I’ve wanted to be an author since about the age of seven. Twenty years later, here I am, about to publish my debut fantasy book.
I should preface this by saying that I don’t believe in order to be a writer or an author, you need to be published. I’ve been an author for a long time now without having a book on the shelves. However, there’s a certain level of anxiety that comes with publishing a book for the first time, and I don’t think it’s much discussed online.
So for a little behind-the-scenes sharing, and of course, to shed some light for other first-time authors, here are a few confessions…
1. Dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s…
Given that Heart of Mist is an independently published book (or will be very shortly), I’ve been responsible for the production in its entirety. That means I’ve recruited and managed all the professionals involved, and have organised and executed the whole process from start to finish.
For those of you who aren’t all that familiar with book production, it’s a big undertaking. Time management, project development, outreach marketing and proofing are just the tip of the iceberg.
I’m a pretty organised, driven person. However, despite having done the book production process three times before (with the Kindling anthologies), there’s just something inherently more nerve-wracking when it’s your own book.
There are so many details that need attention and consideration – printing in two different countries, distributing, how tax works when you sell books abroad… I’m nervous that I’ve forgotten to dot certain i’s and cross particular t’s along the way…
I’d imagine it’s the same for most authors when they’re publishing their first book. But I suppose it’s magnified tenfold when you’re publishing independently, and you’re solely responsible for the product you’re bringing out into the world.
2. Being shameless with self-promotion
It’s taken me a long while to get comfortable with the idea of self-promotion, and there’s still a long way to go.
Through my work with Writer’s Edit, I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable sharing what I’m doing with people on social media. However, it’s something I still feel a tad embarrassed about when it comes to my book specifically.
And it’s only going to get more full-on as we get closer and closer to Heart of Mist‘s release date (August 31st 😉 ) … I’m getting a tad nervous about just how much I’ll be posting particularly on Facebook and Twitter about my book.
3. The first in a series…
Something that hit me recently was just how much I’ve committed to over the next few years… As you probably know by now, Heart of Mist is the first book in a planned trilogy, The Oremere Chronicles.
This means that I’ll be publishing (and writing) a book every year for the next three years. Is it just me or is that a huge commitment?
This is the first time I’ve written a series, and so this concept is completely new (and slightly overwhelming at times) to me.
Basically it dawned on me that this whole thing is in motion now, there’s no stopping it, there’s no going back.
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You may have noticed that this post was titled “These Are My (Author) Confessions #1″… That’s because I get the distinct feeling that there’ll be plenty more confessions throughout my long (and hopefully fruitful) career.
Stay tuned for secret sharing and insights!
Until next time,
Helen
Note: Featured image via Raw Pixel.