Self-Publishing Day 3: From Blank Page to Finished Manuscript

Welcome back to my 5-day self-publishing challenge, where I’m trying to help you to self-publish a book and get a new passive income stream by the end of the year.

Most people get excited about the idea of writing book, not so much actually sitting down to do it. It’s hard work and can be intimidating.

After all, what if no one reads the book? What if they read it and hate it?

Those are all limiting thoughts you need to get rid of RIGHT NOW. Because let me tell you, there are people out there who know half of what you know that are making twice the money. Stop selling yourself short!

The myth of the “overnight success” is just that – a myth. Very few people strike gold on their first novel. Even the most well-known writers we know only got good by writing more. Some of them didn’t even get recognized until after their death! Don’t worry, that won’t be you if I can help it. I just need you to remember one thing.

If you want to be a writer, you need to actually write.

Don’t worry about what training or degree you have. Don’t sweat having the fastest computer program or the cutest writing space. Just get your words down somewhere. They don’t have to be perfect. That’s what editing is for.

There’s no perfect time. There’s no moment when -- boom! – you’re suddenly qualified to write a book. Life doesn’t work that way. You want to write a book? All you have to do is write it.

You have something to share with the world and every day that you sit there questioning yourself is a day that your book is 1) not helping others; and 2) not making you money. Let’s put an end to that today.

Need a little motivation? Set a deadline by which you’ll be finished and announce it to the world. Yes, it can be scary but it’s also a good marketing technique because you start building buzz and anticipation for your book. This is not the time to be shy – you’re writing a book! Shout it from the (digital) rooftops and take all the feedback and opinions people have to offer. You don’t have to abide by them all, but it’s good for your readers and followers to feel engaged and like you value their input.

How long should you give yourself? Hey, life is hectic so don’t get too stressed over this. If you’re writing full-time, I would say a minimum of 1,000 words a day. Otherwise, try to get at least that done in a week. Once you have 15-20,000 words, you have the makings of a small non-fiction e-book, and with 40,000+ words the makings of a novel.

That said, I would aim for a 30-90 day writing deadline. No one is getting any younger!

One option to boost productivity is to hole up for a weekend and write nonstop, churning out content. There are writer retreats and seminars that serve this purpose. It’s up to you and where you feel the most productive. I recommend waking up early to write. Most people function best when their mind is fresh, not at 11pm after being overwhelmed with the responsibilities and duties of the day.

If at any point you’re feeling writer’s block, there’s a few things you can do. First, turn off your inner editor. Stop re-reading the same sentence over and over again trying to make it perfect. Instead, do stream of consciousness writing where you write what you think. Turn off the brightness on your screen so you’re not tempted to look at the little red lines underlining your errors. The key is to get the words out first – you can go back and make them pretty later.

A good outline will get you far. Once you have the bones of your book, the rest is just fluff. If you’re writing nonfiction, break it down into chapters and subsections, noting the information you want to cover in each one. If you’re writing nonfiction, write a plot map and talk about important character developments and twists you want to have to get the reader to the desired outcome. Outlining is key to success and a good outline will make you feel like the book is already practically written.

Finally, if you’re really feeling stuck, change your surroundings. Go somewhere you feel inspired. It’s so easy for writers to get stuck in a self-made cave of sorts. Get some fresh air. Go sit by a lake or climb a mountain. Take a yoga class. Physical activity will help your brain unplug and refresh before hitting the laptop again.

Now, let’s get a few practical matters covered. Regarding your writing software, Google Docs works just fine and is free. There’s another program called Scrivener that’s popular, but it will cost you. You just need a Word document or PDF to upload your book to Amazon.

Editing wise, you will need a hyperlinked, clickable table of contents (can easily be Googled or you can hire someone to do this for you for cheap) and to make sure your images are properly sized. You can do this with an image compressor online for free. Unless you’re publishing a photography book, images are not your main focus. You can print in color or black and white. Black and white will be cheaper.

Amazon takes a percentage of your book sales depending on how it’s priced. You’ll want to price your book between $2.99 and $9.99 to make 70% commission, the maximum amount. The amount of commission you make on a paperback depends on how much it costs to print it (varies by size, ink color, paper chosen, etc.)

If you’re not a prolific writer, you can still publish with as little as 5,000-10,000 words and just offer your book as a short story or permanently $.99 download. I recommend you do this with at least one book anyways since people browse the bargain book list for deals all the time and it can serve as a lead magnet to bring in new readers.

You want to have more than one book so that your books can help sell each other. You also want to market yourself in the book preview, meaning the first 5 pages of your book. I recommend putting in a lead magnet in before your outline, something like “Want to learn more about this topic? Click here to sign up for a list of TK things that will make your life better,” and have that link redirect to a special page on your website. E-books allow active URL links so this is a quick way to get new subscribers, even before they purchase your book.

Those wanting to get social will find value in writing challenges like NaNoWriMo, celebrating National Writing Month but also holding events and digital celebrations throughout the year. There are also several writer groups you can join on Facebook, just type in “self-publishing support” and you’ll see plenty come up. Goodreads is also an invaluable platform for authors, but only if you’re a user yourself so start getting familiar with it since that’s where the people who read and recommend books hang out.

If you’re not a strong writer, you can hire help in the form of an editor. Peruse trusted Facebook writer groups and ask friends for recommendations. You can also outsource writing altogether and get a ghost writer.

However, I want you to know that you are capable of writing an amazing book, and that your voice is uniquely yours. It’s who your readers want to hear from, and I know you’re here because you have a story you want to tell.

So, tell it!

Stop waiting for “someday” and write that book to-day. It doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to get done. What are you waiting for? Let me know in the comments if you’ve already started writing your book.