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'Inside us all is a sense of wonderment.'

 

The self-publishing journey

 
Insight for aspiring authors and book lovers

Last week, we took a peek at the difference between traditional publishing and self-publishing.

Today, we are delving into the first two steps of self-publishing:
1. Write a good book
2. Edit the manuscript


These two steps will likely be the most intensive and possibly time-consuming steps for a novice self-publisher. A quality story and quality writing are essential.

Step 1: Write a good book

There are numerous genres that any writer could tackle, such as fiction, memoir, or nonfiction. To ensure your success, you'll need to write a book that engages readers. Positive word of mouth is arguably the best way to get your book into the hands of more readers. Writing a book that readers love and resonate with will make this happen.

Step 1 is largely a solo endeavour as you will be creating, developing and putting your story into words on your own at first. This will require commitment, discipline and persistance.

Once you have your book idea, some technical aspects to ensure good writing will come into play. There are countless resources available online for free to help any aspiring author understand the key elements to a successful book in their genre. A quick Google search will open up a plethora of knowledge.

Don't get too overwhelmed with the amount of resources out there. Read two or three and choose the one that resonates with you the most. Then commit to executing it. As you execute your book, endurance and perseverance will become more important than ever. Make sure you are passionate about your topic and writing as this will sustain you.

Roxanne shares some of her experience with Step 1 below.
 From the moment the energy hit my intuitive insight, I sensed something in the air was igniting my spirit. I stood in the forest looking at the old log cabin, the caravan, the little cottage, the bird table; and after meeting the cats, I felt there was a story in the making.

My cousin certainly lived in a magical place. I first began writing ideas and sharing them with my cousin on my return to London. My cousin and four cats lived in the log cabin, along with her husband. There was a feral black cat too that watched us from afar.

My cousin was as excited as I was and truly helped kick-start the story with me. It was probably around three to six months before I started putting pen to paper in chapter form, purely because I never saw myself as a writer. My excuses came up time and time again with regard to my grammar.

I write through images and I didn’t go to university to study English Literature or attend any creative writing classes, so how on earth could someone without this training actually write? My fears jumped right in. So, I decided to send my first few chapters to my uncle Eric and to a children’s writer through a friend of my aunt’s. Both came back saying I have potential and should keep going.

Passion for the story you are telling as well as encouragement from those around you who are supporting your endeavour could mean the difference between aspiring author and self-published. Write down why you are passionate about your topic and what excites you about this journey and make sure to read this whenever you are discouraged. Don't be shy to share some of your work with someone close to you that supports you. 

Don't let fear or excuses overcome you. Just take it one step at a time, one chapter at a time, one page at a time.

With love,
Roxanne
xx
Step 2: Edit the manuscript

Once you have written a complete manuscript, it is absolutely necessary to go through an editing process. Try and edit your manuscript as far as you can on your own. With all writing, it is good practice to take some time away from the piece and then return to it later for a fresh perspective. Decide on a certain amount of time you will take to not think about or look at your manuscript. After this time has lapsed, come back to your manuscript to do your editing.

As mentioned in Step 1, there is a vast number of free resources available to help guide aspiring authors in their editing process. Do your research and execute.

After you've taken your manuscript as far as you can, it is now time to involve a team of editors. By this point, you will be well invested in your book and even after some time away, a fresh pair of eyes will always refine your book further.

We've listed 5 types of editing involved in book writing:

1. Editorial assessment: this is a broad look at your manuscript as a whole and will provide valuable insight into any major strengths and weaknesses.

2. Developmental editing: this is similar to an editorial assessment but contains more detail. Your development editor will refine your ideas, shape your narrative, and assist in fixing any plot or character inconsistencies.

3. Copy editing: once you've ironed out your story elements, copy editing will come next. Your copy editor will assist in making your book more readable in terms of language use and character inconsistencies. They improve clarity, coherency, consistency and correctness.

4. Proofreading: this is the last major stage of the editing process. Proofreaders make sure no spelling or grammar errors make it to the final version of your work.

5. Fact-checking: this editing won't apply to all genres, but to those authors who have a lot of niche information in their book, it is a good idea to get it fact-checked.

You may feel you do not need all types of editors or you may be constrained by budget. Think through your own strengths and weaknesses and decide which type of editing would complement you the most. Look for the type of editing that would work on the areas that you are weakest in.
 
Roxanne was fortunate to have two great editors assisting her on her self-publishing journey. And the universe would just so have it that they both hailed from her own country of birth - South Africa! 

Developmental Editor and Author
Alorah Arliotis

Copy Editor
Keryn Delaney

If you are an aspiring author needing some editing support, these two editors come highly recommended. Get in touch by emailing 
roxannebarkerwriterillustrator@gmail.com.
Look out for our newsletter next week which will cover Steps 3 & 4 of the self-publishing process.
 
In the mean time, have a bright and magical week!
Roxanne needs Amazon reviews!

If you have read Lexi and the Magic Cats, consider showing your support for Roxanne by leaving a review on the book's Amazon page.

You don't need to have ordered the book through Amazon in order to leave a review. You can provide a review of the story or of the author. 

Your support means the world to us and Amazon reviews go a long way in helping to spread the message of Lexi and the Magic Cats.
 
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Have you got your copy yet?

We would love to hear from you! If you or your child has read Lexi and the Magic Cats, share your review along with a photo of yourself with the book by emailing roxannebarkerwriterillustrator@gmail.com.

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