Hey everyone! I want to welcome Tamara Beard, owner of Wrapped Up Writing, to share a guest post on some essentials after writing your book. I've known Tamara since I started blogging and her drive has always amazed me. She's going to do big things with her career!
I Wrote a Book! Now What?
CONGRATULATIONS!
If you are reading this, then you are probably already finished writing a book
or you are getting closer to the end. Either way, you deserve a round of
applause for all that you have accomplished. While I would love to tell you
that all the hard work is behind you, there is still a lot to be done between
now and hitting the publish button. Today,
I am going to provide a list of all the services you need before putting your
book on the digital shelves. While the list is neither all-encompassing nor a
complete explanation of each service, it should be a great starting point to
help you understand what your next steps should be.
Cover Design
The first thing your
potential readers will see is the cover of your book (and, yes, people do judge books by their covers). This
is why it is so important to invest in a professional cover designer. You
should make sure that the person you choose has a website with examples, price
plans that layout exactly what you will get, and a written contract of some
kind. There are so many different people that offer cover designing services
that it can become daunting, but there are a few things you can do to make the
decision easier. First, talk to fellow authors who already published a book and
see who they used for their cover. While you should never base your decision solely on a recommendation, this can
certainly help narrow down the possibilities. Second, look at covers in each
designer’s portfolio to see what you like. If you find covers that match your
style and vision, there is a pretty good chance the cover designer could
probably make something you love.
Best Cover Design nominees for Penned Con 2017
Best Cover Design winners for UTOPiAcon 2016
Editing
Hiring an editor to go over
your manuscript prior to publication is absolutely
essential. Many people feel as
though it is not necessary because they are proficient in spelling, grammar,
and syntax. However, there are two major flaws in that argument. First, you
have been spending months, maybe even years,
working on this book. At this point, you have spent so much time with it that
you will not see all its errors, because you knew what you meant when you originally wrote it. The second issue with
self-editing is that those aspects of the English language that you have
mastered probably do not encompass the entirety
of editing services. For example, spelling, grammar, and syntax are just a
portion of copy editing. Not only is there more to copy editing, there are
other types of editing as well. For example, developmental editing and line
editing are very different than copy
editing. You will need to objectively decide which editing services you need.
Many authors utilize all three (and there are discounted packages to accommodate this), but some feel like they
only need one. Once you’ve decided which type(s) of editing you need, you will
be able to narrow down your perfect editor by price, credentials, and personal
taste.
Proofreading
Sometimes, authors do not
feel totally satisfied after getting
their book back from an editor. If this is the case, you may want to consider
hiring a proofreader. Proofreaders are people, who often provide editing or
beta reading services as well, who will look over your manuscript and catch any
errors that an editor may have missed. If you used a fantastic line and copy editor,
this service probably is not
necessary. However, everyone needs peace of mind every now and again, and a
proofreader can provide you with that regarding the editing of your manuscript.
Beta Reading
Beta Readers are
dedicated book lovers who read books before they are published. While some Beta
Readers charge a fee, many of them will happily do it for a free copy of your
book and the satisfaction of helping authors. You do not need very many Beta Readers,
because as always quality is better than quantity. The Beta Readers you choose
should be good at giving constructive
criticism and detailed feedback. You
can find Beta Readers by inquiring on your Facebook fan page or seeking
recommendations from other authors or book bloggers.
Formatting
Every e-reader has its own ‘language.’
This becomes tricky when you attempt to use the same file for everything,
because the formatting will mess up.
Have you ever read a book and eventually gave up reading it because of its insane formatting? I certainly have, and
this is when a formatter becomes worth their weight in gold. Formatters are
professionals who understand the ins and outs of document creation. They ensure
that every reader gets the best visual experience possible while reading.
Publicity Services
The people who fall
under this category go by a variety of names (Personal Assistant, Publicist,
Marketing Assistant, etc.), but they all work hard to get your name and book in
front of as many readers as possible. These services may include hosting an
online release party, organizing a blog tour, managing your social media
accounts, or making book “swag.” As you can see, this is a very broad category that
will include many different types of businesses, as well as a wide variety of
price packages. Publicity services certainly are not required, but they do
prove to be extremely helpful in
marketing your book. When looking for these services, keep in mind that you may
need to hire more than one person to get exactly what you want, since many
professionals only specialize in certain areas.
A few final
notes about purchasing these services. First, do not forget the legal side of
things. For example, nondisclosure agreements are very important when giving
your book to anybody prior to publication. This contract prevents them from
sharing any part of your book. While we all wish this were unnecessary, it is
always better to be safe than sorry. The second note of closing is about
defining professionals. All of the services we talked about above can really
help your manuscript be the best book possible. However, that is only if you
hire the right people. The people who
are providing you with these services should have credentials of some kind to back up their work. It is becoming
increasingly more popular for bloggers and readers to offer services to
authors. While they are well-intentioned,
it is important to make sure that their skills transcend those things and are
actually applicable to the services
they are charging you for.
I know that
this information will seem overwhelming as a new and emerging author. but I
hope this guide has helped you better understand the different services you
will need to utilize prior to your book’s publication. Remember that writing is an adventure, and yours has only just begun!
Tamara Beard is the owner of Wrapped Up Writing, a business that provides editing, proofreading, and content writing services. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English, with a writing concentration and communications minor, from the University of Tennessee at Martin. She currently lives in Nashville, and enjoys reading, traveling, and volunteering in her spare time. Connect with her on her website at wrappedupwriting.weebly.com or on Facebook (@wrappedupwriting).
