After the loss of NaNoWriMo, it did not take the Crowvus writers long to realise how much we relied on this structured routine for our writing. For me, November had become the only time I was guaranteed to do creative writing. In fact - if truth be told - I've done very little at any other point of the year. Consequently, we decided to adapt to our own interpretation: Cro(w)NoWriMo - the W is in brackets because there was some discrepancy over whether or not it should be in there. The rules were simple: Write. As November went on, the end goal changed slightly for each writer. Was it 50,000 words? Was it to write every day? Was it to write an entire book? For me, it was about finishing a book. I haven't finished an historical fiction book in ages - though I've started plenty! Now, with four more writing days left on the clock and into the final chapter, I might finally be able to lay the ghost. The story I returned to was Poisoned Pilgrimage , the book I began as a submiss...
Anyone who writes is a writer but, in my humble opinion, you need to be published to be an author. This may be a contentious view to some, and I'm sorry if your offended. If it's any consolation, self-publishing counts. If fact, I'm writing this blog with self-publishing in mind.
When you publish your own books, you have to be on top of everything. Not only are you writing the book, you organise the editing, you organise the marketing and publicity. And don't get me started on distribution! It is enough to drive the most sane person mad!
So, to get all of this done, it's important to set yourself realistic goals. You could say you would get everything in a month, but you'll burn out pretty quick.
If you have a book you'd like to publish, here is my calendar for publication. There are a couple of points to make first, however.
1) I work best under pressure. If you don't, add on a couple of months to the timeline!
2) If you'd like to try and get your book featured in national channels like newspaper, you need to add at least six months onto the timeline. Personally, I don't worry too much about this because the chances of newspapers picking up a small indie book are slim to none!
So, with those in mind, here's my ideal timeline...
Five months before release
- Organise a cover reveal.
- Finish your final redraft.
- Write the book blurb
Four months before release
- Do a cover reveal.
- Edit, edit, edit.
- Write a calendar for social media book-related posts.
Three months before release
- Finish the final edit, but do a proofread or two. Listening to your manuscript is a good way to pick up any typos.
- Do a book trailer and upload it to Youtube.
Two months before release
- Organise online book tour through a blog tour organiser. I'm trying out several blog tour organisers this year and will be writing a full review at the start of next year.
- Complete a final proofread of your book.
- Format your ebook and paperback.
One month before release
- Upload final manuscript to Amazon and any other distributors/online shops you'd like.
- Write guest blogs for your blog tour.
- Register ISBNs for your books.
Yes, there are many more things to do, but this is a starting put for each book that we publish.
Don't worry if you want to change the timings, or take out a point or two. It's certainly not vital that you have a book trailer, but I find it great fun to make them!
What's New With Crowvus
It's going to be a crazy mad week, but Virginia has been working away on the Hooded anthology. It is now all set and ready to go, and it'll be available as a paperback on Amazon on the 31st March. It's already available as a ebook pre-order here.
Comments
Post a Comment