After you write it, then you have to publish the thing and, worst of all, get somebody to buy it. Somewhere along that road, every writer hits a pothole. Usually several. Sometimes the whole road caves in.
I know this because I've been in several cave ins since I started writing stories back in the last century (that sounds better than "a long time ago"). I've published plenty of short stories plus a pile of fiction and nonfiction books, all self-published. I've made the mistakes so you don't have to.
That's why I added a new feature to my website: Real Problems, Real Solutions. It's a collection of the problems writers and authors actually wrestle with, along with practical answers. These answers are based on my own experience, not on advice from some guru who's never uploaded a manuscript.
The feature has three sections.
Fiction Problems
This covers the story stuff, from "I have an idea, now what?" to "I'm stuck in the middle" and everything in between.
- Is your plot flat?
- Do readers say your characters are dull?
- Do all your characters sound the same? (Hint: they may be too much alike.)
- Confused about Point of View?
- Wondering if you really need a character arc? (You do.)
Each problem gets a straight answer, plus a pointer to more in-depth content.
Self-Publishing Problems
Self-publishing a book, especially your first one, means lots of research. That's where the trouble starts: who can you trust on the web? Some of the information out there is accurate, some is outdated, and some is just plain wrong. Then there are the scam artists and vanity presses waiting to separate you from your money. This section covers:
- alternatives to self-publishing
- KDP vs. Draft2Digital vs. IngramSpark
- whether you need an ISBN
- what you need before you upload
- a ten-step process for getting from manuscript to published book
Book Marketing Problems
The amazing thing about book marketing is the huge number of ways to spend — and waste — money. This section tackles :
keywords
- blurbs,
- book description
- targeting
- Author Central
It also covers the most important piece of marketing you have: your book's landing page. There's even advice on what to do first when your marketing budget is about the size of a cup of coffee. And if you've wondered why your social media campaigns don't sell books, I explain that too. (Short version: social media sells clicks, not books.)
Don't See Your Problem?
Send me an email and I'll answer it. If you need more hands-on help, hankquense (at) icloud (dot) com. I also offer coaching for self-publishing and book marketing.
So the next time you're staring at a stalled manuscript, a publishing decision that has you baffled, or a marketing plan that's going nowhere, stop by Real Problems, Real Solutions. Odds are your problem used to be my problem, and I've already done the hard work of figuring out the fix.
Check it out here. [(https://hankquenseauthor.org/real-problems--real-solutions)
