5 Things Writers Need to Know Before Publishing Their First Book

Originally from Goodreads.com

Posted by Cynthia on March 13, 2017

Many writers dream of becoming published authors: to have their words read by millions of readers; to hold their manuscript in a book form; to see that book in bookstores and libraries; to get glowing reviews on Goodreads or in the New York Times.

 They think that once they hit "publish" on a self-publishing platform or hand their final, edited manuscript over to a publisher, their work is done.

In reality, many writers quickly realize how much more they are expected to pitch in on the marketing front. They realize that books don’t just magically appear in bookstores, and that readers won’t drop everything and read the book the second they first hear about it.

To help you avoid surprises, here are five things writers need to know before publishing their first book:

1. Bestsellers are not created overnight.

When you see a book shoot magically up the best-seller list in the first week it is published, understand that it took many people many months of work to put it there. It takes traditional publishers so long to get from acquisition to publication because they are setting the stage for the release: writing the marketing & publicity material for the sales reps to use with the buyers, mailing out media review copies, securing interviews and reviews, putting together the advertising creative, and more.

As an author, you’ll need to have the patience and foresight to plan out a complete marketing campaign. This can start as soon as you finish the manuscript: establish your online presence, start building a mailing list, and introduce yourself to the local publishing community.

2. You will need to be an extrovert.

Book promotion means you will need to balance talking about yourself and your book and talking about other things people care about (for example). You will need to engage with your readers. You will need to sign books. You will need to charm booksellers. And you will need to tell your story over and over again, answering the same questions, remaining positive and friendly throughout.

Remember that you wouldn’t be a published author without readers, so work hard to make every interaction a great one. Also know yourself well enough to recharge your batteries between events, and let your publicist know to be selective with the types of interviews you do.Quick tip: Ask the Author is a great way to engage with readers, as it allows you to select which questions to answer, and when to answer them. [Read tips about using Ask the Author here.]

3. Not everyone will like your book... and that is ok!

You might think your book will only find it’s way into the hands of readers who will think it’s life-changing, but sooner or later someone will not like your book. No book is for everyone, and the most important thing to realize about a negative review is that it’s just one person’s opinion. Don’t take it personally. Instead, leave it alone and then get the beverage of your choice, and look up your favorite book on Goodreads. Chances are there are many negative reviews of it!

Respect personal preferences, and never try to change someone’s opinion about your book. If you’re worried you’ll get affected by reading reviews of your own book, don’t read them (yes, it really is that simple!). If you suspect it violates our review guidelines, flag it so our team can take a look at it.

4. Read books, not your own reviews.

One way to avoid reading your own reviews is to stay occupied by reading other people’s books! This is the best activity to engage with readers on Goodreads and build a following [read more about building a following here].

Share your passion for reading and show off your talent for writing by reviewing books on Goodreads. Start by reviewing books you loved in childhood, move on to books that inspired you to become a writer, and then tackle the current best-seller list for more recent titles. Remember: Goodreads is a community for readers—these are your people! Connect with them, and trust they will discover your own work that way.

5. Keep writing.

If all goes well, readers will devour your work and immediately want more. You need to have something ready to share with them, whether that’s a short story or a preview of the second book in the series. Keep the same writing schedule as you had before your work was published. You might transition from being a writer to being an author by publishing your first book; publish more than that and you have a career.

What do you wish you had known before publishing your first book? Share it in the comments below! 

Thank you all for visiting with us. It’s always a pleasure to meet readers and authors. Until next month, every one please stay safe. Smile. Be happy. Show compassion. Be nice to others. Put a little love into your heart. Please speak up for those without a voice, whether it be a dog, cat, elephant or monkey. One person, one voice can make a difference. Read a book and pass it on. Leave a review. Reviews are important for authors. Believe me. I know. Thank you!

Regards,
S. J. Francis, Writing is my passion, but animals are my world. 
Advocate for the underdog, and cat, and supporting writers, et al.

In Shattered Lies: "It's All About Family." Available now from Black Opal Books and for sale at all on-line retailers and independent booksellers. "Some secrets should remain that way."

