we're all in this together

You just can't write a book on your own. It is impossible. There are so many reasons why a lone person can not write alone, even though it is a fairly isolated activity. If you do not have these three things in your life, you need to find them before you publish.

* Beta readers: a beta reader is someone who will read your story and give you feedback. A beta reader is not an editor, although they serve a similar purpose. A Beta Reader is like your trial audience. They are the ones who will notice continuance issues, or point out how characters are perceived. I have three Beta Readers, each with different backgrounds.

* Editor: an editor is a guy with the red pen. He is the one who will cross out your spelling and fix your grammar. The Editor is different to your beta readers because he is looking at the logistics of writing. The rules, if you like. Spelling, grammar, sentence structure, all that stuff your English teacher would talk about in school. You should find someone with a strong grasp of the language. You don't need to pay for a good editor.

* sound board: this is the under appreciated guy. This is the one who listens to all your ideas. Normally your best friend, and there is a good chance you don't even realise how important this person is to the final product. This is the guy you call/text at stupid o'clock because you had a sudden idea and you needed to bounce it off someone first. They will normally ask all the preliminary questions, help generate back story and motivess for moving forward.

#thoughts #selfpub #author #writing #selfpublish #selfpublishing