The Author BookGuide Series: Five Things to Consider When Becoming An Author
- Sarah Ickes
- 5 days ago
- 8 min read
Deciding to write a book is both a monumental step, as well as a daunting task, when it comes to diving into the world of becoming an author. It takes dedication and a love of the craft to keep your momentum going when the dreaded writer's block has you stumped. Not only that, but its a long uphill climb in order to gain readers, fruitful exposure, and ultimately the top goal of having a successfully selling book. Even if you choose to go through the traditional channels to publish, viewing your novel like an entrepreneurial journey is crucial to get your books into the hands of readers.
But before we take the plunge into whether or not this might be the right path for you, please read over the following five questions that, in my opinion, will help provide you with a foundation as to what becoming an author entails; and to get your brain thinking about what goals you have in mind for your own stories.
What do you hope to accomplish by publishing your book, in a monetary sense?
How much work are you looking to put into your own writing journey?
Are you in it for the long haul?
Are you willing to break out of your comfort zone?
Do you have the courage to face the criticism?
Please take a minute or two to think about your answers to the above questions before continuing onto the rest of this blog post.
**As previously mentioned, the following post does have opinions and is not meant to be used as "a standard set of guidelines" for everyone. This is merely a set of observations from someone who has taken the path to becoming an author, and is trying to help others through a blog series in the hopes that it make things a little easier for fellow writers.
What do you hope to accomplish by publishing your book, in a monetary sense?
Bedknobs and Broomsticks belongs to its rightful owners. I do not claim any kind of ownership.
One of the things I have learned is that there are different levels of invested authors within the writing community. What does that mean, exactly? Well, some authors just want to have a book published in order to say that they're an author or to check an item off of their bucket list. And if that is your goal for your story, then that's perfectly fine. 🙂
But there are also authors who hope to use their writings as a way to generate income and devote a number of hours to creating, changing, marketing, and publishing their novels. Some authors have a regimented daily schedule to ensure that they have time set aside to write each morning or evening. Others have specific days blocked out on their calendars that they reserve to work on their stories; or they participate in a writing retreat to minimize distractions.
When an inspiring author asks me about entering the phase of publishing their manuscript, I tend to begin with the following questions: (use your own answers to guide you through the post)
Do you want to be an author to sell books for income?
Is your purpose simply to check it off of a list that you tried something different?
Are you looking to continue writing in a series and wish to grow your readership?
Is the manuscript sitting on a dusty shelf and you figured you might try to make a buck or two for kicks?
Do you have a passionate interest in writing, or is it a side hobby when your bored on the weekends?
These questions are sort of like the ingredients to the recipe of being an author. Whether you are looking to make an easy pie or an elaborately-layered dessert, I am not saying that there is a right or wrong answer here.
I've heard many people say "I should write a book," or "I have poems and scribbles from a long time ago. Maybe I should turn them into something." Most of them don't actually do it, but for those of you who decide to try pursing your dreams, I'm going to tell you something right now...unvarnished; the overnight best-selling author is a myth!
This isn't a "get-rich-quick-scheme." This is a long hours, trials-and-errors, labor-intensive process that starts and ends with your persistence and determination. Again, not trying to scare you from publishing your works, just wanted to tell you that it is alright if you falter at the beginning and don't have as many followers as fast as you feel you should. It all takes time; and way more than any of us care to admit.
How much work are you looking to put into your own writing journey?
Having gotten through the first building block question, we now reach this one; taking a closer look into how much time and energy you are thinking of putting into your writings. Just like a toaster can't move on its own, a book can't sell itself without the dedication of the author to help it along.
Think of it as an iceberg. The product everyone is seeing...your book...is the top of the iceberg, and all of the difficult work...the research and marketing steps it took to get you there...is the unseen mountain underneath the water.
Here is another way to look at it; think about your favorite movie. How long did it take for hundreds of people to work together in order to create the final product running at about 120 minutes long? A director, cast, and crew can put together any kind of film in any genre of entertainment. But if the movie has no marketing efforts done on its behalf, then it won't do very well in the theaters if no one knows that it even exists. Both sides are needed in order to give their product the very best chance it has with the public. And both sides are very time consuming.
How many hours per day, week, or month are you willing to devote to working on your story?
Do you have a place to keep notes on things you find to be helpful, or things to stay away from doing over again?
Are you good at following through with a plan after its been made?
Do you work well without someone to supervise where you stand, or should you employ someone else to help you stay on task?
