How to finish that manuscript – advice for aspiring authors

Another one bites the dust!

Often, the biggest challenge for anyone who dreams of becoming an author – is actually finishing that damn manuscript!

I have been writing for years now. However, the first decade was filled with drawers of half-finished stories. My classic pattern was to reach page 100 and then throw away the bloody thing in disgust. Either, I’d just discovered the story wasn’t working, or it was boring me to death. Whatever the reason, I had just spent a couple of months on a story that I would never finish – again. Fast forward a few years and I have self-published one epic fantasy novella and three full-length novels, as well as a Lord of the Rings fan fiction series. I have also written a number of non-fiction works, and fiction novels under pen names. 

These days I rarely begin novels that I never finish.

Some hints to make sure you finish that manuscript

I could come up with a detailed list of all ways to ensure you get that story written – but in the end it boils down to three key pieces of advice:

Write what you love: I write the stories I have always wanted to read. I throw myself into epic adventures that have me clamouring to return to them. I have to keep writing because I have to know what happens! This advice might seem like a no-brainer but so many of us start out writing the novels we think we ‘should’ write. Is it any wonder then, that we can’t stand the sight of it after a couple of months? Writing a story you love is hard enough, don’t throw rocks in your path by trying to write anything else.

Plan it: I’m not saying you have to sit down and plan the story out in meticulous detail – you’re likely to get bored half-way if you do. However, a story outline and a rough chapter plan, will help ensure that a) the story actually works and b) you think about important elements like structure, pacing and characters. If you’re embarking on an epic fantasy, make sure you do some serious world-building before you write, including summaries of the magic system and a potted history of the world your characters inhabit.Otherwise your story will lack credibility and depth. If you don't believe in the world you've created, no one else will.

Approach it as a professional: If you’re serious about writing, then act as if it is a job. Once you self-publish and list that book on Amazon (or any other self-publishing platform), then you are officially ‘in business’. Self-publishing was a huge motivation for me to finish my novels. Once you approaching your writing as a professional, your entire relationship with it changes. Suddenly, it isn’t such a slog. You find yourself scheduling time, setting milestones and treating your writing with the seriousness it deserves.

Get over the idea of the ‘tortured artist’ stereotype. You know, the guy who stares blankly at his laptop screen, waiting for inspiration to strike, for his muse to whisper in his ear. That guy could be waiting a long time... 

The act of creation is not some elusive power that only the select few master. You can have all the talent in the world, but if you don’t actually finish anything, who will care? Write the kind of books you crave to read, plan before you throw yourself in, and treat it as a profession - and you will have that manuscript written in no time!

Feeling unnoticed at work? Get creative with self-publishing!

Let’s face it – you’re bored and largely unappreciated at work. You job’s okay, but those eight hours you spend at the office every day just don’t give you a creative outlet. Sometimes you feel as if your job ‘owns’ you. Over the years, you’ve tried to make sure you have a life outside work, but it’s never enough. Between work, family and friends – it seems as if you have nothing that’s truly ‘yours’.

Even with a satisfying career, many of us need something creative beyond it. Being creative involves giving something of yourself; an activity that is not always encouraged in the stuffy office environment, but one that can give you an enormous amount of personal satisfaction.

Better yet, how about choosing a creative pursuit that actually pays?

Welcome to the world of self-publishing!

The fact that you can write and publish yourself on platforms like Amazon KDP, Smashwords and CreateSpace (among others), isn’t a new concept. We’ve all heard of those authors who self-published a novel, went viral and ended up getting a lucrative publishing deal. Let’s face it, that doesn’t happen to everyone – but if you enjoy writing, are interested in learning about the publishing process, self-publishing can be an absorbing and rewarding – not to mention addictive – hobby.

A writer writes!

To get started you need to write something worth publishing.

Write? I don’t have time to get my hair cut or go to the gym! How on earth am I supposed to find time to put ‘pen to paper’?

Unlike a lot of creative activities, writing is something you can easily fit into your day – even if you work long hours. Bring a spiral-bound notebook and pen everywhere with you. Scribble your story at lunch time, morning or afternoon tea, or during your commute on the train. Rather than glancing out the window of the train impatiently, you could be engrossed in writing your latest novel.

