The journey to publication
Is 2025 the year you will finally write and publish your book?
Are you an aspiring author?
If you’ve always wanted to write a book, I have good news and bad news. The good news is, you CAN write and publish a book quite easily. There are many companies out there who can help you. Or you can do it yourself.
The bad news is, because it’s easy to publish, it’s very easy to publish something of poor quality that readers will not buy. There are many companies out there who might try to take advantage of your enthusiasm and your desire to be published. You might end up spending way more than you need to and end up with far less than you expected.
Writing is a skill. Writing a book is harder than crafting, say, an email. Like any skill, writing takes practice. But not just practicing badly. There are specific skills to learn, in order to do it well. But good news: you can learn those skills. A great way to begin learning about good writing (for free!) is by reading good books. If you are not a reader, you should likely not waste your time trying to become a writer.
(Some writers want to write for the sheer joy of it, just to get the words down, maybe to make sense of their story or to share it with a few close friends. They want to write, but not publish. That is a worthwhile endeavor!)
I call myself a publishing adventure guide, because publishing is that—an adventure! It’s a journey that you can navigate on your own, if you want. The internet has a ton of information—both good information, and absolutely awful information that might end up costing you time and money, without getting you closer to your goals. Because of that, most authors find it helpful to have a guide to help them along the way!
So how can you get your book published? How do you get there?
Like any destination, the path you choose depends on where you are starting. It’s like asking, how do I get to Chicago? It depends on if you are starting in Quebec, New York, or LA! The directions to your destination will be totally different depending on where you begin.
I think many people ask, “What do I need to do?” But the true and most helpful question is—what do I need to learn? Because a journey, before we take it, requires some research, some learning. When we “don’t know what we don’t know” we’re in a vulnerable position and can easily be led astray. Learning about writing and books is your first step, always.
My goal is to help aspiring writers who don’t know what they don’t know, to help them to know what they don’t know, then know what they know! Every client I’ve worked with has said, “I learned so much,” after writing and publishing with me. And, they all were successful at self-publishing their book!
The first thing you need to learn is what aspiring author type you are. This will help you determine which path to take.
Which of these aspiring author types describes you?
I’m a business or ministry leader, or a speaker, and I want to share my wisdom, but I don’t have time (or expertise) to write.
I have a great idea or compelling story but don’t have writing or publishing experience. I’m better at just talking about my ideas than getting them down on paper.
I’ve been working on a book for years but just keep getting stuck.
I’ve written a manuscript, but I don’t know what to do next to get it published.
I need help with turning my book manuscript into a published book.
Your next step depends on where you’re starting. The good news is, I’ve helped writers in all of these situations navigate the publishing adventure and get their book written, designed and published.
The journey from idea to published book is not an easy road, but with the help of an experienced guide, it can be a wonderful adventure.
Here are the basic steps that every writer takes as they go from idea to published book:
develop a great idea
hone your writing skills
create a strong outline and hook
write a first draft
revise to create a second draft (aka self-editing)
get feedback from readers
revised to create a polished draft
developmental edit (a professional edit that looks at the book’s structure, flow, and overall readability)
revise again
copy edit (grammar, punctuation, etc.)
final manuscript review (Now the manuscript is complete, and the design, production, and publishing process begins)
interior page design
write back cover copy
cover design
ISBN registration
Set up KDP or Apple books account
Upload your book’s interior and cover files
Hit publish!
Whew! If that sounds like a lot, it is. And that’s just a brief overview! (And doesn’t include marketing and selling your book once it’s published!)
Where are you in the publishing process? Maybe you’re still at the idea stage? Or maybe you’ve written a first draft?
Depending on where you start on the journey to publication, you might need:
some teaching on writing basics
a writing coach to read your work, give feedback, and hold you accountable
a collaborative writer to write a draft for you to revise and build on
an editor to give you constructive critique and help you clarify your thinking
a production team to design your book and help you self-publish
My little company, A Powerful Story, offers all of these. Our team of writers, editors and designers, with decades of experience in writing and publishing, can help you achieve your goals. I’ve written 12 traditionally published books myself and cowritten 13 (both traditional and self-published). (What is traditional or royalty publishing? More helpful posts on that here and here.)
Photo by CoWomen: https://www.pexels.com/
By definition, self-publishing means the author is the publisher. A Powerful Story is not a publishing company. Rather, we guide authors in becoming publishers. We provide private coaching, editing, design services, and self-publishing assistance. We walk beside aspiring authors, taking care of the details needed to launch their self-publishing venture. We jump in no matter where you are on the journey, and help you get your book published! With you as the publisher (and holder of all the rights to your work!).
We don’t take any royalties, there are no hidden add-on fees. You’ll receive royalties directly from amazon or whichever platform you select to sell your book. You pay us a flat fee, clearly spelled out up front. (How much? It depends on where you are on the journey and what next steps you want to take.)
Maybe 2025 is the year you will finally invest in your writing. In yourself. Maybe you’re ready to move forward on the journey toward publishing. If that’s you, I can help! I am making space in my 2025 calendar for just four writers who need coaching, editing, or self-publishing assistance. If you’re interested in taking your next step toward publication, click below to contact me to schedule a free half hour consultation.
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