 

These are the steps of writing a book. I know how hard it can be, believe me. I've been there. 

If you have any questions, please comment below. 

God bless, 

~ Tim