Act like a professional

Even if you see writing and self-publishing as a hobby, approach it like a job – a job that brings you joy not sorrow – the job of professionally published author. Instead of randomly publishing a collection of anything that comes to mind, plan your masterpiece. Contrary to what many believe, organisation does NOT stifle creativity – it increases productivity and provides a framework for creativity to ‘hang on’.

You don’t need to write books in order to self-publish

Short-stories, novellas, non-fiction booklets or articles are an excellent way for a novice self-publisher to get started. Less daunting then a full length novel (which range between 60,000-100,000 words), shorter works are also an excellent way to get experience. As a rough guide, a short story is usually up to around 8,000 words, whereas as a novella can range between 10,000- 40,000 words.

Make it shine

Don’t be one of those self-published authors who put up half-finished, unedited work that’s riddled with errors. Remember, you’re expecting people to pay for your work! Plan your story before you write it and get someone whose opinion you trust to critique it once you’ve finished it. After that, make sure you edit and proofread your work meticulously. A professional editor can be expensive, but you can find someone cheaply on online job search websites like Elance. Alternatively, bribe a talented friend!

The trick is to make both your cover, and the content itself, look as if it is professionally published. Take a look on Amazon and see how the professionally published works present themselves – it isn’t that hard to copy! With this in mind, try to avoid amateurish cover art. Sites like DeviantArt allow you to commission an artist without paying a fortune, or you can purchase images from online photo agencies and create a simple, effective cover using Microsoft Publisher.

“Hello, world!”

Most of the self-publishing platforms are relatively user-friendly, and have user guides on how to format your work for publication. They also allow you to create an author page. Your royalties depend on the platform you use, and the price you choose – and once you start to get a few works up there, you’d be surprised how quickly your ‘balance’ adds up.

So get writing, and publishing. The beauty of self-publishing is that, in addition to being great fun, you are also learning skills that you could employ in your current or future job. Who knows, you could even be one of the lucky few who ‘make it’. And even if you don’t, you’ll be able to spend many enjoyable hours engrossed a hobby that actually pays!

Self-publishing - creating your own book trailer

One of the things I love about being a self-published author is there are a host of creative aspects - not just writing - that I can be involved in. For example, I draw all the maps for my books and although I hire a graphic artist to do my cover art - I work closely with him on the concept.

One thing I really enjoy doing is making book trailers.

I also write historical fiction (under the pen name Jayne Castel, www.jaynecastel.com), and had so much fun creating a book trailer for the novel Dark Under the Cover of Night, that I decided to do the same for my epic fantasy novel: Journey of Shadows. These are two very different books but I like how their trailers effectively highlight each novel's central theme and tone.

I think with a little creativity, it's possible for most self-published authors to create their own book trailer. You see some high budget trailers on You Tube, with animation, actors and loads of special effects - however these books are backed by big publishers who can afford to spend a ton of money on them. At first glance, it may appear that these slick trailers are best, but I feel that too many of them look like movie trailers. You're not selling a movie, you're selling a book! Aren't books exciting enough to stand on their own?

So, if you're thinking about making your own book trailer, here are some tips on making an effective one on a tight budget.

