Lorna Faith

Clean Fiction Author

5 Benefits of Self Publishing Your Book

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As I finish writing this new non-fiction book to help new writers learn how to Write and Publish Your First Book: A Step-By-Step Blueprint to Write, Self-Publish and Market Your Fiction or Non-Fiction Book
I’m even more excited about self-publishing than before.

Things are so much better for writers today than they used to be simply because of the freedom we have to publish the books we want to without having to deal with traditional gatekeepers.

There are challenges to overcome like, needing to figure out the formatting for your book and absorbing the costs of editing and book cover design yourself, but these are dwarfed by the positives.

Nowadays, we can push a button and get worldwide distribution.

Indie publishing isn’t for everyone, but for some writers, it’s a match made in heaven.

So today, I thought I’d write about some benefits of self-publishing that are true, at least for the foreseeable future.

5 Benefits of

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5 Benefits of Self-Publishing Your Book

There are many benefits to being an indie author. And despite the fact that you need to put up your own money for edits and book covers and that you might not get your book into as many stores as a traditional publisher, the benefits far outweigh the challenges.

1. You have full control over the entire process of your book. Your ideas, writing, your book cover design, and the timing of when you choose to publish is all up to you. A publisher isn’t going to come in and suggest changes. Even if you write something controversial, you can. You can price your work how you want to, and learn from other indie authors at which price points they’ve sold the most books. Sometimes it takes adjusting the price or even the title to appeal to the widest range of readers. It’s nice to have that freedom.

2. You can sell by any means you like. This includes digital, ebook, audio, print and rights to TV. You can even choose to be a hybrid author(self-publish and traditionally publish). There are no right or wrong paths.

3. You keep all the rights to your books or whatever format you publish in. If you choose to self publish, you have the rights and all the control over your book.

4. You can become an author whenever you want to without waiting for someone to choose you. This was partly why I waited so long. Sadly, I thought I needed someone like an agent or publisher to pick me in order for me to be good enough to write and publish a book. It took me a few years before I stopped believing that lie. If you’ve been putting off writing and publishing your book because you think your work might not be good enough, I want to encourage you to stop waiting. Choose Yourself. You are a Writer. And get your book written and published.

5. All your time and effort can go toward writing, publishing and marketing your own book instead of chasing after an agent and publisher. It is more work to do everything yourself as an indie author, but if you’re an entrepreneur at heart and can learn to be disciplined to wear all these hats, you’ll be a successful indie author.

I’ve watched indie authors who’ve been successful, in terms of personality, you need to develop some of the skills of a project manager in order to self-publish. I’ve discovered that it’s a learning curve. Everyone who chooses to self publish, needs to learn to coordinate a number of things at the same time and if you don’t keep to your plan you will not have a book at the end of it.

It’s a constant learning curve, and there have been many days when I’ve felt overwhelmed. Usually when I’m feeling like I have too many things going on at once, I try to figure out which project I need to do first and then do the other projects in the order they need to get done.

“Tie your books together in intelligent ways, create smart marketing funnels that drive your readers from one book directly into the next, and take control of the connection between you and your readers, rather than abdicating that task… In self-publishing, success comes from hard work and the accumulation of small numbers. Unlike yesterday, today’s prosperity can bloom from continuous intelligent production. For the first time in history, life as a full-time writer has become about simple math.” Johnny B. Truant  Write. Publish. Repeat. (The No-Luck-Required Guide to Self-Publishing Success) (The Smarter Artist Book 1)

The good and bad news is that as an indie author, all the control is in your hands. You are responsible for your success.

So, if you’ve haven’t succeeded yet, don’t quit. Keep working. Keep producing more books.

Right now is the best time in history to be a self published author.

Keep writing.

Can you think of some other benefits to being a self-published author? I’d love to hear other benefits you think of – that I’m sure I missed – in the comments.

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Dealing with People’s Expectations as You Write Your Book

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When you tell people “I’m writing a book” or “I’m an author,” people around you have many different reactions. You can get negativity or support and pats on the back or anything in between.

