There are lots of publishing ideas out there these days. And in the past few years these ideas, or gimmicks as I call them seem to have multiplied 10 times over. Every time I open my email or look at my social media someone is trying to sell me a foolproof way to get published.
My favorite one right now is “How I Did it Overnight…Publish in 90 Days.” Well 90 days isn’t quite overnight, but then I’m not sure I would want to buy a book that someone only spent 90 days to create.
This tells me something though….
Apparently, people don’t want to just read, they want to write. They want to leave a mark and they want to do it with a book. And with the invention of on-demand printing, writing, and publishing your very own book is doable without having to buy 10,000 copies at a time.
Self-Publishing
When you search “self-publishing” you will find a never-ending list of sources that will help you do just that.
In fact, not only will these publishing experts help you publish your book, they guarantee you can write, publish, and market your book in just 90 days. Just spend $900.00 on their program. An hour a day, and you too will be a published author before you know it. We guarantee you can do this! (Followed by a cheesy smile.)
Each time I see one of these publishing gimmicks I can only imagine that Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone with the Wind, is rolling in her grave.
Why the attitude? Let me explain this one without judgement…if I can.
I think of the writing and publishing processes as sacred. The writing is the piece of art and the publishing is the framing of that art. When creating a masterpiece, you do not just rush through. You do not just throw words onto paper for an hour a day and in ninety days have a book.
You MUST HAVE your book professionally edited to address errors, content, and flow. You MUST HAVE professional digital formatting done. You MUST HAVE a brilliant book cover designed. Your work of art can’t be thrown into a one-size-fits-all publishing frame. Your book MUST HAVE a home.
I know I sound a little odd but think about this for a minute. Your book is your written observation about you, your profession, and/or your life’s experiences. It’s your gift to the world and it has something to show us. So, in the middle of the sentence you don’t want the words falling off the page due to improper digital formatting. Nor do you want the chapters running into each other, or the page numbers out of order, or the table of contents sending readers to the wrong page or, or, or… I think you get the point.
So, while yes you could probably write, publish, and attempt to market your book in 90 days or less, why would you want to?
Conscious Shift Publishing consults, edits, formats, designs, publishes, and markets books. Whether writers wish to self- or indie-publish we inspire them through every step to promote their unique perspectives. CSP clients retain 100% of their royalties as well as 100% ownership of every digital file and image. Find out more at ConsciousShiftPublishing.com or contact publisher, Tracey Kern, at tracey@cscpubs.com to schedule a complimentary consultation. Write on!