Hello everyone in the blogosphere,
Today I have another writing related post to bring you. If you’d like to hear the latest episode of the Inspirational Journeys podcast, where I talk about the tips I’m bringing you, and share my reason behind these tips, please visit:
Last night, I started reading a book called Don’t Quit While You’re Ahead, by Cynthia MacGregor, when the Holy Spirit convicted me to revise A Journey of Faith: A Stepping Stones Mystery. I’m glad I started on it, because I found that one of my character’s name was misspelled, along with other obvious mistakes in the book that I was unaware of at the time of publication. If you find yourself in the same situation, here are three tips you can use, to make your book babies shine.
Don’t Rush the Publishing Process
This holds true, especially for aspiring authors. I know you’ve finished your story and you’re excited about getting your book into the hands of readers, but you want to revise and polish your manuscript before it goes out on the market. You only get one chance to shine, so you want to make it the best it can be. I learned this the hard way when I made my first publishing mistake. Since then, my writing has improved, and I’ve gotten good feedback about my book. However, I relied too heavily on the publisher to make sure it was in tiptop shape. I learned a valuable lesson when I started editing my book last night. No matter who publishes your book, it’s your baby; therefore, it’s up to you to go over your manuscript with a fine-toothed comb and make sure you’re satisfied with the end result.
Check all Proof Copies for Mistakes
If you’re working with a small press, or you’re self-publishing, make sure each proof copy of your book is as error free as possible. Taking this step will save you time and money.
It Never Hurts to Edit Previously Published Work
All you Indie authors can take advantage of this tip, especially if you’ve uploaded an eBook. Paperbacks can be updated as well, but they would be published as new editions to your book. Not only am I working through this process for my own book, I have a friend who has updated her four of her Bible devotionals after publishing her fiction work and poetry.
Now that I have shared my tips with you, I challenge you to revisit your previously published manuscripts. Are you satisfied with them? Do they need a major overhaul, or just a simple minor fix? If the answer is no to any of these questions, then you may want to consider reworking them if possible. However, if you’ve answered yes to any of them, then you’re good to go.
I hope these tips will help you during, or after your publishing process. Stay tuned for a special guest interview with the author mentioned at the top of this post. Until next time, happy writing.
Blessings,
Ann