Ten Things I Wish I’d Known Before Publication

1. Signing the publishing contract is the BEGINNING of the work, not the end.

2. Deadlines might feel easy to meet at first. They are not.

3. You will miss typos on a page you’ve read over 100 times.

4. Be flexible. Stretch and stretch and stretch until you’re limber-gymnast flexible.

5. Be okay with disappointment. Publishing is for big girls. The dream may not happen the way you always imagined. That’s okay.

6. Publication is a team sport. Your book is no longer in your hands only.

7. Your publisher won’t always have all the answers. Neither will other authors. Neither will Google (gasp!). You will have to simply walk in the dark sometimes.

8. Marketing is much more time consuming than you think. Budget your time. LOTS of time.

9. Take risks in marketing. You might get a helpful surprise.

10. Release week (and the months leading to it) will be intense. Enjoy it. Breathe. Don’t panic.

Which of these was the most surprising bit of advice? Which was the most helpful? I can go into more detail on any of the above topics in future posts if you are interested in hearing more.

I want to help other authors see beyond the veil that seems to cover the publication process. Ask me anything. There is no telling the amount of questions I’ve asked Google over the past year regarding publication. Blogs ended up being some of my most helpful resources. Thank you to the other authors out there not afraid to talk about publication!

Let me know in the comments if you have any specific questions about publication.

Adios for now.

C.