“Why 11? Because I like to go a step beyond.” – Nostalgia Critic
To my surprise (everything surprises me these days — “oh look, a Starbucks!”), many of the writers I’m coaching have asked me this question:
“Matt, why do you smell like that?”
No, wait. This:
“Matt, what order do you complete tasks when yer writing a novel?”
Of course, my response was to stare blankly at them, drool and think about the universal mysteries of life (or what I plan to have for dinner… I’m a deep guy that way). Being somewhat of a “hip shooter,” I’ve never thought about my own publishing process. I’ve just been “winging it” since I started. With not guide or mentor (and I’m too lazy/cheap to invest in some helpful books/blogs), I’ve been rumblin’, bumblin’, stumblin’ my way through the murky self-publishing waters.
However, I do believe my monkey-plan self-publishing “process” may have some merit to it. Of course, your mileage may vary:
1. Write the darn book (1st draft). If you don’t have a book, you don’t have anything. “Life rewards action, not inertia.” – Chuck Wendig, from his awesome post: 25 things Writers should stop doing
2. Contact an artist for cover art. Try to give them some direction. Here’s what I gave my artist for Babylon:
Yup, I'm that shitty an artist...
3. Get Draft #2 out to your #2 (spouse, best friend, Starbucks hobo).
4. Get Draft #3 (it’s usually #4 or #5 for me, personally) out to your A-Team. This is a good time to start working on the book trailer video. Hopefully, someone on your A-Team can do it for “free.” Why a trailer video? I’ll counter with: Why would you deny yourself a possible sale from a random Youtube hit? 1 minute max on the trailer video… 30 seconds is best (so you can place it as an online ad if you want to). No, don’t argue with me. To my fellow self-pubbers with 4 minute trailer vids – “Yer doing it wrong!” 
5. Revise from A-Team advice. Here is where you can expand the audience or skip to step 6.
6. Read the frakkin thing out loud. This is edit #6 or beyond. Do it. Don’t skip this step!
7. Get your “Final” edit to your editor. (still in malleable word processor form)
8. Finalize the cover with art and graphics. Do a “back of book” blurb with insight from A-Team.
9. Get final cut from editor, make edits, construct final book in the format(s) you need: hardcover, paperback, ebook, etc.
10. Contact review sites / reviewers — make the book available to them for review
11. Publish the frakkin thing to Amazon, Smashwords, B&N, etc etc.
These 11 steps are (I think) the entirety of my process… and then starts the hard part: marketing/publicity.
Reblogged this on Don's Philosophy on Life.
Yup. It sounds like a plan. Is it a perfect plan? I dono, and at this point I don’t freaking care, because at least its a plan, which is a damned site better than the alternative. So thanks for your periodic kicks in the ass Matt. They have really been helpful to me.
Chuck