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The Successful Author: Discover the Art of Writing and the Business of Publishing: Successful Author, #1
The Successful Author: Discover the Art of Writing and the Business of Publishing: Successful Author, #1
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Do you have questions about writing? Publishing?
With over three decades of experience as a publisher, author, and freelance writer, Peter Lyle DeHaan has answers. He will help you move forward on your writing journey.
On this grand adventure:
- Learn why you shouldn't call yourself an aspiring writer.
- Uncover tips to deal with rejection.
- Expose writing advice that may not be true.
- Discover how to self-edit, get feedback, and find an editor.
- Determine if being a writer is worth the effort. (Spoiler alert: it is.)
But there's more. In fourteen chapters, with over one hundred entries, Peter will address finding time to write, publishing options, and blogging. And he weighs in on the traditional vs indie publishing debate.
Plus there are loads of writing tips, submission pointers, and a publishing checklist.
Be inspired. Be informed. Be motivated to become the writer you've always dreamed of.
Don't delay your writing journey any longer. Take the next step.
Buy The Successful Author today to explore the art of writing and the business of publishing.
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The Successful Author - Peter Lyle DeHaan
The Successful Author: Discover the Art of Writing and the Business of Publishing
Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD
The Successful Author: Discover the Art of Writing and the Business of Publishing © 2019 by Peter Lyle DeHaan.
Book 1 in the Successful Author series.
All rights reserved: No part of this book may be reproduced, disseminated, or transmitted in any form, by any means, or for any purpose without the express written consent of the author or his legal representatives. The only exceptions are short excerpts and the cover image for reviews or academic research.
ISBN:
978-1-948082-26-6 (e-book)
978-1-948082-27-3 (paperback)
978-1-948082-28-0 (hardcover)
Published by Rock Rooster Books
Credits:
Developmental editor: Kelli Sallman
Editorial consultant: Claudia Volkman
Copy editor/proofreader: Robyn Mulder
Cover design: Cassia Friello
Author photo: Jordan Leigh Photography
I dedicate this book to my fellow writers and authors. May this discussion help you move forward in your writing journey.
Contents
You Are a Writer
1. The Intentional Writer
Is It Worth It?
Finding Balance
Finding Time to Write
Quantity versus Quality
Dictation
Don't Forget to Back Up Your Files
Writers Must Be Readers
Find Time to Read
Determining Your Reading List
Reading Goals for Writers
Book Marketability Basics
How to Know If a Book is Marketable
Invest in Your Writing
10,000 Hours
2. Writing Tips
Tips to Improve as a Writer
Write Every Day
Work Up to Writing a Book
Changing Writing Conventions
Writing Voice and Style
Identifying Speakers in Dialogue
Points of View
Third Person Omniscient
3. Planning
Which Approach is Best?
Outlining a Book
Outlining a Series
Series that Intersect
4. Getting Feedback
Tips on Getting and Receiving Feedback
Finding a Writing Mentor
Beta Reader Questions
How to Find a Critique Group
Critique Group Characteristics
5. Editing
Self-Editing Tips
Alternatives to Hiring an Editor
Editing Guide
Types of Editors
Editor Pet Peeves
Finding an Editor
6. Building a Platform
A Place for Platform
Social Media Strategy
Social Media Content
The Purpose of Blogging
7. Blogging
Blogging Expectations
Discover What to Blog About
Blog Your Book
Book Your Blog
The Fiction Author’s Blog
Writing a Book versus Blogging
8. Blogging with WordPress
WordPress.com versus WordPress.org
Using Blog Categories
Using Blog Tags
Removing Ads from WordPress.com Sites
SEO Tips and Tricks
9. Submit Your Work
How to Format Your Submission
General Submission Tips
Periodical Submission Tips
Query Letters and Book Proposals
Submission Feedback
Common Submission Errors
10. Agents
When You Need an Agent
Tips on Finding an Agent
What Agents Handle
11. Publishing
Publishing Options
Traditional Publishing
Indie Publishing Versus Traditional Publishing
Book Support Services
Indie Publishing Checklist
Assisted Publishing
E-Book Formatting
ISBNs
Audiobooks
12. Legal Stuff
Protect Blog Content
Copyright Registration
GDPR
Selling Full Rights
Including Images and Photos
Citing Sources for Quotes
13. Finances
Book Publishing Costs
Traditional Book Publishing Costs
Write Full-Time
Financial Considerations
Freelance Writing
Ghostwriting Work
Ghostwriting Fees
14. Miscellaneous
Dealing with Rejection
Grammar Checking Programs
Word Processing Alternatives
Contest Payment Conundrum
How to Format Numbers
Writing about Your Health Scare
Writing Advice that May Not Be True
Discover What Type of Writer You Are
Final Thoughts
About Peter Lyle DeHaan
You Are a Writer
Iremember it well .
