For as long as I can remember, I have loved writing and have always wanted to write my own novel. Books were my happy place, stories of fictional lands whisking me away from whatever problems I’d had at the time, and after I’d had some time to breathe after graduating college, that spark to read and write was reignited. I’m not sure if this is relatable to anyone else, but being told what to read and write for years while pursuing my degrees really turned me off to both of those things that I loved so dearly (though I absolutely found some gems through my required readings over the years).
What I found, though, is that as I grew older, I found less work that I could relate to or resonated with—there wasn’t a whole lot of representation of queer people in literature, and that upset me. This has changed within the last few years, thankfully, with much more representation of queer people and people of color in many different genres (I am especially happy to see this in YA and fantasy novels), but when I finally realized that is part of what had been missing for me, everything seemed to fall into place. The spark of inspiration was ignited, and I finished the first draft of Paint within a few months.
Since then, I have learned a lot about writing and self-publishing a novel. I recognize that I still have a hell of a lot more learning and growing to do as a writer, but I’d like to think that I know a lot more now than when I first started writing and I thought I’d share some of what I’ve learned. This might not be new information for you, or maybe it is, and I don’t claim to be an expert on the subject, but I hope that it will entertain you at the very least.
Here are five things that I’ve learned about self-publishing a novel:
- There is No Right or Wrong Way to Start Writing
Every person has their own writing process. Some prefer to plot out every single scene before they ever put pen to paper and begin their story (commonly referred to as Plotters); some loosely outline the major plot points and let the writing process take them there (what I think of as a Hybrid); some don’t like to outline at all and let themselves be surprised by the story as they go, flying by the seat of their pants (commonly referred to as Pantsers).
Personally, I’m a hybrid writer. I like to go into the story with an idea of what I want it to be about, how to get from Point A to Point B, but leave the tiny details for me to discover as I write. Everyone is different, though, so what works for me may not work for someone else and vice versa.
The same thing goes for where you write. Some people prefer to use specific programs created for writing manuscripts, such as Scrivener and Living Writer, while others are happy just writing everything down in a simple Microsoft Word document or a Google Doc. Other factors may come into play later, like formatting your manuscript for eBook and print copies, but don’t over-complicate the writing process just because you hear of someone else doing things a certain way. That’s their way, and that might just be the wrong way for you. While I was writing Paint, I used a website called Reedsy (totally free, has a network of freelance editors, designers, etc. that you can contact and commission, and will format your manuscript for you in a variety of document types) and might try something new for my next project. It’s all about discovering what works for you! Small things like that can really affect your writing habits, so don’t sweat the small stuff and write your way.
- Your Initial Product Will Not Be Perfect—and That’s Okay!
When it comes to my work, I can be a bit of a perfectionist. If something has my name attached to it, whether it be a simple work email or an entire novel, I want it to be the very best it can be. It’s natural to feel that way!
When drafting a manuscript, though, especially for first drafts, this cannot be the case if you ever want to have a finished product. Something I learned during the process of creating Paint is that my first draft is going to be garbage compared to the finished product—and that’s great! That means that I’ve put in the work, thought deeper about what I’m writing, and have a good eye (or your editor has a good eye) for what worked and what needed to be changed to better tell your story.
A rule that I’ve implemented for myself is that I am not allowed to go back and edit my first draft while I am still writing it. I might have a better idea of what I want to say, or a different way to get the point across, in which case I will make a note of it to change later, but I do not go back and fix it right away. It’s a slippery slope, and if you go back to make a change on your first draft before you even finish writing it, you’ll never finish. Focus on the end goal, get the initial draft done, and let it be bad. It’ll only make you feel that much better when you compare it to the much improved final draft later on.
- Imposter Syndrome is Real!
This is something that I made a point to include in this post because I don’t think it’s talked about enough in the writing community. Imposter Syndrome is a very real thing and will try to make you believe that your work isn’t good enough to be published, you aren’t talented enough to be writing a book, your story is unoriginal, and many other evil things that are completely untrue.
