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5 things to do as an new author.

I recntly gave a friend of mine some advice. I thought it applicable for most so here are five practical things to do as you embark on your publishing journey.

1. Finish your book.

Get it done. Edit it. Make sure it’s in MS Word. But whatever you do…finish it. You are an author when you finish the book. Not before. Prior to completion you are a writer which is different.

2. Figure out who your books market is.

What is the demographics. What are the pyshcographics, (the attitudes, what they want in life, where they hang out etc.)
You must really get a handle on this. Your book is NOT for everyone. But it is for someone. You need to get a good handle on who would be buy your book. Who is your audience.

3. Start a blog or a website.

Get your name out on the internet as a writer of your devotional. Put samples up. Take past sermons and put them up. But begin to build a following and platform so people can locate you on the web. I recommend that you use https://wordpress.com/ to initially build your author platform. (For other types of authors, create content, do it consistently and let people know about your content that your putting out.)

4. Decide how you are going to publish your book
a) Pay someone to publish it
b) Go the traditional route and have someone pay you to publish it.
c) You publish it.

Each road is different, I’d recommend that you do NOT pay someone to publish your book. That is called vanity publishing, and I’d stay away from it like the plague. (however there is a small group of people this might work for. ) Either do it yourself or seek to get it published traditionally. By traditionally I mean someone pays YOU for the right to publish your book.

5. Decide what publishing success means to you.

Would you feel successful if 10,000 read your book but it was free? Would success be 1000 people who purchased it? What does success look like for you? Again you must answer this question.

Do these five things and you will be well on your way.

Donovan

Donovan M. Neal is the Amazon best-selling independently published author of the Third Heaven Series: a speculative Christian fantasy four book series that explores the captivating story about the fall of Lucifer. The book takes readers on an epic journey through the celestial realms, offering a unique perspective on the events surrounding Lucifer’s rebellion and his descent into darkness. In this imaginative tale, Donovan weaves together elements of Christian theology, angelic mythology, and fantastical world-building. The story delves into the cosmic conflict between good and evil, painting a vivid picture of the spiritual warfare that unfolded in the heavens. Donovan has published eleven books and is currently working on publishing five more in the year 2023 alone. His books have reached thirteen countries including India, Japan, the Philippines, Mexico, Brazil and across Europe, Canada and the US. He has sold over thirty thousand units of his books and generated over a quarter million in gross sales part time and without an agent. Donovan has produced fiction; non-fiction and most recently published a graphic novel. His genre of preference is fantasy and he has been named among such notable authors as Frank Perretti, Brian Godawa, and the late Dr. Michael S. Heiser. When he’s not writing or working, Donovan can be found gaming or enjoying various forms of media. He holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) and a graduate degree in Non-profit Management from Walden University. Prior to his current career, Donovan served in ordained ministry from 1993-2011 and has extensive experience teaching the Bible. You can learn more about him professionally if you would like by clicking here. His favorite movie is the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. He also enjoys gaming and can be found on the Playstation5 deep in Destiny 2, He’s owned most gaming systems all the way back from Atari and Pong! and has made several friends from his beloved days on World of Warcraft. A lover of such classics as chess and backgammon he loves most games and the strategy behind them. When he is not imagining comic conflicts between good and evil he is helping to secure employment for housing insecure women as the Executive Director of a non-profit in the city of Detroit and also serves in the prayer and discipleship ministry of his local church.