Sometimes the negativity you get from others can be quite painful, especially if this has been a lifetime dream for you or something that makes you feel vulnerable when you talk about it.

Normally your spouse, partner or family are supportive of your goals, but there are moments when they just don’t get it either. Sometimes, you might surprise them by what you write. I know my husband and children were a little surprised when I wrote about romance mixed with supernatural elements and Black Hand terrorists set in early 1900’s Russia. It wasn’t really what they were expecting.

So what helps writers to navigate through all these expectations and reactions from people?

-In the end

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A Couple Helpful Thoughts to Remember…

If you’ve been feeling the pressure of other people’s opinions, or worried about your writing in any way, here’s a few thoughts that might help you pull yourself out of a funk and back on an even keel.

Everyone will have an opinion about the fact that you’re writing a book. When you first start out you might not tell anyone you are writing for fear of what they might say. It’s good to remember that lots of people talk about writing a book, but very few actually finish one. People reactions and comments are mixed with both criticism and praise when you tell them you’re writing a book.

I remember feeling like I should apologize to people for writing the book I did. I think much of that was lack of confidence and fear of judgement. This is something that changes over time as you become proud of writing and publishing your books.

I found, that I got more criticism and judgement during the editing and rewrite process. But to be fair, some of these negative feelings could have come from having to do such intensive rewrites and edits on my first book. I felt like the criticism started to fade away as the editing process continued and as I showed people that I was really going to get this book done. Then as I began to tell more people, I started to hear more encouraging comments.

It’s normal to put a lot of yourself into the book you write. If it’s fiction or non-fiction, you’ll find that what you write is an expression of who you are. This is normal. After all, what you pick as your topic, reflects on the person you are. And let’s be honest, people will judge you by what you write…. but people will judge you anyway.

I found that the problem is worse when you only have one book out there. Because that book then becomes the only thing people judge you on and the main thing for people to criticize or attack. Once you have more books, you can start to loosen up a bit, as there are different sides of you to show to others. Your confidence in yourself and who you are as a writer will begin to grow as you are a published author.

You Have to Realize that Some Readers will not Like Your Book. This is something that all writers face. But this is much tougher to work through when you are still a new author and emotionally connected to your book. I remember feeling rejected as a person when my book was rejected.

When you’ve written your first book, you have to try to let it go and realize that when people don’t like your book – it’s not personal. It could be that what you were writing about was not for them. And that’s okay. Other people will want to read your work.

How can you handle all these challenges?

1. When someone says something unkind and that is painful for you to hear, breathe deeply and take time to rethink what they said. Is it helpful feedback – constructive criticism – that you can use to make your story better? If that answer is yes, write it down and use it. If it’s a comment that doesn’t help, then dismiss it and tuck the information away that this person is not someone with whom you want to share your books with again.

2. Realize that every writer goes through this. How you feel is normal. Everyone who writes a book – especially their first book – feels very much out of their comfort zone. Since you are not experienced or an expert in writing books, you’ll most likely hear more criticism. Most of all, don’t be hard on yourself. Accept that you’re on a learning curve and that much like anything you learn, there will be some lessons to learn before you make it to your writing goals.

3. Speak positive words about you and your writing. What you have to say matters. You can write a book and be an author. You are an artist. You are creative. Choose Yourself. You are a Writer. Give yourself permission to write your book. Say these positive, affirming words over and over again.

4. You can reach your goal. Writing and publishing your book is something you can do. It will take it patience and writing at times, even when it’s the last thing you want to do. But you can do it. Remind yourself that writing is a long term deal and savor the journey.

Remind yourself, when people are critical of your work, to take it in stride, use the comments if they’re helpful and keep writing. Everyday you write you’re moving closer to your dream.

Have you had criticism on something you’ve written? Was it helpful or not? I’d love to hear your story in the comments.

5 Tips for Writing a Non-Fiction Book

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About seven years ago, I started taking writing seriously.

