Doggy Paddling at a Swim Meet
The journey from being a reader to being a writer is terrifying. I've realized that over the past month or so. From setting up a Twitter account to a website to a blog, I've seen just how much I don't know about being an author. While the authors in my feed are doing metaphorical butterfly strokes, I'm struggling to keep my head above the water. Some of this has to do with the fact that I'm young - younger than the vast majority of the authors in my genre. I have a lot to learn, and I AM learning. So here are five things that I've learned so far about getting started as an author looking to self-publish.
1. Remember that you have to start somewhere. This is my starting point. I have no book published (though I do have a publication date), few followers on Twitter, and absolutely no idea what a media kit is supposed to look like. And you know what? That's okay. Because every other author started out at the same point. Everyone knows that J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter on the back of a napkin. And while yes, she eventually found a publishing house who could market for her, she had to start somewhere. So start with your book and go from there.
2. Follow other authors in your genre on social media. This is good for two reasons. One, you'll have the benefit of seeing how they run their social media and how they interact with other authors. Two, you'll be surprised at the number of authors and others who follow you back. That in itself is a small reward, and often it leads to other new followers. It isn't enough just to follow other authors. Interact with them. Talk to them. They might even talk back.
3. Do your research. Over the past week, I've read more about marketing than I could possibly care to. But it's important. If you're going to go the self-publishing route, and even if you aren't, you have to be able to market yourself. So write down ten words that come to mind when you think of what kind of writer you are. What image do you want to portray? If you still have absolutely no idea where to start, go back to point number 2. Look at the authors you follow on Twitter or Facebook and see how they do things. *Note, this does NOT mean steal their things.*
4. Do not compare yourself to other authors. Each and every author does things differently. Some authors use Twitter and Facebook and Pinterest and run a blog and have a website. Some authors use none, and some use a combination of them. Some authors include dashes of their personal life. Some strictly stick to publishing. The point is, each author's journey is different. What you post on social media will depend on what you write and what your interests are. It's okay not to talk about something on social media. But it's also okay to NOT talk about something on social media if that isn't your thing. Just breathe. Figure out what image you want to portray and stick to that image. Don't worry about whether or not it fits in with what other authors are doing.
5. It's okay to be intimidated. Publishing a book is a daunting task, and marketing your book is even more so. I'm not immune to it either. I'm a 22 year old M/M romance author trying to compete and fit in with women who have much more life and publishing experience than I do. But when you have a project that you love, that you're passionate about, you have to be willing to look past that. You have to be willing to take risks and put yourself out there and hope to whatever deity you believe in that it'll all work out. And if it doesn't? Then it doesn't. At the very least, you can say that you've tried. That you wrote a book you were proud of. How many people can say that?
The thought of marketing a book as a debut author can be terrifying. But as long as we move past that fear and take the plunge into the deep end, we'll be okay. It doesn't matter if we start off doggy paddling. If we work hard and believe in ourselves and have a tiny bit of luck, we'll both learn how to do butterfly strokes.
The Viscount and the Artist will be available in September.
