Social media guru, Julie A. Gerber and award-winning author of forty-three best-selling, independently published books, Carole P. Roman, team up to travel the winding road of self-publishing, promoting, and marketing a book. Join these two self-help experts as they share their vast store of experience in an easy to read, comprehensive guide, complete with end of chapter checklists to keep an author on track.
Learn the importance of a beta reader and the value of a good editor. Know what's needed when preparing a list for choosing an illustrator. Compare the many ways to promote your book. Find out what each step can cost and where you can save. This guide takes new independent authors from the first draft, through publication and the complicated world of marketing. Included is a directory of resources to help get there faster.
Navigating Indieworld will end up being the ultimate travel guide for writers on their journey to published author.
Join us on Facebook at facebook.com/NavigatingIndieworld
Introduction
A funny thing happened on the way to my retirement. I found myself entering a whole new career in my late fifties, joining a community of people in which there was no return. I entered Indieworld.
A different breed of people live there, yet we all have the same agenda. It’s an amazing place - we don’t see our differences. We are color, age, and gender blind. We only want to tell our story and have it be appreciated. Oh yes, and make a small fortune in the process.
Indieworld is a vast entity filled with a universe of people driven to do the same thing. They are seeking what I refer to as the three “Fs”: fame, fortune, and fulfillment without getting screwed. I bet you thought I was going to use another word.
It’s been four years since I fell through the rabbit hole of independent publishing, and I feel the motivation to give back to my people. This is for the endless population of folks who are loitering on social media, crammed on Goodreads, and filling up blogs, who are lost and don’t know how to get on the track to succeed.
If any chapter of this book makes it easier for one of our brethren and they make it to Fifty Shades of Gray status, then we feel we have done our job. A best-seller for one of us is a victory for all of Indiekind.
This is making me feel like an independent author superhero, and every one of those has a valiant sidekick. A brave individual ready to take on the dark forces of bad reviews, expensive publicity, and the black hole of a four-digit high-rating number on Amazon.
The partner in my quest for the three “Fs” is Julie Gerber, the head guru at Away We Go Media. She is the wonder woman of social media, the empress of Twitter, the princess of Pinterest, and a maverick riding the ups and downs of Facebook. She has become a vital part of our process and a member of our family. I could not have done it without her.
We will approach the subject to educate, prepare, and enable any person to write, publish, and ultimately sell their books to the general public. This is our story.
A different breed of people live there, yet we all have the same agenda. It’s an amazing place - we don’t see our differences. We are color, age, and gender blind. We only want to tell our story and have it be appreciated. Oh yes, and make a small fortune in the process.
Indieworld is a vast entity filled with a universe of people driven to do the same thing. They are seeking what I refer to as the three “Fs”: fame, fortune, and fulfillment without getting screwed. I bet you thought I was going to use another word.
It’s been four years since I fell through the rabbit hole of independent publishing, and I feel the motivation to give back to my people. This is for the endless population of folks who are loitering on social media, crammed on Goodreads, and filling up blogs, who are lost and don’t know how to get on the track to succeed.
If any chapter of this book makes it easier for one of our brethren and they make it to Fifty Shades of Gray status, then we feel we have done our job. A best-seller for one of us is a victory for all of Indiekind.
This is making me feel like an independent author superhero, and every one of those has a valiant sidekick. A brave individual ready to take on the dark forces of bad reviews, expensive publicity, and the black hole of a four-digit high-rating number on Amazon.
The partner in my quest for the three “Fs” is Julie Gerber, the head guru at Away We Go Media. She is the wonder woman of social media, the empress of Twitter, the princess of Pinterest, and a maverick riding the ups and downs of Facebook. She has become a vital part of our process and a member of our family. I could not have done it without her.
We will approach the subject to educate, prepare, and enable any person to write, publish, and ultimately sell their books to the general public. This is our story.
Carole P. Roman
Long Island, New York
Long Island, New York
---
Chapter 1
Genesis ~ Carole
Genesis ~ Carole
Let’s start with Genesis, the beginning, the tiny seed of an idea that roots itself in your brain crying out to be nurtured.
It ignites with a spark, the light that illuminates the recesses of your mind, making the wheels start to whirl feverously.
