Beyond Writing Your Novel
Writing your novel is just the beginning. The real adventure starts when you dive into the labyrinth of publishing requirements that can overwhelm even the most determined author. Honestly, it’s enough to drive a guy to drink! (Ignore the small whiskey sitting on my desk…)
Professional editing alone presents multiple decisions: developmental editing, line editing, copy editing, and proofreading—each serving different purposes and carrying different price tags. Finding qualified editors who understand your genre while fitting your budget becomes its own research project. These days, you can do a LOT of this yourself with the assistance of writing tools and AI assistants…but, it all comes down to you and what you really want your work to be and reflect.
Cover design proves equally complex. A compelling cover requires understanding market expectations, genre conventions, and current design trends. Professional designers command premium rates, while DIY options demand significant time investment and design skills most writers lack. Luckily, I have some experience in this arena and enjoy the creative process of building a cover that works for the book or story I am working on at the time.
ISBN acquisition introduces bureaucratic hurdles. Should you purchase your own ISBNs for publishing independence, or use free ones from platforms like Amazon? The choice affects your publisher of record and long-term control over your work. I’ve found that just biting the bullet and owning your own ISBNs is the way to go for me. It gives me the control I need to feel good about the product I am delivering: my book.
Distribution setup multiplies the complexity exponentially. Each platform—Amazon, IngramSpark, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books—has unique formatting requirements, upload processes, and royalty structures. Print-on-demand services require different specifications than ebook distributors.
Marketing preparation adds another layer: building author platforms, creating promotional materials, understanding algorithms, and developing launch strategies. Each element demands expertise outside most writers’ wheelhouses.
These peripheral challenges often consume more time than writing the actual manuscript. Success requires either significant financial investment in professionals or countless hours mastering unfamiliar skills—transforming creative writers into reluctant entrepreneurs navigating an increasingly complex publishing ecosystem.
And, this, my friends is what I am knee-deep in at the moment. I have just over two months until this novel is let loose on the world and I have a million things to do before then. Wish me luck!