A year after publishing my first book

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Well, it’s been a little more than a year. About a year and two months, actually. I would have written about this on the true year anniversary of self-publishing Souls of Astraeus, but the past few months have been nuts, for a multitude of reasons. The blog has been neglected for those same reasons, but I’m really going to get back into the swing of things. The good thing is that while the blog has been neglected, my next book, (Akallian Tales #2, Games of Astraeus), hasn’t been, and I’ve gotten a few other important things taken care of. I’ve also improved upon my methods for getting my book(s) and me, out there in 2015.

All in all, I’m extremely proud that a year after publishing, Souls of Astraeus is available in paperback, hard cover, e-book, and audiobook. I’m beholden to no one, which is how I think it should be for every writer, to any degree.

14 months after publishing my first book
A year after publishing my first book

I’ve learned a few great lessons in the 14 months since I’ve published. Within the context of being completely autonomous as a writer, publisher, editor, etc., here they are, in no particular order:

  • Read what you think is a final draft as much as you can, (multiple times). Have it read by as many other people as possible. Read what you end up with after all that, out loud, multiple times. You can obviously save yourself some time, money and stress by cutting down on the amount of revisions you need to do.
  • Review your formatting with the same unapologetic, and unforgiving eye that Ebenezer Scrooge has of his financial ledgers. Have others review your formatting.
  • Learn as much about everything that will help you with your writing as you have the capacity for, (time & resources permitting), to help improve your writing and its presentation.
  • The excitement over having a book out there, and any kind of expectations, (though you may deny having any), fades quickly. Plan on that, and know what to replace that energy with. Work on your next WIP, market, promote, contact, network, etc.
  • In addition to eliminating expectations and focusing on marketing and future work, enjoy the process and try to remove any self-imposed deadlines out of all equations involving your writing. Your health and your writing will be better for it.

What about you, folks? Any thoughts?

– Jeramy

Main website: http://www.jeramygoble.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JeramyGoble

Twitter: @JeramyGoble

6 Comments on “A year after publishing my first book

  1. Happy anniversary!

    Good advice about the self-imposed deadlines!

    I tend to make-up deadlines, then I don’t stick to them, then I stress about it instead of getting on with my story….

    • Thank you! And I hear you. I’m very often the same way! Arbitrarily picking out dates/time-frames in my head, then getting mad at myself for not meeting them. I end up shaking my head at myself 😉

  2. Even if you traditionally pub, I recommend learning EVERYTHING you can about the whole process from start to finish. I have to +1 that part of your post. I’d also add have a release schedule set up ahead of time once the files have been created and they are ready to go, and spending money if you have it, on a professional edit and a cover design.

  3. Congratulations on your first year! I’m aiming to be where you are, but I’ve got too much of myself invested in my novel series. Analysis-paralysis and over-editing are pitfalls to beware of. Should I release the first book in my series a year before the others, or should I wait and rapid-release them all in order to attempt to ride Amazon HNR momentum? Decisions, decisions, decisions.

    • Hey there, Abby! Thanks for popping in over here! I hear you on the timing of releases. I think some readers are gun shy because of authors that take huge chunks of time between books, (and we know who the most notorious of them is right now), which makes us as authors try to accommodate that hesitance. I hate to cop out with my reply, but I’d recommend doing what feels best for you. I sat on my first book for some seven years or so before finishing it and publishing it, and I was just so excited to be done with it, I went ahead and decided to get it out there. I figured that any subsequent books would come if and when it felt right for me. Now I’m working on my fourth book and I still feel the same way.

  4. Great blog and so true. Especially the part about “Learn as much about everything that will help you with your writing…” Good luck, keep on going. It’s clear that you are on the right track

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