4 Tips for Writing a Book on a Budget
So many of my authors share a mutual concern when it comes to writing their book: cost.
And, unfortunately, it winds up being a big deterrent for many folks. When I see this happen, it truly makes me sad because I know everyone has a story and each story MATTERS.
What a shame it would be not to be able to share your wonderful, unique experiences, insights and expertise.
I believe writing a book is for everyone AND can be done on a budget— all it takes is a bit of flexibility and savviness!
There are several phases in the editing process, the first being “pre-editing.” The pre-editing phase is where all the heavy lifting is done before it’s passed on to a professional editor.
Once you have your book out and on paper, read through several times and clean it up for grammar, spelling or word choice errors. A few tips for pre-editing:
Don’t hire any illustrations, which you may have to pay to use. If you have your images– use them! Better yet, entail the help of a friend to take your headshot or snap some photos for your cover image.
Above all, be sure to avoid using copyrighted images, without appropriate rights. Otherwise, you may land yourself in serious hot water.
I’ve heard a lot of people say e-Books aren’t “real” books– but I thoroughly disagree! Some of the best books, I’ve read have been e-Books.
For the author working on a tight budget, selling as an e-Book is a huge investment, but you save on the printing, binding and distribution; and you can always sell as a hardcopy later down the road.
Plus, in our growing digital age, consumers are leaning more towards e-Books for the purpose of convenience, cost and sustainability.
At most public libraries or community centers, there are plenty of opportunities to join book clubs, and by default, their participants are typically huge book lovers!
Book clubs are an awesome resource for sharing your ideas and brainstorming with people of similar interests.
What’s more, dissecting and analyzing a piece of work in a shared setting may offer valuable insight into your writing.
In fact, I’m sure your fellow book-lovers would jump at the chance to read YOUR book and offer their feedback. Consider it your first ever focus group!
Cost should never be a hindrance to achieving your dreams– you may have to get a bit creative and put in some extra elbow grease, but you’ll undoubtedly feel even more accomplished when your book finally lands in the hands of those who need it most.
Let’s talk about how we can get your book OUT of your head and ON to paper— I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!