In my last post, I discussed the varying reasons why I chose to self-publish and in that I mentioned that all of the creative authority, and responsibility, therefore falls on me. I find this to be a very exciting prospect and, being a DIY kind of guy, I feel up to the challenge. There are, however, lots of things to do before the release.
Editing
I had gone through my manuscript a couple times before I started the query process. Typical things; looking for grammatical errors, cutting it down where I felt I could, formatting, chapter and page breaks, etc. The finished copy I sent out there was my 3rd or 4th draft. But, now that I have chosen to publish alone, no one is going to through it again. So, I have to objectively look at my baby and go through once more, just to make sure I’m bringing you the best version of Lyra that I can.
No small task. It has been aptly stated that writers make terrible editors for much the same reason Doctors should not self-diagnose. We are just too damn close to it all. How do you look at the labor love, that in my case has taken over a decade from inception to query draft, and start slicing? Whatever the answer is, that is hurtle #1.
Cover Art
As I have posted the WIP pieces from my development of the cover image on my homepage, you can see that I am pretty close to finalizing the cover. Being a digital artist definitely makes the process of cover creation less of a nerve wracking thing for me. However, she is my baby and I want to make sure her best face is forward, literally speaking.
Formatting and Publication Process
Once the final edit is complete, I have to start formatting the book according to the requirements of the self-publishing vehicle of choice. There are different requirements for Ebooks vs. POD books so this likely means going through this process twice, once for each copy version.
As with any technological endeavor, no matter how streamlined and simple we try to make it, there will likely be some hiccups. And hiccups are time consuming things. However, there is a wealth of help guides and probably someone to reach out to, so it should work just fine. I’ll keep you posted.
Marketing
I have a strategy for marketing Lyra, though I won’t go into too many details until that campaign is officially launched. However, I am not a marketing strategist. I don’t have experience in getting products out there, so this effort is a very learn as I go and have a strong concept to start kind of thing.
That’s okay. I’ve done research regarding established authors and their initial processes, the history of break out hits and things that made it, etc. and, in reality, I have to tell you that marketing seems more of a right place, right time situation. Sure there are some clever ways to aid in that, but nothing can guarantee the right moment. It has been said that hind sight is 20/20, so all I can do is give it my best effort and trust fate. But I know what the alternative, not trying, brings and I’m done with that.
Bryan Strickland, Author 