1. You will need a video maker - many computers have Windows Movie Maker on them. I downloaded AVS Video Editor (and paid $37 for a one-year license)
2. Remember that LESS IS MORE. Keep your trailer under a minute and a half - any longer than this and you'll loose your viewer's attention
3. Write out a story board for your trailer, along with ideas on the types of images that would suit it - before you go buying images/video clips. 
4. Once again, lean towards simplicity with regards to the storyline. Tantalize! Don't be tempted to tell the whole story, or to use your Amazon blurb either. Think of your trailer as a 'taster', something that will entice potential readers to buy your book.
5. Avoid the overuse of adjectives and pumping your book up, without showing the viewer what it's about. For example: "An exciting, adrenalin-fueled adventure that will have you on the edge of your seat" tells me nothing and sounds cliched. It would be far better to use strong verbs to describe the adventure. For example: "Hugo must sail through treacherous oceans and battle armies of the dead, in his quest for the lost talisman." (not award-winning - but you get the picture!)
6. Think of your novel's themes and imagery and highlight them through strong statements in your trailer.
7. Use royalty-free pictures. I buy images from www.istockphotos.com but there are plenty of other image libraries out there. Don't be tempted to use pictures off the internet without having permission first, or it will only come back and bite you!
8. Use video clips sparingly. I do use video footage (which I also buy off www.istockphotos.com), but I tend to be careful not to overdo it. For example, a moody backdrop with grass waving in the wind at sunset, or flying like a bird through clouds over mountain peaks work well with text. Subtle video footage, coupled with strong subtitles can be very effective.
9. Use royalty-free podsafe music. I use www.musicalley.com - when choosing music I feel that instrumental, rather than songs with lyrics, work better. Finding lyrics that perfectly match your story is difficult, plus they can distract the viewer. It goes without saying that you should try to find music which best suits the genre and mood of your book.
10. Use the 'animation' function for text - this will make the text slide in and off each frame more naturally, rather than static text, which can appear stilted and boring. Play around with the colours, font sizes and types to find the right ones for your trailer, but don't use more than two types of font as it can make your trailer look 'bitsy'. Keep colours neutral and, once again, keep the font-style in keeping with the genre and mood of the book.
11. Use scene transitions. These help make your trailer flow smoothly - I find 'fade to black' and 'zoom in' or 'zoom out' work well.
12. Finish the trailer with a close up of your book's cover, as well as information on where they can find the book for sale and your author's URL.

Here are examples of two book trailers I made for my novels. These were both created on a limited budget - and a fertile imagination!

Journey of Shadows BOOK TRAILER

 Dark Under the Cover of Night BOOK TRAILER

Guides to becoming a self-published writer – how many of them are worth the money?

Like many authors new to publishing on Amazon Kindle and other self-publishing platforms, I was keen to learn more about the subject. I wanted to make sure I was editing, formatting and publishing correctly, and making the right decisions regarding cover design, pricing and marketing. At times, I have a tendency to rush headlong into new projects, without doing the necessary groundwork first; so this time I wanted to make sure I was well prepared. I wanted to give my work the best possible chance of being found, bought and read!

Reading some of the e-books available on this subject has been enlightening to say the least - but, unfortunately, it’s not all good…

Like any area that people decide has 'get rich quick' potential, Kindle has been touted as a gold-mine. You just have to look at the titles of many of the e-books aimed at self-published authors. Titles along the lines of 'make a million on kindle', 'Kindle cash', 'how I made a million/thousands with Kindle' abound. We live in a quick fix, ‘I should be rich/happy/successful for no effort’ society, and making your fortune on Kindle holds a certain appeal. Unfortunately, there aren’t that many books on self-publishing available, and most of what’s out there is definitely riding the ‘be another (insert name of famous indie author here!) wave.

That said, there are many self-published authors – myself included – who have been writing for years and are delighted to have a means through which others can read our work – finally! I got my first check from Amazon last week - and did a dance around the house to celebrate. It may not be a fortune but its payment for doing something I love. That’s what most self-published authors are looking for – the chance to make a living at writing. I believe that the mirage of fame, fortune and mega-success is a trap for the unwary – one that many books on the subject perpetuate.

So for self-published (or planning to be self-published authors) out there – which guides to self-publishing are actually worth the money? Below I have listed the six most popular guides available on Kindle, and my opinion of their strengths and weaknesses. In alphabetical order by author they are:

Michael Alvear – Make a Killing on Kindle (Without Blogging, Facebook Or Twitter). The Guerilla Marketer’s Guide to Selling Ebooks
This writer takes a different approach from some of his competitors (as shown in the title); one that will appeal to those who have blogged, tweeted and Facebooked in a frenzy – with few or no resulting sales. The main premise of this book is as that you should market within Amazon (thus capturing those who are already looking for books like yours), rather than trying to market to the whole world when you are an unknown author. Some of his advice is good: creating a good title, masterful book description and dazzling cover art make sense, as does using Adwords and the Amazon search engine to make sure the keywords you use when uploading your work onto KDP get your book found. However, some advice, such as putting a billboard up on your competitors’ Amazon pages, is likely to get you in trouble with Amazon and is a bit irresponsible on his part. In all, Alvear has some good advice – but his ‘hard sell’ techniques will put off some authors.

