Aiding New Authors!
When I started out, I discovered so many pitfalls. Indie publishing was a trap waiting to swallow the naïve whole! It was mystifying and confusing, and it took some time to get my head around. Luckily, I had an established author take me by the hand and show me what to do, or I would have cracked up the first few days!
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Indie publishing is frightening and scary for first-timers, and I’m paying it forward with all the tips given to me (Check out the Author Tips Page) and offer them to you. These will take you through the minefield of formatting, advertising, marketing and much more. If they help just one person, then my goal is accomplished. But there was so much more I could do personally as an author, and I set out to do it.
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The first is the Supporting Indie Author project. This is where I interview new or established authors in the Indie world and give them a voice. This offers them a chance to plug their books and gain some publicity! I post their interviews on my social media, and they do the same. Even if they gain ten extra sales, it means that ten extra people will recommend them to others! Word of mouth is a beautiful thing.
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I also mentor writers, dedicating my time to listening to their worries, beta-reading their books and helping with ideas. I honestly believe authors should lift each other up and help promote one another. There are enough readers to share, and there is no shame in that! There is shame in being greedy! Tearing someone down is easy, whereas lifting them up to believe in themselves is more challenging but much more worthwhile.
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I run many giveaways, join in event evenings, and now attend book signings. And in addition, I encourage those I mentor to also participate in these events. I will always be willing to listen to someone, and if I like their storyline or a character, it doesn’t matter. What matters is they had the courage to sit down and write it, and their plot is their plot! Not everyone likes my books, so don’t expect everyone to love yours!
Have a look at what I’ve provided on Author’s Tips, and I hope they’ll help you as they helped me. If not, drop me a line!
Elizabeth.