So you want to be an author?
Not just someone who wishes they could write a book, yet would never dare to try? Not just someone who wrote a book once a long time ago, but an actual, real-life author?
Allow me to share my journey with you, the nitty-gritty details that would bore my normal readers, but will hopefully offer you, a fellow author, bits of gold that I’ve collected over the years.
Because yes, if you have written anything at all and have the intention of becoming an author, that gives you the right to claim the title. There’s nothing mystic or elite about it. Go on. I’m giving you the right to attach the title to the front of your name. Sounds good, doesn’t it?
What Kind of an Author is She, Anyway?
I started writing my first book at the age of sixteen, and I’ve looked back often and wondered what I thought I was doing. I was partly driven by curiosity to know if an ordinary human being could write a book and still emerge from the process with their sanity (information on that pending). And the other part had to do with all these stories swirling in my brain. These stories that I had tried unsuccessfully to shut down as “immature fancies” kept cropping up, and I began to wonder if maybe they weren’t so immature after all.
I wrote a failure of a first book, but being young and in love with this new idea, I thought it was masterful. Now I won’t let that book see the light of day. Ever.
That first book taught me a couple important lessons. One, I was physically and mentally capable of writing a novel, and two, I wanted to write more stories. So flew back into the process and wrote a book called The Secrets of the Heart. Two drafts and a name change later, that book emerged as Settle My Heart.
As I got closer to being ready to publish, I was completely unsure of how I was going to get this book into readers hands. I read about traditional publishing, I read about independent publishing, about the more I learned, the more confused I became.
And then, in one of those clearly providential ways that God moves, a friend told my mom that a mutual friend owned a Christian publishing company. I met up with that publisher one afternoon (which was quite convenient since she only lived a couple miles down the road) and we discussed what publishing would look like.
Working with Electric Moon Publishing was a dream come true. I got sound editing, a beautiful cover, and best of all, assistance along every step of the way. A good thing, because I still had no clue of what I was doing.
Nowadays, I’m a full-fledged independently published author, which means that I source my own editors and cover designers, plus handle all the boring, business side of publishing a book. And I love it! Publishing a book can feel daunting, especially if you are a perfectionist like me who must have every letter in perfect order, but it has huge rewards as well.
What to do First to Become an Author
If you want to be a successful author, my first suggestions are:
- Be willing to learn. Even if you aren’t tech-savvy, if you are willing to research, you can do anything. I started out writing my books on notebook paper by hand because I hated computers, and now . . . I need my computer in order to write well, and I even built my own website. So there you have it. If I could do it, anyone can.
- Read a lot. Expand your list of authors you read until you have a good grasp of all the popular authors in your genre.
- Sign up for your favorite authors newsletters and study them (provided that they are in your genre). The best newsletters to study are the one that come out weekly or twice a week as opposed to quarterly. You can sign up for mine if you want.
- Study craft (more on that below)
- Write a lot. And be willing to admit when you’ve written a failure. Your first book does not necessarily need to be published.
- And if you are really serious about becoming an author, treat your writing as a business. Learn about taxes, and be sure that all of your decisions are based on making wise use of your money. Invest in a website and start a newsletter. All of this will feel as if it takes you forever (and steals from your time to write), but alas, it is necessary. And once you know what you’re doing, you may even enjoy it like I do.
My Favorite Books on Craft
I am a HUGE believer in craft. Every author, no matter how long or short a time they’ve been on this writing journey, needs to continue studying the art of writing. I believe writing is a skill that can be taught, and the only ingredients necessary are a willingness to work hard and time to practice. Here are some books that I consider a must-read for every author:
Writing and Selling Your Novel by Jack Bickham is a gem. This was the first book on craft that I stumbled across (literally), and I’ve read it cover to cover multiple times. This book will teach you the basics of writing good fiction and will lay a foundation for all the skills you will need to know as a novelist.
Please Note: Not all of these authors I’m recommending are Christians, so realize that not everything in these books is going to fit with a Christian’s worldview/vocabulary. But please read them anyway.
Scene and Structure, another Jack Bickham book, helped me to fit all the pieces of plot together. This is a lovely little book that will help you think through the dos and don’ts of creating a compelling story.
And in case you couldn’t tell that I’m a little bit obsessed with Jack Bickham’s writing books, here’s another favorite, Setting. This one will make you think about the way you describe your book’s setting, incorporating research, tips for recording ideas, and more.
Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell will help you dig even deeper into plot. This book covers brainstorming ideas, instructions on crafting beginnings, middles, and ends, and tips on fixing plot problems.
The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman covers a lot of mistakes that beginning authors (and even muti-published authors) often make. Some examples of what he covers are:
- Overusing adjectives and adverbs
- The proper way to use metaphors and similes
- And making your dialogue strong
Marketing Tips
I was in agony when my first book released. I suffered sleepless nights and cried into my pillow. Now that I was about to hold my first paperback copy of my book, I realized a horrible truth. I had to market this book and I had no clue how to do it.
Long story short, I set out on a frantic journey to learn as much as I could and in the process, stumbled across some truly awesome resources. And maybe by sharing them with you, I can save you some tears and stress, not to mention the mixed emotions I felt with my first book release.
Here are some websites that I love:
- Author Media (https://www.authormedia.com/). The free podcast alone is like taking a high-dollar book marketing course, but you’ll get even extra information by becoming a patron. The courses are excellent as well and worth every penny.
- Christian Publishing Show (https://www.christianpublishingshow.com/). Run by the same host as Author Media, this is another excellent resource.
- Reedsy (https://reedsy.com/). I highly recommend signing up for the Reedsy Marketing newsletter. They provide a plethora of information about the publishing world.
- Booksweeps (https://www.booksweeps.com/). An excellent tool if you are already an author and looking to grow your email list.
- BookFunnel (https://bookfunnel.com/). Another tool for authors to grow their email list.
Don’t Feel Overwhelmed
Just take one step at a time. Focus on learning one new thing at a time, and practice until your work truly shines. Writing is an art and marketing is a skill.
Be inspired, and always pray and seek God’s guidance. He is more than able to provide all that you need, and with His leading, you have nothing to fear.
And let me know when your first book is published. There’s nothing I’d love more than to celebrate with you.