                     Shattered Lies is a Finalist in the 2016 Wishing Shelf Independer Book Awards.

                     Shattered Lies is a winner in the Fall 2016 NABE Pinnacle Book Achievement Book Awards for Women's Fiction. 

                     Shattered Lies is a runner-up in the 2016 Shelf Unbound Indie Best Book Award Competition.
                                        

                     Shattered Lies is a 2016 Reader's Favorite Honorable Mention in the Fiction - Women’s category.  

                     Shattered Lies was a Finalist in the 10th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards.

                     Shattered Lies was chosen as General Fiction Official Selection in the 2015 New Apple Book Awards.

                     The 2nd, new book cover design for Shattered Lies was a Finalist in the 2016 Authors dB Best Cover Contest. 

                     The first, original book cover design for Shattered Lies was a semi-finalist in the 2015 Authors dB Best Cover Contest. 

My Black Opal Books Author Page:

http://www.blackopalbooks.com/author-bios/bio-sj-francis

                                            Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/sjfrancis419

  Face Book: https://www.facebook.com/pages/SJ-Francis/480058115420325

                                                

       A Book Review 4 U: http://abookreview4u.blogspot.com
      A Consumer's View: http://aconsumersview.blogspot.com
                  One for the Animals: http://onefortheanimals.blogspot.com

                          Pinterest:http://www.pinterest.com/sjfrancis419

 Google Plus:https://plus.google.com/u/0/104831238907682620486/about

             Good Reads:https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/33550975-s-j

And now for some legal stuff: Copyright 2017 by S.J. Francis. Opinions expressed here are solely those of the author, S. J. Francis and the guest author and are meant to entertain, inform and enlighten, and intend to offend no one.

3 Steps To Making the Most of your Online Presence....

A Note from S.J. Francis:

    You've probably heard it more than once. If you’re a writer, you need to have an online presence in order to succeed. Even when you don’t want to dabble in social marketing, it’s a necessity. Some like to refer to it as a necessary evil.  I enjoy being on-line, to a point. When it interferes with my writing, then I also consider it a necessary evil.  As a writer, my writing must come first. My online presence must come second. Want to make the most of your online presence? Here's an article from Book Daily to help you out.

Until next month. Stay safe. Be happy.

Cheers!

S.J. Francis

3 Steps To Making the Most of your Online Presence | BookDaily #AuthorTips

Marilyn VixNovember 7, 2016

Building a space online for readers to find you isn't easy. Social Media helps but it can be overwhelming too. Well, here are some tips to get started.

Step 1: Build A Website

This is easier than you may think. There are several web hosting sites that make it as easy as writing on Wattpad. Plus, many combine the ideas of a website with a blog. The site I chose to host my site is Wordpress.com. It's an easy format, with ways to build your blog into an active website. I have different pages with these categories: Books, Current Projects, Reviews and Interviews, Review Copy Request, Affiliates. I came up with these categories by looking at other author websites.

Wordpress makes it easy by giving you options to choose for backgrounds/themes to design your website. The best thing to do is to have something up before you release your first book, and then you'll have some people already interested for your first book launch. If you'd like to see what I've done, check it out here: http://marilynvix.com.

Step 2: Social Media

You need this if you're going to be a successful novelist. The important thing to remember is that you don't always want to flood your file with tons of comments only about your books. So, pick social media that you will enjoy commenting and interacting on. You may already have one you prefer such as Facebook or Twitter. You can create an account for your pen name with another email account. Besides, sometimes it's helpful to set up a separate account for your pen name to keep your personal social media separate from your author presence.

I have accounts on Facebook and Twitter. I found two is about what I can handle. I've never really been into Instagram. I try to send out comments on what I'm doing in real life to make a connection with people.

For example, I love Grumpy Cat, and cats in general. I was watching the Grumpy Cat Christmas Movie and was really bored just watching the movie alone. So, I got on-line and chatted with other people watching the movie on Twitter. It turned out I found the movie was being repeated all day, and there were some people watching it for hours. I started commenting and came up with some funny, truth filled posts.

