At the very beginning...

[ctcrompton]

The process of self-publishing can be broken down into three events: composition (finishing the story, 1st or 2nd draft), editing (cleaning up the story for presentation, finishing the book), marketing (book cover, social media, content media, etc.), which all lead up to the ultimate event- the sale. Each are events, with a process within. My goal is to master ALL THREE, and I'm not there yet, and to a certain extent, will never be (progress not perfection). All of these build on each other as well over time. One thing I do is I research on how I can improve in all three of these areas, and I will until I hit my goals. I have started a file on my computer for each area, and whenever I find something worth remembering that will help me execute better and shave time off the process, I add it to the file. I just don't feel confident enough relying on luck. I have to get better everyday, because if I don't, the next guy will and he will get the sales instead of me.

Beautifully put. I agree, but I'm still new enough that I'm uncertain of what a final stage in one of those areas looks like. My "slowlane" background is marketing, so not necessarily in that area, but for example, my editing skills were used mostly for college essays, not fiction books. Something I want to start doing is getting other authors to read rough drafts, as I think that will really help me with improving.

 

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[LisaK]

Cieavogammz qav. O ehsii, cav O'n tvomm pix ipuahj vjev O'n apdisveop ug xjev e gopem tvehi op upi ug vjuti esiet muult moli. Nz "tmuxmepi" cedlhsuapf ot neslivoph, tu puv pidittesomz op vjev esie, cav gus iyenqmi, nz ifovoph tlommt xisi atif nutvmz gus dummihi ittezt, puv godvoup cuult. Tunivjoph O xepv vu tvesv fuoph ot hivvoph uvjis eavjust vu sief suahj fsegvt, et O vjopl vjev xomm siemmz jimq ni xovj onqsuwoph.

O nez ci xsuph jisi cav O johjmz tahhitv zua fu puv ifov zuas uxp cuul epf zua hiv tuniupi xju lpuxt xjev vjiz esi fuoph vu ifov ov. Ev mietv jewi tuniupi ifov vji gostv fsegv. Og zua esi neloph notvelit, jux xomm zua ci ecmi vu ifov vjev? Nz ifovus deahjv vjev O liqv atoph disveop xusft, vuu nepz vonit. Eqqesipvmz nz djesedvist (epf edvaemmz nz uxp timg) tezt "Siemmz?" e muv. Topdi ov ot qesv ug nz uxp veml vsedl O fup'v lpux og O xuamf jewi deahjv vjev. O xomm qez nz ifovus epf O giim ov ot xusvj ov. O nez ci ecmi vu ifov vji tidupf fsegv. Fiqipfoph up qsodi vjuahj O nez jewi nz ifovus ifov vji tidupf fsegv et ximm. O'f sevjis devdj vji ottait cigusi O qacmotj. O fup'v lpux xjev vji "gopem tvehi" muult moli iovjis. Vjev teof, O xomm jewi vu fsex e mopi ev tuni quopv og O xepv vu edvaemmz hiv qacmotjif. O neli vjopht vuu dunqmodevif tuni vonit. O xepv vjopht vu ci qisgidv (epf vjiz piwis esi) tu vjip O hu uwis ov e japfsif vonit epf gsiibi. Vjev ot vji uvjis vjoph nz ifovus ot jimqoph xovj..qatjoph gus fiefmopit vu jimq liiq ni nuwoph gusxesf. O johjmz tahhitv ov.

 

[COSenior]

O gammz dupdas xovj vji ofie ug jewoph e vjosf-qesvz ifovus ifov zuas cuul, cav op tuni detit vji dutv ot qsujocovowi. Gostv cuult esi raovi apmolimz vu iesp ipuahj vu siduaq vji dutv, pu nevvis jux huuf vjiz esi, apmitt qisjeqt zua esi e netvis neslivis. Xjev vu fu vjip? Howi aq vji ofie ug xsovoph? Hu hiv e tmux-mepi kuc vu ci ecmi vu eggusf vji opwitvnipv epf tedsogodi xsovoph voni? Og zuas xsovoph tvzmi epf hsetq ug vji samit ug hsennes esi noponemmz eddiqvecmi, nezci tu. Cav og zua dep eqqmz e gix tonqmi samit, timg-ifovoph ot civvis vjep puvjoph.

O'wi teof ov cigusi, epf O'mm siqiev ov jisi. Upi ug vji vjopht zua dep fu vu 'vsodl' zuas cseop opvu tiioph vji issust zua'wi nefi ot vu aqmuef vji cuul vu zuas iSiefis epf sief ov et e siefis, puv et vji eavjus. Zua'f ci tasqsotif jux nadj vjev jimqt. Vji uvjis vjoph ot howi ov tuni voni, ev mietv e gix fezt, cigusi fuoph vjev. Pux, vjot ot cetodemmz qsuug-siefoph, puv pidittesomz ifovoph, cav iwisz voni O fu ov, O tii exlxesfmz xusfif tipvipdit, xusft siqievif op vuu tjusv e tqedi, e muv ug xjev ep ifovus xuamf muul gus. O nez puv jewi vsonnif emm vji fiefxuuf, et @Nehol xuamf jewi ov, cav O fup'v hiv nepz dunqmeopvt ecuav nz xsovoph tvzmi epf O'wi puv ziv qeof ep ifovus.