The thoughts refuse to be extinguished. They needle, interrupting your daily chores, making you stare off into space and think. You shelve it; you have too much to do, but it percolates, the “what ifs” bubbling up until they erupt in a cataclysmic explosion that finally forces you to take your computer in hand and gaze at the white screen that turns your face red with the heat of embarrassment. Can you do this?
Writing a book is subjective. It’s a highly personal experience. You are taking your deepest thoughts, your fears, perceptions and laying them out like a smorgasbord for the world to read, peruse, and finally, judge you based on their personal point of view. Sometimes they are brutal, flaying the words from your book like a marauder. Other times, you will strike a communal cord, touching their heart and soul in the most intimate way. Either way, it is one of the most rewarding experiences in the world.
Your subject or story means everything to you. You can plot and plan, but somehow they take on a life of their own. Don’t obsess about what you are writing. You may find that like the childhood game of telephone, your book has morphed somehow and is a completely different story from where you began. In the end, it won’t matter; keep the momentum going, and let it develop organically. Once your characters take the lead, it becomes their story and not yours. Push to the finish line. As soon as you complete it, you’ll find out that is when the hard work really starts. Jump into the world of indie writers.
You will find plenty of experts to help you take your project from idea to a finished work of art. Amazon and the internet are filled with books to help you through the nuts and bolts of writing a book.
I got started writing when most people are thinking about jettisoning work and lightening their load. My sons dared me to take on the challenge. After all, I had talked about it my entire life. It was a long time dream, put on the back burner, the demands of family and business eclipsing my passion.
I didn’t know where to begin. My son urged me to sit and start writing. You don’t need special tools or carved out time. It could be while you’re waiting for the kids at practice, when you are on the train, or in my case, at my desk, in the office, before everyone arrived to begin the workday.
Experts say, write about what you know. I don’t agree with that. Write about what you want to know. Write about what you love or hate. What about what you want. If we all wrote about what we know, do you think there would be so many choices on Amazon in science fiction or fantasy?
All that matters is you enjoy it and finish it. You could be the one to make a fortune and become the next literary breakout. Maybe you won’t. Either way, you are leaving a permanent marker that you were here. You are sending out a piece of yourself to our vast universe to mingle with other notions. Perhaps you are going to change the world. Uh oh, did I make you feel self-conscious?
Don’t be intimidated by the thoughts rushing through your head! Once you start, your imagination will take on a life of its own.
You can’t do it, you tell yourself. You feel stupid. It’s silly, a childish daydream, you are thinking, but still your fingers type. You are so lost in research; nobody can have a coherent conversation with you. You’re discovering things you’ve never known before.
Your spouse is annoyed; the kids are hungry; the boss is mad; you missed a deadline for work. It doesn’t matter. All that counts are the words flowing from your speeding fingers, your shoulders shaking with mirth at your humor. It will start to take shape; the paragraphs will add up, and a story will emerge. Enjoy the sting behind your eyes at the sad turn of events for Brad, Thad, Emily, or Justin. The thrill of a chase or the crazy quilt of twists you are creating.
Check the word count. Fifteen hundred words. Is that dawn peeking under the shades? Sixty-five hundred by the following weekend. You hit twenty thousand yesterday. Did you share your creation with anyone? Did you tell your bus driver you are writing a book?
You do sleep; you still eat; you continue to perform your day job. Mindless activities like laundry are a welcome relief as you plot and plan, playing out scenarios in your mind. You function in a Twilight Zone of want. You want to complete the next chapter; you want to tie the threads together; you want to - finish? The computer waits on the table, mocking you, daring you to continue.
Reread or not to reread - you can. Don’t let it stop you. Don’t overthink it, yet they’ll be others who will do that for you. Today you’re like a dynamo. Just finish the darn thing!
The story is taking shape; your characters have a personality - you love them; no, maybe you hate them. They are as real to you as the faces you are cleaning up after dinner and the soft cheeks you kiss goodnight. You return to your computer with ice-cream or popcorn, whatever your comfort food of choice and continue.
So it begins, your opus, your work of art. The shaping and molding of words to echo your thoughts, your deepest, love/fear, hate/joy - it doesn’t matter. It’s yours, and it’s here. You read it multiple times, but you need to have another opinion. It could be your spouse, lover, or friend, but the time has come to share your creation with someone who promises to be honest. It’s time to launch this baby into orbit.
It ignites with a spark, the light that illuminates the recesses of your mind, making the wheels start to whirl feverously.