Again, there is A LOT to do when it comes to publishing your book, and its quite easy to feel overwhelmed by the entire process. Just remember that taking baby steps will get you to your goal faster, and better, than trying to leap gorges in a single bound. No one is Superman or Wonder Woman!
Are you in it for the long haul?
Writing your book is just the beginning to the long road ahead. After the first draft has seen the light of the day, the next step is for re-writes, numerous edits, and double-checking the storyline's consistency. By the time you see the clock again, you will have put in at least twice the amount of hours you predicted it would take to have a finished product that is ready for publishing.
Side Note: Quality is better over quantity. Multiple stories might be great for quick bucks, but the quality of a story makes for devoted readers and loyal fan bases.
At this point, you may be saying to yourself, "well, that is why I want to have a traditional publisher do the rest of the work for me." And yes, the publishing houses do a lot in terms of typesetting, covers, audiobooks, translations, and editing. However, as the author, you still have to go through galley proofs, and almost ALL of the marketing is up to you. They might give you bookmarks, offer your book to reviewers on sites such as GoodReads and NetGalley. But the rest is solely up to you, regardless of whether you are self-published or traditionally published.
Are you willing to stick it out during the long nights?
Can you fight against the self-doubt when it begins to invade your mind?
When things change, are you the kind that adapts well, or not-so-well?
If you are not the most organized person, can you still get stuff done on a timely manner?
One way of trying to keep yourself at a steady pace, and combat the overload of what has to get done, is to have a scheduled plan laid out on a calendar. Find what time best fits for you to write, with everything else going on in your life, and remember that it is okay if you fall a little behind. Pick yourself up, and keep on going!
Because the victory of completing it at the end is something to cherish. 😊
GoodReads and NetGalley belong to their rightful owners. I do not claim any kind of ownership nor was I paid an endorsement.
Are you willing to break out of your comfort zone?
An author not only has to create the words on the page, but he/she also has to step away from their pencils and computers in order to market their book to strangers and bookshops alike. This can be the most scary part of the process for many authors, since we tend to be more introverted at heart. And it can feel like an un-mapped jungle that is difficult to navigate: What sites do readers look on for book recommendations? Will a bookshop even carry my book? And are there any good festivals/events that I should be attending? (The list goes on and on.)
When you hit this stage in your writing career, it is important to know something else: the marketing world is ever-changing and even experienced marketers cannot guarantee certain results. It will take time in order to figure out what techniques work best for you and what relates to your potential readers. One of the best ways is to research what others have done in the same, or similar, genre as your own. See what the authors are doing to engage with their audience.
What festivals/fairs are local to your area?
Are there any independent bookstores nearby?
If you feel comfortable doing video chats, are there any online groups that offer those opportunities?
What kind of virtual and traditional methods of advertising are available for you?
Some of these points will be further discussed in a future blog post, as this topic could easily fill a page...and then some! 😉
Do you have the courage to face the criticism?
No matter what you do, people are going to criticize your work. And that's a fact! You could have the most historically accurate mystery novel out there, and yet...some people will tell you that there were things wrongly placed within your time period. It is just the way of the world, and there is not a single author I know who has been immune from it.
Now, while it is a good idea to adopt listening to constructive critiques, this is said with a caution when reading over comments/reviews that go much farther than that. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but DO NOT allow their views to tear down your hopes and dreams.
I know from personal experience that the previous statement is much easier said than done at times. But think about all of the others who would never have gotten to where they are today, if they had believed the nay-sayers trying to keep them from flying. Speaking as someone who has had reviews from both sides of the coin, I am not going to lie...it does sting. It might take the wind out of you for a few minutes, however, do not give it any more space than it truly deserves.
Remember that the path to pleasing all, is also the path to failure. Instead of allowing the horse to be turned into a camel, listen to your own story inside of your heart.
Are you good with letting negative comments go? Or do they fester inside?
When a reader tells you that they did not like you book, how will you react?
Can you keep the bad eggs from running the entire experience?
Are you someone who can pull yourself up on your own bootstraps?
Do negative comments put you in an ill-mental state?
Does the noise of the world get into your head often? Or can you stamp it out?
All of these questions are good ones to consider when looking at putting your manuscript out into the world. You never know, unless you try. 👍
Thanks for tuning into the first installment of my NEW blog series that's all about authors, books, and the inner workings behind the words on the page. For more, stay tuned for March's talk on Visually Standing Out in a Sea of the Same.
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