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