The thoughts refuse to be extinguished. They needle, interrupting your daily chores, making you stare off into space and think. You shelve it; you have too much to do, but it percolates, the “what ifs” bubbling up until they erupt in a cataclysmic explosion that finally forces you to take your computer in hand and gaze at the white screen that turns your face red with the heat of embarrassment. Can you do this?
Writing a book is subjective. It’s a highly personal experience. You are taking your deepest thoughts, your fears, perceptions and laying them out like a smorgasbord for the world to read, peruse, and finally, judge you based on their personal point of view. Sometimes they are brutal, flaying the words from your book like a marauder. Other times, you will strike a communal cord, touching their heart and soul in the most intimate way. Either way, it is one of the most rewarding experiences in the world.
Your subject or story means everything to you. You can plot and plan, but somehow they take on a life of their own. Don’t obsess about what you are writing. You may find that like the childhood game of telephone, your book has morphed somehow and is a completely different story from where you began. In the end, it won’t matter; keep the momentum going, and let it develop organically. Once your characters take the lead, it becomes their story and not yours. Push to the finish line. As soon as you complete it, you’ll find out that is when the hard work really starts. Jump into the world of indie writers.
You will find plenty of experts to help you take your project from idea to a finished work of art. Amazon and the internet are filled with books to help you through the nuts and bolts of writing a book.
I got started writing when most people are thinking about jettisoning work and lightening their load. My sons dared me to take on the challenge. After all, I had talked about it my entire life. It was a long time dream, put on the back burner, the demands of family and business eclipsing my passion.
I didn’t know where to begin. My son urged me to sit and start writing. You don’t need special tools or carved out time. It could be while you’re waiting for the kids at practice, when you are on the train, or in my case, at my desk, in the office, before everyone arrived to begin the workday.
Experts say, write about what you know. I don’t agree with that. Write about what you want to know. Write about what you love or hate. What about what you want. If we all wrote about what we know, do you think there would be so many choices on Amazon in science fiction or fantasy?
All that matters is you enjoy it and finish it. You could be the one to make a fortune and become the next literary breakout. Maybe you won’t. Either way, you are leaving a permanent marker that you were here. You are sending out a piece of yourself to our vast universe to mingle with other notions. Perhaps you are going to change the world. Uh oh, did I make you feel self-conscious?
Don’t be intimidated by the thoughts rushing through your head! Once you start, your imagination will take on a life of its own.
You can’t do it, you tell yourself. You feel stupid. It’s silly, a childish daydream, you are thinking, but still your fingers type. You are so lost in research; nobody can have a coherent conversation with you. You’re discovering things you’ve never known before.
Your spouse is annoyed; the kids are hungry; the boss is mad; you missed a deadline for work. It doesn’t matter. All that counts are the words flowing from your speeding fingers, your shoulders shaking with mirth at your humor. It will start to take shape; the paragraphs will add up, and a story will emerge. Enjoy the sting behind your eyes at the sad turn of events for Brad, Thad, Emily, or Justin. The thrill of a chase or the crazy quilt of twists you are creating.
Check the word count. Fifteen hundred words. Is that dawn peeking under the shades? Sixty-five hundred by the following weekend. You hit twenty thousand yesterday. Did you share your creation with anyone? Did you tell your bus driver you are writing a book?
You do sleep; you still eat; you continue to perform your day job. Mindless activities like laundry are a welcome relief as you plot and plan, playing out scenarios in your mind. You function in a Twilight Zone of want. You want to complete the next chapter; you want to tie the threads together; you want to - finish? The computer waits on the table, mocking you, daring you to continue.
Reread or not to reread - you can. Don’t let it stop you. Don’t overthink it, yet they’ll be others who will do that for you. Today you’re like a dynamo. Just finish the darn thing!
The story is taking shape; your characters have a personality - you love them; no, maybe you hate them. They are as real to you as the faces you are cleaning up after dinner and the soft cheeks you kiss goodnight. You return to your computer with ice-cream or popcorn, whatever your comfort food of choice and continue.
So it begins, your opus, your work of art. The shaping and molding of words to echo your thoughts, your deepest, love/fear, hate/joy - it doesn’t matter. It’s yours, and it’s here. You read it multiple times, but you need to have another opinion. It could be your spouse, lover, or friend, but the time has come to share your creation with someone who promises to be honest. It’s time to launch this baby into orbit.
To Do List:
1 - Write your book.
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