10 Things You Need to Know About Self-Publishing

10 Things You Need to Know About Self-Publishing, Guest post by R.L. Baxter

1: You won’t make millions of pounds through Self-publishing
With the ever-growing trend of self-publishing – chances are, you will not become a millionaire through it. However, that doesn’t mean being published through a book company is any better. The reality is, even company published authors barely earn anything. Most still rely on a day job to secure themselves financially. For more info, pick up the writer’s yearbook. It will explain all you need to know and more.

2: You will need to do everything yourself
Everything from finding: editors, proof-readers and illustrators, needs to be found by you. However, this isn’t a bad thing. Like a parent working hard for their child, the relationship between you and your novel is no different. Take pride in your dedication to your treasured story, and work hard, to bring it life.

10 Things You Need to Know About Self-Publishing, Guest post by R.L. Baxter
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3: Don’t always expect your friends and family to support your work to the fullest
One thing I soon realised about self-publishing, was how others perceived my work. To you, your novel is the most amazing thing in the world. You’ve worked so hard, for many years trying to get it complete, so of course all your friends and family will support it one hundred percent, right? Wrong. The truth is, although your loved ones will be happy with your accomplishment, some just don’t like to read books. Some don’t like the genre you have written. Don’t take it personally. People express their support differently.

4: There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach
One of the greatest things about self-publishing and advertising your book, is the total freedom of it all. Your work has your own message, which has its own style, which will resonate to certain people. What works for me, won’t always work for you. Twitter isn’t working for you? No worries! Try Facebook. If that doesn’t help, try your luck elsewhere. You are the master of your own destiny.

5: There is always work to be done
Just because you published your novel, doesn’t mean you can sit back and wait for the purchases to roll in. Your novel deserves the right to every opportunity you can offer it. As such, you need to take advantage of every situation for your novel. Once your novel is published, your brain will automatically seek ways to better promote and advertise your work. The work never stops

6: Don’t be afraid of criticism
At some point, you will receive some feedback. This will be either be via: Amazon reviews or in person. For the most part, you will receive good reviews – however, there will be some negative reviews about your novel. This is completely normal and should not be met with hysteria. Simply respect the review (even if you disagree) and move on. Even the greatest writers receive negative criticism.

7: It’s not a competition
Even though there are millions of other writers around - writing is mainly a solitary thing. As such, you are free from the pressure of having to compete against other authors work. Your story will always be unique to you.  

8: You may doubt yourself
 Through your journey of self-publishing, there may come a point where you will question your skills as a writer. Perhaps you may even think of quitting altogether since you haven’t made your first million. Do not be discouraged and be grateful for all the small accomplishments your novel brings.

9: There is a lot of support for self-publishers
Everything from: Bloggers, book tour agencies, to audiobooks. You will find that there are many places that will offer assistance and support for your novel. The only thing you need to do is find it.

10: You will be remembered forever!
Yes, that’s right. One of the greatest things to know about self-publishing, is the fact that your work will be immortalised in the history of literature. This is something to be proud of, and nobody will be able to take it away from you. In years to come, many will talk about your novel and speculate as to what kind of person you were.   

10 Things You Need to Know About Self-Publishing, Guest post by R.L. Baxter
Ricky Baxter is the author of Gideon and the Crimson Samurai and a slew of short novellas. He is an avid blogger, giving advice and thoughts to fellow creators from all walks of life. Currently he lives in Tokyo Japan, where he writes and blogs. Starting out as a composer since graduating with a Ba(Hons) in music and multimedia, Ricky worked for many independent short film directors, gaining notable IMDB credits . Since then, he has embraced his earlier passion of writing fictional stories.


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