With World Book Day on Thursday, 2nd March, and one of Frost’s favourite charity’s competition, the Words for the Wounded Independent Author Book Award, due to close on 11th March we thought it an idea to look at the help available to self-publishing authors.
While many aspiring authors still strive to take the traditional publication route, one I took years ago and still enjoy, self-publishing has its place, which is why WforW have set up their Award.
There is a ‘but’ though. Increasingly, WforW finds that some books entered are better than others. Yes, the idea has to be good, but so too the structure, editing, and the presentation. This is essential if one is to interest a publishing house, or, is determined to be an Independent Author. You see, your readers deserve a good book, in every sense of the word.
We looked at Reedsy: with registrations for self-published print and ebooks estimated to have grown 375% since 2010, Reedsy gives authors access to editors, designers, marketing experts and ghostwriters for their project. It also offers masterclasses and free courses on all aspects of writing and publishing.
This company makes the process of publishing a book simple and accessible for authors and publishers at any level, by connecting them with leading editors, designers, publicists and marketers through its curated marketplace. Reedsy also provides a suite of tools to assist the publishing process, guiding writers from the first word of their manuscript, right through to typesetting, publishing, distributing and marketing the final book.
So, yes, there are organisations out there to help the independent author. For instance, Frost recently ran a series of A Day in the Life articles about Troubador, a self-publishing organisation. I know several who have worked on their books, and published with them, to their complete satisfaction.
There are independent editors too, but editing is their only brief, they do not necessarily provide a package under one roof.
And what about the New Writers Scheme at the Romantic Novelists’ Association? The scripts are sent to an appropriate reader who provides a report that may include, for example, comments on plotting, characterisation and structure. The organiser will not only assess and advise on a manuscript but advise and support authors whose report on their manuscript indicates that their novel is ready, or almost ready, to be submitted to a publisher and agent.
So, whatever you are writing, there is help out there. Do look around, assess, ask questions. It might just help you become the best that you can be.
www.romanticnovelistsassociation.org