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What is your publishing timeline: Editor's Notes #265 July 11, 2018

Hello, How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. —Anonymous In this issue: 1. What’s your publishing timeline? 2. Tickled my funny bone 3. Interesting Web site 4. Writing prompt 1. What’s your publishing timeline? I heard a great interview of an author who had written a book on zero waste, a topic I am interested in. I wanted her book. After using all my researching skills, I found the publisher’s Web site, and could not find the book under the author’s name, and for that particular publisher, that was the only search option. The moral of this story is that nothing you do to sell your book is useless if there is no way to buy the book when you’re done. Getting a book to print, especially, but not only, if you are self-publishing, is a massive undertaking with a multitude of tasks, any one of which can go awry. Here are three lists for your careful consideration. This is one issue I encourage you to save in your favourite way and refer to as you work through your writing life. The lists cannot be in a rigid order because each case is different, and often the tasks leapfrog over each other. List one: For every writer Write your material Ask yourself who your ideal reader is Research Revise your text Have your text edited (All lists I consulted gave this as one of two top priorities) Make suggested changes to your text Create a Web site Have a professional photo for the back cover Update your Web site to reflect your progress on your book once it is being printed Create a sales link that will go live as soon as your books are ready to sell Create and practice your elevator pitch to sell your book in under 1 minute Salt social media about your book List two: For self-publishing writers Choose a printer or a self-publishing company Choose a designer (All lists I consulted gave this as one of two top priorities) Choose paper, cover, font, etc. Send a clean copy to the printer or self-publishing company Investigate shipping options and costs Write your bio and blurb Apply for an ISBN If you will have hard copies, arrange for a barcode Register as a business (Do this as soon as you start writing. You do not have to have income to be a business.) Have sales material made Send out review copies before final printing Book appointments for interviews and sales opportunities List three: For traditionally publishing writers Approach agents or publishers Send a clean copy to the publisher Make suggested changes on time Provide information for your bio and blurb =========== 2.Tickled my funny bone TOMORROW: One of the greatest labour saving devices of today. =========== 3. Interesting Web site Here’s a story of a self publisher with shrinking timeline. https://www.writershelper.com/publishing-timeline.html =========== 4. Writing prompt Time is one of those words that can launch a thousand stories because its meanings are so various. Go ahead: write about time. Send me your result if you like. I always enjoy seeing what you come up with. =========== Join Writer's Helper Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/WritersHelperEditor Follow me on Twitter @AudreytheEditor Link on LinkedIn https://ca.linkedin.com/in/audreyowen (Email me first so I know how you know me.) =========== If you know a writer who would appreciate receiving Editor's Notes, forward this issue. If someone has passed this on to you, you can get your own free subscription by signing up at https://www.writershelper.com/newsletter.html

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