It's true there is nothing more satisfying than completing a manuscript with the final piece of punctuation. You can finally sit back and cherish the words you have written as whole. But that satisfaction is one that is short lived. Editors come into play, as no Author writes the perfect document in one sitting. Revision after revision will soon having you tearing your hair out and defending with all you have left in you, your work and vision.
There is a certain wisdom that exists within the editor you are working with, listen to it. They are professional, and whereas this may be your first work to be edited, it probably isn't the first go around for them. My advice to any writer is to take their advice and curb your ego when it comes to suggestions of omissions. Essentially the first book I published is a biography/memoir. In reality, only historical biographies should be long and drawn out, they're based on political or historical figures and, therefore, guys like Ambrose should be allowed to produce large works. A persons memoir, unless incredibly moving due to circumstance, is what most refer to as "the book every persons has in them." Each one of our Mothers, Fathers, Grandmothers or Grandfathers were special to us in one way or another, even when looked at in a negative light. Frankly, they had merit in their life no matter the circumstance. I found myself having to learn to trim a lot of the fat from "The Reverent Surrender," and in hindsight I am very grateful I did. Some of the greatest comments received thus far deal with the flow and ease when talking about the rhythm of the book. Aside from the story, the mechanics of the writing were important to me.
In essence, trust your editor. They are like your Mother, they know the industry better than you knew life as a teenager, no matter how much you may want to rebel.
Secondly, as an indie author, you will soon face the world with a book in hand. Frankly, a book won't sell by just sitting on Amazon unless for some miracle finds you. You have to be the voice of that book, not just simply the name on the cover. Start engaging yourself with a social presence online. You may be forced to join sites like Facebook and Twitter. I had to finally break into this world about a decade later than many of my friends throughout the years. I sure took a ribbing for it when I did. Reclusive in nature I now can be found out there among the masses, and it pays off. Create a fan page through Facebook and add elements that can add to your book, supplemental stories, offshoots, pictures, etc.
Once the fervor of your latest project exhausts the initial flood on Facebook, you have to reach out to those unknown. I am currently using Piece of Cake PR, a Canadian PR firm that has a very small workforce that is incredibly in touch and passionate about their clients. Initially I went with them because I found their owner to be engaging on various forums that dealt with promotion. His responses to forum posts were engaging and personal. I'd like you to show me a major PR firm owner, not only in the office and accessible, but on a forum chatting it up. It won't happen. Secondly, I couldn't refuse the price. Most firms will quote you something around $500 for a simple press release, and $5,000-$10,000 for a total package, complete with things you can do with Facebook, Twitter, etc. for a tiny percentage of what they charge and, admittedly, a lot of your time. So if you got the money and don't have the time, feel free to throw your money at it. I got all the time in the world, and little money so, for me, Piece of Cake makes sense. Check them out at
Piece of Cake PR, they will blow your mind with not only their turnaround; but their commitment to your project and professionalism.
Now mind you, nothing is guaranteed with a small or large investment. You have to have a good story to be picked up, featured or taken seriously. If in fact you get some press and make a little scratch, why not throw it back into your project? Places like Yahoo Ads and Facebook Ads have the power to reach millions of people and they can tailor to your specific audience. These two forms of advertising will not only show you how your ad is doing, but usually only charge if you are actually getting views, likes, clicks etc. My best advice for these services is to set your total budget and don't opt for pay per click stuff. Make an affordable budget for your ad and ride it out. Pay per click stuff can run up a huge tab and produce very little sales.
I suppose the main message in this blog post is it ain't ever over...
If your lucky, once you die, you can rest peacefully in the celebrity that your book has found once your dead and gone. But there are the Cinderella stories and engaging reads that with hard work and luck make it to the best sellers list. Get up every morning with a positive attitude towards your work. Anyone out there will be engaged if you show enthusiasm. Make one attempt everyday to get the word out through a call, email, or posting. Turn no one down that is interested. Approach every blog, podcast, reviewer, and reader with respect. After all, like any major rock star, you are only around because of your fans. You never know what small blurb can catch the eye of the next person vital to your next big step.
