How to be prepared prior to publishing

Exhausting.

Enlightening.

Exhilarating.

Exasperating.

Enriching.

Eye-opening.

And these are just the feelings I experienced a few days before and after the release, not to mention fear. I have another list of adjectives for the months and hundreds of hours of research, writing, editing, editing, and more editing that went into this project.

But for now, the lessons I learned while they’re still freshly imprinted on my brain and emotions.

1 — It’s harder than people say

This is the most eye-opening lesson. I watched many YouTube videos about how easy it is to publish an eBook on Kindle. You can do it in 24 hours! Just spill your guts into a Word doc, make a book cover on Canva, and upload them into KDP. I must be an idiot. Or I care more about my work.

I can’t write and post a blog in 24 hours, much less a book.

2 — Edit longer than you think necessary

Once upon a time, I hated to edit. Every word poured forth was direct from the mouth of God and, therefore, divine and perfect. What’s to edit? Then I took a few writing courses and boy! That was enlightening.

Now, I’m a ferocious editor, making changes every time I look at a project fresh and often as I go. So, by the time I was prepared to show the book to my editor, I thought I was done, with maybe a couple of hours of work to do.

What a laugh! We labored five intense days on rewrites, down to the minutest of details. That’s what a great editor does.

She’s not calling your baby ugly, but she is making it beautiful.

3 — Don’t waste time on diminishing returns

I posted my book on Gumroad first. That’s the path of least resistance. Save your Word doc as a PDF and upload it to Gumroad, and you’re ready to fly. Then I published it as an eBook on Amazon. A few more hoops to jump through, but manageable.

What author doesn’t want to see his work in print? So, a print book was next on my agenda, which is an entirely different beast, or maybe again, I’m an idiot. I spent three hours on a Saturday night trying to format my Word doc and book cover to a 6 x 9 print book on Amazon. I went to bed angry and frustrated, beating the hell out of my pillow.

I woke up the next morning with a renewed attitude and gave it another shot. Thirty minutes later, I was beating the hell out of my pillow again. I immediately went on Fiverr and found Inam. He was fantastic, worth every penny at $85.

I learned that my gift is writing, not book formatting, and I shouldn’t waste my time learning to do something in which my most excellent effort will look like a blind 20-year-old labradoodle did it.

Devote time to your gifts. Delegate your weaknesses.

4 — Don’t get upset about family and friends

Few people will share in your excitement, and fewer will buy your book. No one cares as much as you no matter how much you think they should care. People are busy. Let it go. I had to. You won’t change the world (or get rich) based on what your family and friends do or don’t do.

Don’t get discouraged. Aim higher. Invest your energy in reaching the people who need your book. That’s your audience.

5 — Don’t doubt your mission

A few family members and friends failed to respond as you hoped, and book sales were sluggish in the early days. This doesn’t mean you wrote a meaningless book.

Would you have wasted 82 hours of Netflix time on a project you didn’t believe in?

Of course not. We must dig in and learn how to market and build an audience. Build it, and they will come may work in a cornfield, but not in the sea of books on the market.

6 — Take a couple of days off

The final push to publish, the emotional build-up, and the letdown are exhausting. Recoup. Sleep in. Go to bed early and still sleep in.

We’ll be here when you’re rested and ready.

Summing it up

The journey of publishing your first book is a rollercoaster of emotions and lessons. You’ll learn that it’s harder than people say, editing is crucial and time-consuming, and it’s important to focus on your strengths and delegate weaknesses. Not everyone will share your excitement, but don’t get discouraged; aim higher and learn how to reach your true audience. Don’t doubt yourself. Take a break to recharge, and when you’re ready, we’re waiting for you.

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