I started to write down the stories that came into my head…. fiction. And I’ve loved it.

However, for all those years I thought I was only a fiction writer.

I mean I started blogging and talking about what I was learning about writing and telling stories, but in my mind that was just for fun. I was just sharing what I was learning. That was something I loved to do anyway.

Then, one day I had this idea. I thought I  would love to help others learn from my own experiences as I wrote and published my first book.

So, in my usual why not try it fashion, I began to work on writing the modules for my first online class. As I was working on each lesson one-by-one, I started making notes in Scrivener on what I needed to put in each section.

Wouldn’t you know it, it wasn’t long before those notes began to look like chapters.

So I thought, what the heck, I’ll just organize these ideas into chapter-like ideas and maybe that will help me get my thoughts organized better as I work on the online class.

Here’s what happened.

I was about halfway through creating the online class and realized that all those notes had started to look like a book. It made sense to keep writing it until it was done. That’s what I’ve been doing. I’m finishing chapter 8 as we speak with about four chapters to go. I guess I will turn it into a book after all. The title echos the content of the online class. Write and Publish Your First Book: A Step-by-Step Blueprint to Write, Self-Publish and Market Your Fiction or Non-Fiction Book.

I thought I’d share some tips I’ve learned through writing this first non-fiction book.

-Writing to me

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5 Tips to Write Your Non-Fiction Book

What I’ve discovered as I’ve written this book, is that when inspiration hits you need to go with it. When you see a need and you have experience on the subject, you can fill that need.

I’ve learned that these are great reasons to begin writing a non-fiction book. So here’s some thoughts to help you get started.

1. Start by Blogging about what you love. Just the idea of practicing in public and hitting the publish button on the first post I wrote on my blog scared me silly three and a half years ago. But, I felt I had to write. There were things I needed to write about. I wanted to talk about what I was learning on writing and publishing, but I also wanted to inspire other creatives to move through resistance and thrive in life.

So I continued to write and learn about writing books. This is what I learned. A weekly blogpost helps to keep your writing muscles working. By consistently writing, that’s how your natural voice begins to emerge. Blogging is a habit that is invaluable for any writer who wants to write non-fiction. You can even write blogposts that will in time, turn into a book.

2. Don’t wait for the perfect moment before you start. I began blogging without knowing anything about writing. I just knew I had some thoughts I wanted to share with others and I wanted to connect with others. So I just wrote through trial and error, learning as I went. But, I do regret waiting so long to write and publish my first fiction book. And I also wish I would have started writing the second fiction book and this new non-fiction book sooner.

However I’m happy that I’m almost done writing both books now. I think the reason for the delay was because I didn’t feel like I was an expert. My aha moment came when I heard Jonathan Milligan talk about how to become a Leading Learner. You can begin by leading from the front, even when you don’t feel good enough. If you’re Leading from the Front, instead of focusing on what you lack, focus on what you know. This is a great way to share what you’ve learned. You only need to be a little bit ahead to add value to someone’s else’s life.

3. Mentors are Great and so are Beta Readers. Besides learning from mentors through podcasts and blogs, I was grateful when my teenage girls offered to be my first readers. I’ll be asking them to read through the non-fiction book too, because the more eyes on the book, the better. I’ve also had other writers – Beta Readers – read through my books. They’ve been so helpful with advice on how to change words and phrases to make the chapters flow better.

4. Build Your Platform and continue to write. Don’t stop getting your blogposts out there and talking about those things you’re passionate about.

Stay committed to writing about what you love to talk about, and you’ll soon attract the readers that want to read what you have to say.

Start to post on your social media about similar things to what you’re blogging about – focussing on how you can help others. Share exciting things you’re learning and share content from others that has really helped you learn and grow. Share encouragement or content from others in your niche that will be of benefit to your readers most of the time and watch how more people start to ‘get you’ and begin to have conversations with you. It’s such fun.