Alone, I sit in my home office. I should be working. I’m not. I’m distracted. In my windowless basement room, I swing the door shut and dim the lights. I know what I must do, but I don’t want to.
I’ve been writing and publishing for years, but I’ve never owned this reality. Now I must. It’s a seminal moment, of that I’m quite sure. If I don’t do it today, it might never happen. My gut rumbles. I inhale deeply and close my eyes, as if eyelids will afford me protection from what I’m about to do.
Pulse racing, my lips move, but no sound comes out. On my third attempt, an audible rasp oozes forth, a murmur I can barely hear. Almost indiscernible, I think I just mumbled, I am a writer.
I try again. Eventually my volume rises to a normal speaking level, but my words still lack confidence. A few months later I try this in front of another person. It emerges as a most pitiful attempt. It takes a couple years before I can confidently tell someone that I am a writer.
That was years ago. Now saying I am a writer
flows forth without effort and no self-doubt—because it’s true.
At writing conferences, I occasionally teach a workshop for newer writers. I often lead my class in saying this phrase out loud: I am a writer.
Their first effort is cautious, timid. But by their third attempt, they grin with confidence. We need to first call ourselves writers if others are to believe it.
I am a writer and so are you. That’s why you’re reading this book.
BUT BEFORE WE MOVE forward, a little bit about me. I sold the first article I ever wrote in 1982 and never stopped. I formed a magazine publishing company in 2001, where I function as publisher and editor-in-chief. In 2008 I began blogging, long before blogging—and later, content marketing—became a thing. And in 2015 I became a successful commercial freelance writer.
Over my career, I’ve written thousands of blog posts, hundreds of articles, and many books. This is my tenth published book, with many more on the way and a hundred ideas in queue, for both nonfiction and fiction.
And like most authors who publish a book about writing, I suffer from imposter syndrome. I suspect this perspective stems from the fact that I’m a self-taught writer. I don’t have an MFA degree, and I didn’t even study writing in college.
I learned by doing.
The benefit of being a self-taught writer is that I studied what I needed to know when I needed to know it. I also followed blogs, read books, and listened to podcasts about writing and publishing. I went to conferences and attended critique groups. I got feedback on my writing every chance I could get.
But mostly I wrote. I wrote a lot.
Over the years I’ve learned and grown as a writer. I’ve received recognition and awards. And I often hear compliments about the way I weave words together. There are many aspects of writing I’ve learned to do well, other areas where I strive to improve, and one item persists as my Achilles’ heel: grammar.
You see, I switched schools between fourth and fifth grade. My old school had not yet even hinted at grammar, while my new school had already covered it thoroughly. I was far behind in grammar when I transferred. And I never caught up.
In college I took only one writing class, a freshman-level requirement. When I took the placement test to gauge my writing ability, I failed the grammar portion in grand fashion. They advised me to take remedial English first. But since they didn’t insist, I took the standard freshman writing class they didn’t feel I was ready for. Through hard work and a determination that astounded my instructor, I persevered and earned a 4.0. It was my first and last college writing class. After my bachelor’s degree, I later went on for a master’s and then two PhD’s. Along the way I did a lot of writing.
This book reflects what I learned on my writing quest. Its contents flow from questions and concerns other writers have posed to me over the years while on their own writing journey.
1. The Intentional Writer
If writing matters to you—and it must, since you’re reading this book—let’s start with some basic big-picture ideas to point us in the right direction and help us move forward.
Whether you’re just beginning or have pursued writing for a while, these items apply to every writer.
Is It Worth It?
Most definitely!
First, if writing were easy, everyone would do it. Though anyone who knows how to read can write, few people can write well. That’s what being a writer is: exercising our ability to string words together with excellence.
As with any worthwhile endeavor, it takes time to develop skill as a writer. As writers, we’re always learning and always growing. Each piece we write has the potential to be better than the piece before it. And each year our ability can surpass last year. Writing is a journey of discovery that lasts a lifetime.
Second, if you have a passion to write, then pursue it with full-out abandon. Don’t dismiss writing for a more profitable pursuit. If you do, you’ll always