Let’s face it: Most of
us will never sign a contract with a traditional publishing company. Thousands
of writers don’t make the cut, not even good writers—not even great writers.
But nowadays we have
publishing options we didn’t have only a few years ago: self-publishing companies.
They offer various services for various prices.
Note: They also publish
books of varying quality, in both contents and materials. Too many self-pub
books can’t be described as “high quality.”
Having said that, many
self-published books are top-notch quality, so much so that some prolific
traditionally-published authors are now going the self-pub route. Self-publishing
can be an excellent choice for most of us.
Nevertheless, some
people continue to turn up their noses at self-publishing.
“Some writers will
think you’re not a good writer because you’re self-published,” writes Joanne Dannon. “There is still a stigma that you’re not good enough since you’re not
traditionally published….”
But if you want to
be a good writer, Joanne says, “Focus on being the best writer you can be. Self-publishing
is not for bad writers, it’s for motivated, savvy writers who write quality
books….
“Successful
self-published writers have excellent books with a well-written story,
professional editing and formatting as well as a quality well-made cover (not
home made)” (What I wish I’d known before self-publishing).
To write and publish
a professional-quality memoir, you must work hard.
Become a student of
everything related to writing, publishing, and marketing.
Among other skills, improve
your self-editing abilities. Bethany Cadman offers tips in Practical Advice for Editing Your Manuscript.
Also check out Jami
Gold’s post, Writing Habits: We Can’t Fix What We Don’t See.
And then there’s successful
marketing: We must educate ourselves, pre-plan, and commit to hard work. Look
over Joanne Dannon’s blog post, What I wish I’d known before self-publishing.
I highly
recommend Sandra Beckwith’s blog, Build Book Buzz. Begin by checking out Facebook advertising for authors: A quick-start guide.
If you want to be
“motivated, savvy
writers who write quality books,”
educate yourself.
Make it your goal to
publish a well-written book,
professional in
editing and formatting,
whether you’re
publishing your memoir for only friends and family,
or for the masses.
