PUBLISHING YOUR BOOK

by Kathy Cretsinger

For the last few weeks, we have talked about the different ways to publish your book. Now, let\’s get down to what you have to do to get a publisher interested in you and your book.

Over the past years, I\’ve seen a lot of authors who want their books published. Some do not write well, some are afraid of their computer, and some think they know everything. Attitude has a big part in publishing.

If the publisher tells you you need to rewrite your book or learn to write better, are you willing to do it? Writing a book is not sitting down and coming up with a finished product the first time you write it. We have to rewrite the book over and over. But, there is a place to stop. When the book is sent to the publisher, you need to say, \”Okay, I\’m done.\” Know when it is time to stop.

All books are done on the computer now. Learn how to use the computer. Know how to set your book up for publication. Format it the first time you begin to write. A computer is nothing like a typewriter. Some of the younger writers have never used a typewriter. On a typewriter, when you came to the end of the line you were working on, you had to hit the \”return.\” Return brought you to the next line. Not so with a computer. A computer automatically goes to the next line when you get to the end. You don\’t have to do anything but type. Easy.

Even the best writer does not know everything about writing. They take classes. They learn constantly. Writing changes day by day. Grammar changes day by day. We used to write, \”I\’m going, too.\” Now it is, \”I\’m going too.\” No comma before too. Be willing to make these changes.

I\’ve heard authors say they can\’t market because they don\’t have the money. If you have a Facebook account, you can talk about your book. You can engage people to answer a post. This is building a platform. It takes a few minutes each day, but it can be done. Remember, we do not get anything free. We all have to put a little time and effort in our writing.