5. Savour each moment of writing, publishing and connecting with people. This one is actually more of a challenge for me. Sometimes I’m so focussed with my next goal and what I need to get done that day or week, that it’s like I get into “driven” mode and forget to smell the roses along the way. Write what is fun for you. Don’t try to fit into any person’s expectations or conform. Readers will love to hear about your perspective.

Remember to keep connecting with the people you love… after you’ve finished your words for the day. I take one day off a week and it really helps to energize and inspire me. This is one of the reason why I really appreciate my husband and children.They pull me away from what I’m doing and have me join in their fun every once in awhile.

Those are my tips from what I’ve been learning on how to write your first non-fiction book. I’ve discovered that while it takes a little bit of effort to sit down and actually write, it’s quite fun to write about those things that you’ve been studying and your experiences through it all. It’s also been so much fun to connect more with readers who resonate with you and your books.

What are your tips on writing non-fiction? I love to hear your thoughts.

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Choose Yourself. You Are A Writer.

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For years fear held me back from starting something I had dreamed of since I was a little girl.

I wanted to be a writer.

All around me I saw writers producing a new book every year, with tons of novellas and blogposts in between. Words seemed to drip from their fingers.

I thought, maybe this writing thing won’t be so hard after all. Yeah, right. That belief turned out to be wrong on so many levels.

Writing was hard work, at least for me.

From the first words I put on the blank screen in front of me, until I finished my first novel four years later, every single day I struggled to get the story on page. Sure, some days were easier than others, but every time I saw the empty void looming in front of me, I was consumed with intimidation and fear of failure.

Fear of rejection showed up in my writing days resulting in perfectionism and procrastination. It slowed me down.

Questions of self-doubt filled my mind. What if I’m the only one who thinks I could be a good writer? What if I suck at this and end up failing?

Insecurity and anguish mocked me, their condemning words echoing in my ears.

I struggled to accept the truth, that at the core of me I already was a writer. I just needed to own that identity.

Choose Yourself.

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You Have Permission…

I didn’t understand that before I could really find my voice as a writer, I needed to own that identity. I needed to realize I had permission to be who I was. Activity would follow.

I was in the process of becoming what some part of me realized I was.

So I began my search. This is when I began to get the help and inspiration I needed. I searched online for people who were already doing what I wanted to do and began to be mentored by other writers through blogs, podcasts and Webinars.

All this research took a long time. I was desperate for answers.

Suddenly it was like a light switched on in a dark room. At last, I realized that all these years I had been waiting for permission. Somewhere in my subconscious mind, I let those negative voices become something much bigger. I realized I had been waiting for someone to choose me.

I needed to choose myself. It was time to realize I was a writer.

That moment was the starting point for me. I’ve continued to write, and I’m in editing mode right now with the second book in the series. Everyday I still continue to choose myself when I sit down to write.

Maybe you’ve had a dream to be a writer. Maybe you’re even working on a book right now, but you feel stuck. Maybe you’re not sure of the next steps to take to realize your dream of writing and publishing your book.

If that’s where you’re at, I want to let you know there’s a way for you to learn how to write, publish and market your book and to learn it faster than I ever did. And you’ll be taking notes from bestselling authors who have been just where you are right now.

Some of my favourite authors and mentors will be teaching on the upcoming online Self Publishing Summit which starts on July 12th. Bestselling authors like Jeff Goins, Joanna Penn, Jonathan Milligan and many more will be sharing their step-by-step process to help you write, market and publish your first book.

And the best part is that you can grab your spot to learn the ideas and systems they spent years discovering for FREE! Click here to grab your spot today.

Most of all, I hope you choose yourself. That, even if you have doubts and fears that you could actually write a book, that you’ll give yourself permission to try.

Choosing myself and embracing my identity as a writer is something I wish I had done years before I actually did. I really hope you don’t wait.

I hope you’ll decide to follow your writing dreams. Do it today. You’ll be happy you did.

Believe in yourself. Choose yourself. You are a writer.

Have you had fears that have held you back from writing your book? I’d love to hear your story in the comments.

hugs, Lorna

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