My road to the self-publishing side of the book industry was a path I least expected. Besides the short-lived dream I had in middle school to become a meteorologist, I had always envisioned that I would work with books in some sense. Like most writers, I thought the only way to publishing was through a traditional house somewhere in the northeast.
Almost every English major I knew in college wanted a career in publishing, which created an intense battle for anyone applying to publishing internships. I unfortunately lost out on the one internship I really wanted spring semester of my junior year, but looking back it was a total God thing. Half way into that same semester I was standing in line at the grocery store check out and a man behind me struck up a conversation. We exchanged pleasantries and then before parting ways he asked if I would help edit a book he was going to publish himself. That was the first moment I had heard anything about the business of self-publishing and without even thinking I agreed. I spent the entire semester working with him on his young adult novel and it forever changed my career path.
Undoubtedly, there is a stigma that surrounds the self-publishing world and because of that a lot of writers turn their nose up at the opportunity. I too almost rejected a career path into self-publishing because it went against the grain of everything I knew. The unknown, however, is actually what lured me in and the thought that I would be able to help writers project their message out into the world hooked me. After all, my passion has always been to help great books find their way into readers’ hands.
Self-publishing as a career gives me the opportunity to chart my own course just as it provides an author the chance to take creative risks and control the outcome of their book. It’s uncharted territory for all of those involved and what I love most is that I get to share the experience with people every single day and that’s exactly what self-publishing is; it’s a once in a lifetime experience where there really is no wrong way to do it.
I have written a rough draft of my book but I need someone to read and begin editing for me. What should I do next? Thank you so much for helping me.
Hi Sidney,the best thing to do first is go back through and do a heavy edit on your own work. When doing your own edit, however, you must view your manuscript as the reader and not the writer. You know what you’re trying to say, but would a reader arrive at the same point? Once you’ve completed your own edit then, you’re ready to search out an unbiased editor who can make even more edits on your manuscript. Spend some time at a nearby coffee shop and you’re bound to stumble upon a few freelance editors who would be more than willing to help or do some online research, read reviews and so on to find an editor.