As someone diagnosed with depression and anxiety, it’s a pretty regular feeling for me, but every time I let another pair of eyes look at what I’d written—whether it was a beta reader or my editor—I felt these amplified feelings of panic and regret, that I’d be found out for being a no-talent hack wasting his time, which simply is not true! I don’t know what it is, but something about sharing your art with others really brings out this feeling in many of us, so I wanted to make it a point to say DO NOT LISTEN TO THAT VOICE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, NO MATTER WHAT!
Sure, your writing may not be everyone’s cup of tea, and yes, there is more than likely always something that you overlooked that might need a little tweaking or a quick rewrite (or even a big rewrite, depending on what stage of writing you’re in), but that has nothing to do with your worth as a person and a writer. Find people you can trust if you need another pair of eyes and listen to what they say (but do not take their word as law), and be honest with them if you’re feeling vulnerable about a certain passage or chapter and only want some positive feedback for now.
There will always be critiques, both positive and negative, to be given, and there will always be someone that simply will not like what you’ve written. But that is none of your business. And, if you’re worried that you might be a bad writer in over your head, remember that those who are truly bad writers are convinced they’re above it all and do not worry about being bad. We always have room to grow, so let yourself grow.
- Don’t Quit Your Day Job
Everybody who publishes a book has the dream of being at the top of the New York Times Best Sellers List, of writing the next Harry Potter and receiving fame and fortune. Unfortunately, that is more than likely not the case. Don’t get me wrong, it is not impossible and stranger things have happened, but it is very unlikely that your novel—especially your first one—will get you there.
Personally, I dream of one day being able to write for a living and no longer working a day job. I would love to be recognized and paid well for my art. Who wouldn’t? But dreams don’t pay the bills, folks, so don’t let yourself get too caught up in them.
Also, you’re going to have to spend money before you can even think of making money with book sales once it’s published. If you want a great finished product, you cannot solely edit your manuscript or just get feedback from some friends and need to work with a professional editor. I have a degree in English with a focus on Creative Writing, so I like to think that I have a pretty good grasp on grammar and how to write a story, but my editor, Dominic Wakeford, caught things that I completely overlooked and was more than worth the money I paid for his services. The same is true for my extremely talented friend, Candace Neal, who I commissioned to design Paint’s cover (and some additional fun things that will be announced in my next newsletter). She does phenomenal work that I could never do myself and was absolutely worth the money I invested in the fantastic work she created for me.
The point is, this process isn’t cheap, so go into the process knowing that you’ll need to spend some money to be successful in your endeavors. Consider it an investment! As I said, don’t quit your day job (not yet, at least).
- Writing the Book Isn’t Even the Toughest Part
Last, but certainly not least, I wanted to touch on this subject. You might be asking yourself, What could be harder than writing a book? That’s a huge endeavor! And you’d be absolutely right—writing a book is a very hard thing to do and you should be very proud of yourself. However, one thing that you should think about if you’re considering self-publishing and haven’t thought about already is the marketing side of the process.
When I started, I thought to myself, “This will be easy! I’ll just use my social media to let people know and things will fall into place.” If you don’t want much publicity or success, that will work fine. But it takes hard work to grow an audience if that’s what your goal is. In the age of technology, social media is extremely important in creating your author brand and growing an audience of your targeted demographic—the support of your friends and family is amazing and always appreciated, but they may not be the ideal audience for your work. This is why I’ve created my website and this blog, why I have a bi-monthly newsletter, and why almost all social media platforms now have an author page—to find the right audience.
There are plenty of extremely helpful blog posts, YouTube videos (Alexa Donne, Reedsy, Book Launchers, and iWriterly, to name a few channels), and even books dedicated to the book marketing process that have taught me so much about how to grow an audience and market yourself as a brand and a product, so don’t overlook this crucial step in your self-publishing process.
These are certainly not the only things I’ve learned, or that you should if you plan to self-publish, but I hope that these five key points have helped to give you a better idea of what to expect and how to prepare yourself for this exciting and stressful ride! If you’re interested, feel free to check out my website here or my debut novel, Paint, here!
Colin Brooks, Author 