Helping Fledgling Ideas Take Flight: Advice from a Self-Published Author
My best ideas always come late at night.
This is usually when the house is quiet, my kids are in bed, and hubby is resting. I can finally hear my thoughts. This is precisely how the idea for my first published book, The Rumble Hunters, came to me. Since its publication, I’ve had countless other ideas for books. Some are typed and saved in a Word document on my laptop, others are pieced together in the Notes section of my phone, while many, many others are simply filed away in my head.
Over the last two years, I’ve had the privilege of sharing my publishing journey with thousands of people around the world. In all these conversations, both face-to-face and virtual, one question always comes up: how did I turn my idea into a book.
When ideas don’t leave the nest
I cannot begin to tell you how many times I’ve spoken with someone who excitedly shared a book idea. When I eagerly inquire what they’ve done with this idea, too often they say, “nothing.” They haven’t written it down, or if they have, they haven’t taken steps to find out how to publish.
This saddens me.
I’ve been there. I understand better than most the hesitations and hang ups that can prevent the birth of a new book baby. Believe it or not, the thought of self-publishing used to terrify me—and there are some parts of self-publishing that still do! It seemed like a secret code I would never crack. Independent or “indie” publishing seemed like some foreign concept that I’d never grasp. I also saw many self-published books and thought to myself, These look self-published ... but not in a good way. I didn’t want the beauty of my book dream to get lost in scratchy illustrations and poor-quality editing. I assumed the only way I could bring my book to life was through traditional publishing. I was completely unaware of the vast world of self-publishing.
How to give your idea a push over the edge
What led me back to publishing on my own is another article for another day. But what I will say is once I decided to further investigate self-publishing, I realized the rabbit hole goes deep! Navigating it all alone is a difficult task, so here is some advice for aspiring authors:
Hold on to your inspiration. No one can write what you have dreamt. What I mean is, your idea is exactly that, yours. Once you know what you want to put into the world, you must keep moving forward. The journey to publishing my first book lasted a little over four years from conception to print. It was not without tears, mistakes, discouragement, and more setbacks than I can count. In fact, only a few months before its publication, I nearly called it quits. Thankfully, my hubby reminded me of my why I was chasing this goal. Without remembering the why, I wouldn’t have pushed through the trials of how.
Find your circle. It may be small, and it might include unexpected people, but you must surround yourself with people who believe in your dream as much as (if not more than) you. They will be the ones you vent to, dream with, and push alongside when you want to give up. If this sounds cliché, it’s only because it’s true! Ask any indie author and they will tell you the same. Your circle will be vital in your author journey. Your circle might not always include friends or family. However, your circle will begin to grow as you take steps to bring your book into the world. When roadblocks interfere with your progress, your circle will help you brainstorm ways to overcome and accomplish your goals.
Don’t be afraid of taking breaks! A week or two away from the grind can be a refreshing part of the journey. If you’ve come to a point in which you feel stuck, clear your head, refocus, and remember your why. A break might be exactly what you need to get a second wind and push to the end.
Make solid game plan. This is a must, and usually marks the difference between book idea and a published book. There are many ways to go about developing a publishing plan. The benefit of self-publishing nowadays is the relatively few hoops you must jump through; you won’t need an agent or an acquisitions editor to fall in love with your work. You won’t need 900,000 followers on social media or a platform of any significant size. Additionally, the bad rap that self-publishing has had is fading. More and more beautiful, professional, high-quality works are being self-published every year.
There are numerous reputable blogs, websites, podcasts, and courses that you can take advantage of right now to educate yourself on the “what, when, and how” of self-publishing a book. You don’t have to shout your idea into the noise of life and pray someone hears it. With today’s indie community, there’s a plethora of tools and resources at your disposal to produce a quality book that is on equal footing with any other book on the market.
Self-published authors are achieving outstanding success and sharing their gifts with the world. And contrary to what any naysayer or inner doubt suggests to you, you can see such success and share your gift with the world, too!
