As a writer you should know that writing a book of your very own is not a bed of roses. There will be times that you will face adversity and you will have to dig deep to face it. So before you even think of writing a book of your very own you should know the potential problems you will be facing. That way you will be able to steel yourself against any unforeseen setbacks that may come your way. Here are some common problems you will face when publishing a book.
- Writer’s block
During the writing process one of the worst things you can face is writer’s block. It can be described as a condition wherein a writer cannot seem to write no matter how much he or she tries. It mostly impedes the writer’s ability to write and can lead to great stress in a writer, especially to one’s who are on a deadline. Writer’s block can last from days to even years and can totally damage a writer’s career in the long run. So as early as possible it is important that you root out the cause of your writer’s block.
How to solve it: When it comes to writer’s block, you can’t really rush the process. Once you get writer’s block it’s already very difficult to get back into the writing process. So the best thing to do once you get writer’s block is to take it easy. Seeing as writer’s block is psychological in nature it would not be advisable that you force yourself to write. Because you will most likely get frustrated and just aggravate your writer’s block. The best thing to do during such times is to just relax and take it easy. Read a book and do other things that will help you relax. That way, you will be able to try your hand in the writing process with a more relaxed and open state of mind.
- Procrastination
Aside from writer’s block, procrastination is yet another annoying problem that you must face. Procrastination is the act of putting off a task when you could do it today. And many a writer is guilty of this. Procrastination is quite damaging to the book publishing process, because it causes delays throughout the entire writing process. For example, you should be writing your manuscript daily, but because of your procrastinating, you find yourself way behind schedule. Then you find your work too hard to cope with and ultimately lose sight of your main goal. All in all, procrastination is a bad habit that you will have to shake if you want to succeed as a writer.
How to solve it: Fortunately, procrastination is nowhere near as debilitating as a writer’s block. All you really need is a schedule to follow and the discipline to follow it through. Your schedule should be easy to follow consistently at a daily basis. That way, you can develop good work habits that will keep you going throughout the entire process.
- Book Publishing options
Aside from the writing process there is also the book publishing process that you will have to take into account. And honestly this will be a very challenging time for most writers. This is because it is very time consuming and expensive to publish a book. Most people would opt to go with traditional publishing. This is because it is historically one of the most effective types of book publishing out there. Not only are they proven to be effective but you are technically given a free ride once your book gets selected. The publishing company will finance the publishing process along with book marketing. The only setback here is the fact that traditional publishing houses are notoriously difficult to get a deal with, not to mention the fact that you will have to give up a majority of your rights to your book. Aside from traditional publishing, the other best option is self-publishing. Unlike traditional publishing, this type of publishing means that you will have full control of the publishing process. Not to mention that you will receive full royalties for every book that you sell. The only setback with self-publishing is the fact that you will have to do a majority of the work yourself and pay for the entire process yourself.
How to solve it: When you are publishing a book, there is one thing you should remember. There are no short cuts and you will have to work really hard. This goes for any option you take. Should you take the traditional publishing route you will have to accept that you will have competition throughout the entire process. Expect to wait for some time, before your book gets accepted. But it’s not as bad as it seems. And many a great author has gained success through this route, so don’t be scared to wait for your chance to get your book published.
Should you choose self-publishing, you will pay for a majority of it. But you are also given the chance to work with self-publishing companies such as BookVenture publishing. This multifaceted publishing house offers great services for a very affordable price. Overall though, whatever option you go with has its pros and cons. It all really depends on you and which one best serves your needs.
- Book Marketing
Whether you are a self-publishing author or are working with a traditional publishing house. It is important that you know how to market your work. But it is easier said than done. New authors come out of the woodwork on a daily basis and you will have to compete with them for reader’s attentions. There is also the fact that book marketing takes a great deal of money to conduct correctly.
How to solve it: Book marketing is considered difficult to do because it is quite expensive. This is especially true for self-published authors who are supposed to pay for the book marketing process themselves. Which is why you should find alternative forms of book marketing. Through these alternatives you can now market your book without having to spend a fortune on traditional book marketing forms. One way is to use social media to spread word of your book. By using popular sites such as Facebook and Twitter, you spread word of your book without spending too much. You can also create an author blog where you can conduct all your book marketing campaigns. Self-publishing companies such as BookVenture are also quite effective when it comes to book marketing. BookVenture offers great services such as Ingram Advance Catalogs that grants authors the chance to conduct highly effective print marketing campaigns. With these great options, you can now market your book at a minimal cost.
All in all, publishing a book is quite a difficult prospect for anyone. And there is really no guarantee that you will succeed in your endeavor, what with all the obstacles and difficulties in your way. But if you steel yourself throughout the process and just keep going forward, then you will succeed eventually. Pure grit is the quality you need to succeed in the book publishing industry.