Publishing my first book has definitely been a long journey, and I’ve learned a lot about the process through this experience. I have compiled a list of five things I’ve learned during the publication of my first book.
1. Writing the book is the hardest part.
The act of actually writing your book will be the hardest part of this entire journey. It will likely take more time than any other step of the publishing process. As I work on my next book this has become more apparent than it was when I wrote my first. While it can be the most difficult part of the process it is also, without a doubt, the best part by far. There is nothing quite like bringing your ideas to life in writing.
2. The first time you hand your manuscript to a beta reader will be nerve wracking.
Beta readers are the first people you trust to look at your book. They are, probably, seeing it before any professional editor. So, they are seeing all of the things that you and whatever software you’re using missed. They are also, probably, the first people you are trusting to read your work after you’ve completed it. So, their feedback will be the first “reviews” you get on your work. Are beta readers important and valuable? Absolutely. Those first few people reading your book are an integral part of the editing process. They will be the first people to catch inconsistencies and developmental issues. They will also give you some insight into how readers will respond to your character and themes, this will allow you to adjust things accordingly so your story is having the impact you want it to. Even still handing your manuscript over for the first time, exposing the thing you’ve spent so long creating is a very vulnerable act that will leave you pacing until those beta readers come back to you with feedback.
3. Editing Is tedious.
Editing is a necessary evil, but by all that is good in the world it is the biggest chore on this list. Once you first the first draft of your manuscript you enter editing hell, where you will find yourself editing, passing it on to beta readers, editing it again, passing it on to beta readers, editing again, finding at least one professional editor, sending it to them, editing it more yourself, finding a proofreader, and editing it again yourself. It will feel like you’ve entered an endless loop, and you may eventually start to hate reading your book, I know I did. The biggest piece of advice I can give you, if you are self publishing, is find an editor you trust and that you can work with well. You should also ensure that the editor you are looking to work with meets your needs, some editors only specialize in specific kinds of edits (Developmental, copy, line, etc.) and others do them all. There is nothing more frustrating than finding an editor who doesn’t meet your standards, because then you are left doing more work finding what they missed, and possibly having to hire another editor. Editors are not cheap. Another important part of the editing process is the proofreading. Getting a professional proofreader can really enhance the quality of your book, they can catch things you and your editor(s) may have missed. In the end we are all human, so even with a hundred beta readers, 5 editors, 3 proofreaders and a partridge in a pear tree there still might be a couple typos in the final product.
4. Formatting is as difficult as you make it.
Formatting your book to print properly can seem like a big job until you start to go through the tools at your disposal. I personally used Reedsy to typeset my book and I absolutely loved it. It is so user friendly and simple to use. There are presets to choose from for how your book is typeset, so it is not super customizable but it works well if you’re looking for something simple and straightforward. Some authors choose to get really fancy with the formatting of their book and their chapter headings, from what I’ve seen that is a whole nother monster.
5. By the time debut day comes you will (probably) feel ready
After all of the work that goes into the publishing process debut day can feel a little anticlimactic, especially if you don’t have anything planned for that day. I can say for certain that I was so ready for my book to publish. All of the nerves of publishing went away, and I was just excited for my book to be out there in the world. The amount of time and effort that you put into your book, and the work your team puts in, will be reflected in the final product and you should be proud for it to go out into the world. I cannot wait for people to start reading it.
Side note:
Now that The Ascension is out, I hope to post more regularly. I am currently working on the next book in the series. I do not have a timeline on when it will be done yet, but I will keep you all updated on its progress here. Thank you for reading!
-Randall
randallwrites.org 
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