John Locke – How I sold 1 Million eBooks in 5 Months!
John Locke is the guru of self-publishing success. His sales background is evident throughout his book. He’s pretty smooth and goes to great effort to make you feel as if he’s your friend, as if you’re sitting down for a chat over a beer together. He would even have you believe that this is not ‘an ego book’ and that he’s ‘giving’ you his secrets because he wants you to have his success. If you can bear to wade through all the waffle and self-promotion, Locke does have some valid advice; like writing for and marketing to a specific niche, and keeping within it. Find out who loves your books and tailor your marketing to find them. Recently, Locke took a bit of a hammering when people discovered that he had actually bought many of his reviews. Ethical matters aside (if someone wants to fork out money for fake reviews that’s their business I suppose), the main issue most people have, is that Locke doesn’t mention buying fake reviews in his book. When asked about why he did it, Locke became defensive and added that he wasn’t ashamed of what he’d done – but if that’s the case why did he not mention it in his book? You decide.

Michael Masters – Kindle Cash - The Beginner's Guide to Creating, Marketing, And Publishing On The Amazon Kindle
This book was a bit distracting to read at times, as it isn’t formatted very well – not a great start for a book teaching you how to self-publish! There’s also, like Locke’s book above, quite a bit of extraneous ‘padding’. Masters also takes the ‘we’re in this to make cash’ approach to extremes at times. He suggests that new non-fiction writers should write about the top three ‘bleeding neck’ subjects if they want people to buy their books. These are: relationships, money and health. However, if you’re a fiction author, this doesn’t really help you. Michael goes into a lot of detail on choosing and refining your niche – which is probably useful for self-help authors. Like Alvear, he details using Google Adwords to search for useful keywords and to isolate hot topics. This book rambles a bit, but there is some good advice scattered throughout – you just have dig a bit to find it!

Toby Neal – Building an Author Platform that can launch anything: A Social Media Mini-book
Neal comes from a sales background – and considering that half her very short book is actually the first two chapters of one of her novels – you can’t help but feel as if you’ve been had! She also mentions her novels continuously throughout the ‘mini-book’, which I found off-putting. She cites John Locke many times and most of her advice on writing to your target audience comes straight from him. Like Locke, she also enthuses about creating a blog and using twitter to promote your work. You will find some valid advice in this tiny book – however, it’s just too short and generalised to provide new authors with the assistance they need.

Cheryl Kaye Tardif – How I Made Over $42,000 in 1 Month Selling my Kindle ebooks
This book’s focus is on using Amazon KDP Select to promote your books and become a successful self-published author. She goes into detail about how she does this – and she has a lot of unique advice – rather than rehashed information from other authors – about blogging and using Twitter effectively. However, it is evident from the book that Tardif is a veteran self-published author and even runs her own publishing company. She has spent years becoming established, so her success on KDP Select shouldn’t come as such a great surprise! However, Tardif’s respect for writing and those who follow their passion is refreshing and inspirational. When marketing your book she suggests following the three E’s: Entertain, Educate and Escapism – so that you give your readers value – even if you're writing a marketing newsletter or blog post.

Zoe Winters - Smart Self-Publishing: Becoming an Indie Author
I’ve saved the best till last! Winters’ book is well written and researched, informative and doesn’t insult your intelligence (yes, some of the others do I’m afraid). Winters is not one of Amazon’s high rollers, but she makes a decent living out of her writing. She has taken a methodical, business-like approach to the entire process. She recommends creating your own business plan, having realistic expectations and accepting and moving on from ‘failure’ as part of what it means to be an indie author. Winters provides a wealth of information on the different avenues for indie publishing, as well as formatting your book for Kindle and Smashwords, editing, cover design, branding, marketing, ISBN numbers and registering for copyright – as well as a handy troubleshooting section. This book really is an indie author’s bible!

If my overview of the above six books teaches us nothing else, it's that if ‘so-called’ experts can’t agree on the recipe for success, there probably isn’t one! Of course, we all know this, deep-down, but the holy grail of the 'elusive easy answer' is a hard one to let go of. Researching this blog has taught me that you must write because you love it, because you want to share your writing with others, to entertain and provide escapism, or to teach. Frankly, if writing doesn’t light your fire then there are much easier ways to make money than becoming a self-published author!

To all of you who have actually finished this rather long blog – thank you for reading. I welcome your comments and thoughts on this subject and wish you all the best for your writing. Don’t ever give up!