Later, I found People Magazine had used one of my tweets in reporting the reaction to the movie on-line. Here's what I said: "#WorstChristmasEver Truth: Cat people really do talk to their cats. Yes, they usually don't talk back, but we wish they did. #catpeople".

People Magazine’s On-Line Mag picked it up. Other press picked it up too, reporting on what People Magazine had found. So, you just never know what will happen. Just tweet or post on Facebook on things you are interested in, and people will want to hear more of what you have to say. Here's the link if you want to check out the article on-line: http://www.people.com/article/grumpy-cat-worst-christmas-ever-twitter-reactions.

Step 3: Post for Advice on Writing Boards

The last step to get you in a position to put out more info about yourself is commenting and posting about your writing journey. Sometimes as writers, you feel alone in your endeavor. But there are tons of us out there. We all meet on writing boards, hashing out ideas and resolving problems. My favorite writing hangout on-line is a writing board called Writer's Cafe on Kboards.com.

I've been on this board for several years. I've found my cover designer, editor, beta readers and tons of advice on advertising and marketing through posts with questions and threads of advice. It's the best place to find info that I've found on the Internet. There are a lot of other places to go, but I know this one is safe for newbies. Lots of people are helpful with advice, and love to welcome newbies. Here is the link: http://www.kboards.com/

That's about it! These tips should help you get started in creating an Internet presence that will build a following for your future books. Meanwhile, get back to writing. You won't be able to promote a book unless it's done. Happy writing!

About the Author:
Marilyn Vix is a paranormal romance novelist. She enjoys the characters that just don't fit in. From witches to time traveling researchers, she is letting her imagination soar to explore new worlds and write all the details down. Marilyn has traveled to Paris, London, Sydney, and Munich. She loves to include these in her settings as much as can allow. Best of all is letting her reader enjoy them through the perspective of a character. She currently lives in Northern California with her husband and cat. The cat, of course, is the center of attention.

Thank you all for visiting with us. It’s always a pleasure to meet readers and authors. Until next month, every one please stay safe. Smile. Be happy. Show compassion. Be nice to others. Put a little love into your heart. Please speak up for those without a voice, whether it be a dog, cat, elephant or monkey. One person, one voice can make a difference. Read a book and pass it on. Leave a review. Reviews are important for authors. Believe me. I know. Thank you!

Regards,
S. J. Francis, Writing is my passion, but animals are my world. 
Advocate for the underdog, and cat, and supporting writers, et al.

In Shattered Lies: "It's All About Family." Available now from Black Opal Books and for sale at all on-line retailers and independent booksellers.

                     Shattered Lies is a Finalist in the 2016 Writing Shelf Book Awards.

                     Shattered Lies is a winner in the Fall 2016 NABE Pinnacle Book Achievement Book Awards for Women's Fiction. 

                     Shattered Lies is a runner-up in the 2016 Shelf Unbound Indie Best Book Award Competition.

                     Shattered Lies is a 2016 Reader's Favorite Honorable Mention in the Fiction - Women’s category.  

                     Shattered Lies was a Finalist in the 10th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards.

                     Shattered Lies was chosen as General Fiction Official Selection in the 2015 New Apple Book Awards.

                     The 2nd, new book cover design for Shattered Lies was a Finalist in the 2016 Authors dB Best Cover Contest. 

                     The first, original book cover design for Shattered Lies was a semi-finalist in the 2015 Authors dB Best Cover Contest. 

My Black Opal Books Author Page:

http://www.blackopalbooks.com/author-bios/bio-sj-francis

                                            Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/sjfrancis419

                 Face Book: https://www.facebook.com/pages/SJ-Francis/480058115420325

                                                

       A Book Review 4 U: http://abookreview4u.blogspot.com
      A Consumer's View: http://aconsumersview.blogspot.com
                  One for the Animals: http://onefortheanimals.blogspot.com

                                              Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/sjfrancis419

 Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/u/0/104831238907682620486/about

             Good Reads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/33550975-s-j

And now for some legal stuff: Copyright 2017 by S.J. Francis. Opinions expressed here are solely those of the author, S. J. Francis and the guest author and are meant to entertain, inform and enlighten, and intend to offend no one.