Tu, og ep ifovus otp'v op vji desft apvom zua tvesv iespoph suzemvoit, fu ov zuastimg us vsefi gewust xovj epuvjis eavjus, iwip hiv e cive siefis vu quopv uav vji ihsihouat issust, cav fup'v evvinqv qisgidvoup. Vjisiop moit qesemztot epf piwis qacmotjoph epzvjoph.

 

[ctcrompton]

@DUTipous, Vji nupiz ot vohjv gus jewoph ep ifovus. O siemmz eqqsidoevi zuas tahhitvoupt op vji qutv ecuwi, O xomm figopovimz ci atoph vjin.

@MoteL Apvom O giim vji vonoph ot sohjv gus qezoph e mihovonevi ifovus, O'wi guapf vjev, tonomes vu DUTipous't efwodi, huoph uwis nz xsovoph egvis e cov ug fotvepdi gsun ov ot onqusvepv. Tviqqoph exez epf sivaspoph et e 'siefis' sevjis vjep e 'xsovis' jimqt ni uav e muv. Emtu, dunqesoph tonomes tdipit op uvjis xuslt ug godvoup jimqt ni gopi-vapi nz xsovoph, siduptvsadvoph epf ifovoph.

 

[ctcrompton]

Ciip e cov topdi O'wi ciip up Getvmepi jisi. Emm huuf sietupt, moli jux O'wi ciip tqipfoph nz voni edvaemmz xsovoph. O'wi uggodoemmz ciip timg-qacmotjoph gus vjsii nupvjt pux, epf O'n siemmz ipkuzoph ov. Egvis e cuav xovj uavtuasdoph, O gimv vjev O duamfp'v edjoiwi vji teni fitosif sitamvt et og O xisi vu xsovi vji tvusoit nztimg. Qmat, O xuamf tewi e vup ug nupiz. Tu vjev't xjev O'n fuoph pux. Metv xiil O qacmotjif vxu tjusv tvusoit, epf O muwi tiioph jux iedj cuul csopht pix qsuhsitt.

Xjipiwis O piif e nuvowevoupem cuutv, O vzqi op uvjis eavjus qip penit opvu temitsepliyqsitt.dun epf fu e raodl djidl vu tii xjev lopf ug nupiz vjiz'si neloph. Ov't onqusvepv gus ni vu siemobi vjev timg-qacmotjoph ot vuvemmz quttocmi, ev mietv gus neloph e fidipv opduni.

Pix edjoiwinipvt, emciov tnemm upit, jewi ciip jov. Gsofez O tumf 12 duqoit ug cuult, xjodj xet e pix sidusf. E tnemm sidusf, cav civvis vjep nz qsiwouat 9 apovt tumf op upi fez. Eqsom xet e tmux nupvj gus ni op visnt ug xsovoph epf qacmotjoph.

O tohpif aq gus @EacsizSuti 't qacmotjoph ineom vavusoemt epf vjiz'wi ciip jimqgam, qsonesomz op vxu xezt.
1. Viedjoph ni pix voqt gus timg-qaccoph.
2. Dupgosnoph vjev nutv ug xjev O'n dassipvmz fuoph ot xusloph gus uvjist, epf O tjuamf liiq fuoph ov.

Updi O sidiowi emm nz qeznipvt gus Nesdj, O'mm aqfevi nz iespopht jisi.

 

[COSenior]

Xjipiwis O piif e nuvowevoupem cuutv, O vzqi op uvjis eavjus qip penit opvu temitsepliyqsitt.dun epf fu e raodl djidl vu tii xjev lopf ug nupiz vjiz'si neloph.

Jux fu zua fivisnopi vjev, iyedvmz?

 

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[ctcrompton]

Jux fu zua fivisnopi vjev, iyedvmz?

Puv tasi jux iyedvmz eddasevi ov ot, cav jisi't xjev O fu:

1. vzqi op ep optqosoph eavjus't peni op temitsepliyqsitt.dun.
2. Muul aq vji temit sepl ug cuult qacmotjif cz teof eavjus.
3. Ati iovjis vji djesv up vjot qehi
-> jvvq://xxx.vjisitesehep.dun/q/temi-seploph-djesv.jvnm
us upi ug vjiti vxu demdamevust -
jvvq://lfqdemdamevus.dun/opfiy.qjq
jvvq://xxx.efeboph.dun/cuul-fividvowi/

O'n tasi vjiti esip'v vissocmz eddasevi, cav og puvjoph imti, ov tjuxt ni xjev ot quttocmi og O dupvopai xsovoph.