Greetings everyone! My name is Brian Smith. I am a self-published author, and I am doing an AMA this week on self-publishing and marketing your novel. I have self-published one novel and will be self-publishing book 2 of my trilogy in the next month. I'm hoping to publish the final book in the trilogy by Halloween.
I will discuss my experiences, as well as those of other authors, in self-publishing and promoting their books. If you have written a novel and you don't know what your next steps are, or if you have tried to send it to a publisher and gotten nowhere, or if you are afraid no one will take you seriously if you self-publish, I will hopefully be able to offer advice and allay your concerns.
I'm particularly happy to answer questions about the following:
My writing process
My writing plans
Self-publishing vs. trying to get an agent and/or publisher to publish your book
Overcoming self-doubt
Best ways to market self-published books
Online/social media publishing communities and support
If you have a question related to self-publishing that is not related to the above topics, I will be happy to answer it as well.
5 people like this
I see what you mean, Giovanna Silvestre. Yeah, we definitely have to stay authentic to our writings and the stories we wish to tell!
3 people like this
That's also how I took the advice, Giovanna Silvestre! It's one thing to try to write the best version of something that you want to succeed, but it's another to write something that you think could b...
Expand commentThat's also how I took the advice, Giovanna Silvestre! It's one thing to try to write the best version of something that you want to succeed, but it's another to write something that you think could be popular but you aren't passionate about.
5 people like this
Ashley Renee Smith Maurice Vaughan I LOVE this discussion because it puts a lot of things into perspective. First, I think it's important to write what you're called to write. I think all of us have t...
Expand commentAshley Renee Smith Maurice Vaughan I LOVE this discussion because it puts a lot of things into perspective. First, I think it's important to write what you're called to write. I think all of us have that inner muse that speaks to us, and it's important to honor that message. Without that, creating feels empty. That said, I think it's important to envision the future you wish to experience for your work. I think it's okay to fuel your motivation by the feeling of what it would be like to write a NYT bestseller, see yourself on the red carpet, etc. without allowing that goal to direct your creative choices. Such a good discussion!
3 people like this
Darn! Hit the wrong button and lost all that writing I put here an hour ago! … is there way OF EVER retrieving it? Or lost to Time… Lol
3 people like this
Thanks for this, Ashley Renee Smith ! I especially agree with the first tip of not trying to write a best-seller. If you're focused on the marketing, your story won't be compelling. There's a filmmaki...
Expand commentThanks for this, Ashley Renee Smith ! I especially agree with the first tip of not trying to write a best-seller. If you're focused on the marketing, your story won't be compelling. There's a filmmaking group I belong to called We Make Movies and one of our values is "Make the movie you want to see". I'd say if you "Write the book that you want to read", then you'll craft a story that will be great and resonate with a lot of readers.