A lot of people, particularly in person, tell me they “have this story” that they want to tell. They ask me how I write, then they ask how to publish. There is a mile in between, and I try to tell them what that mile consists of.

Recently, a new author asked me why they weren’t selling books. I looked at the books on Amazon, the website, and their social media. The website was a freebie site that just posted the books for sale. No history. No clear definition of genre anywhere. Three reviews tops. Nothing about the author. I could find no reference to social media in the email or on the website. The book covers looked self-published, and when I read the free sample, I could spot someone who hadn’t studied the craft.

When I talk to new writers, I generally say this.

-Take classes on writing. Go to a conference if you can.
-Read books on writing.
-Define the genre.
-Join social media groups and read blogs on writing.
-Read lots of books in your specific genre to understand it as well as good writing.
-Take several of those books and dissect then, marking them up on what is good about prose, dialog, plot, POV, voice, structure, character arc, etc.
-Write the story. Take your time doing so but do so often, often daily. Let what you know percolate and run through you.
-Run the stories through critique groups.
-Hire or barter with at least a couple of good editors.
-When you feel the story is done, enter contests to see how you fair.
-Once you start placing even honorable mention, or get shortlisted, or get great feedback, then look at how to publish. Not before.

Then my personal opinion is to attempt traditional publishing to see what kind of feedback you get from agents and publishers. At least learn all the differences between traditional, hybrid and self-publishing before you consider self-publishing. It is next to impossible to unpublish in one arena and change to another. It’s also difficult to self-publish then get an agent to take you seriously, even with a different book.

Choose your publishing manner wisely, after learning to understand them all.

If you go straight into self-publishing, remember a lot of excellent readers and writers can spot it if you fall short. Once someone picks up one of your books and thinks it is not worth it, you are done with them as a customer along with anyone they know who reads. Just like word of mouth works to sell books, it likewise works to kill books, and therefore the author, as well.

Regardless how you publish, and there is no one right way to do so, do all the legwork beforehand to better your odds of being successful. So many writers self-publish without understanding the publishing process of all angles. Know what you are doing. Learn to write well first. Then think about publishing. Not before.