IWSG: Publishing Pitfall Alert! Is Your Book Reader-Ready?

Hi everyone!  Welcome to my blog and this month's edition of the Insecure Writer's Support Group.  Thanks for stopping by.  I'm honored to be one of the co-hosts for our August IWSG posting.  I'd like to thank my co-hosts and encourage you to visit each of their blogs today.

August Co-Hosts: Erika Beebe, Sandra Hoover, Susan Gourley, & Lee Lowery!

IWSG posts the first Wednesday of every month. It's a great writer's resource that I'm sure you'll find well worth your time. Be sure to stop by and visit with other IWSG Members.  

I'd like to take this opportunity to give a shout out to our fearless leader Alex J. Cavanaugh who launched IWSG on Sept. 7, 2011, offering writer's a place to seek and give support, encouragement, and advice to other writers.  Our writing community has since grown by leaps & bounds.  Many thanks to Alex and his awesome team!

IWSG Mission Statement:  The Insecure Writer’s Support Group is a website media business with affiliates to enhance our service to visitors. We are a home for writers in all stages; from unpublished to bestsellers. Our goal is to offer assistance and guidance. We want to help writers overcome their insecurities, and by offering encouragement we are creating a community of support. Visit IWSG to learn more about this great writing community!  

Exciting News!  The official theme of the IWSG Anthology

Contest is being announced today!  Visit Insecure Writer's Support Group for more info!

Together We Can!

The IWSG community has joined forces with WEP (Writing, Editing, Publishing) - an online writing community that posts to a theme every third Wednesday or every second month!  For more info, check out Denise Covey's Blog.  You can check out WEP's August theme below!

August IWSG Question:  What pitfalls would you warn other writers to avoid on their publication journey?

What a great question for the more experienced authors with several published books under their belt!  I'm all ears - your advise is always priceless.  I'm also interested in hearing from other writers who get up every day and take the next step in the long journey to first-time publication.  What pitfalls are you facing, and how are you handling them?

As for me, while I consider myself fortunate to have some articles published, I'm still working toward publishing my first book.  And while I haven't ventured deeply into the publishing process myself, I've watched and learned from other authors who have.  

No doubt, there're several potentially disastrous pitfalls on the road to publication.  Yet,  when I read this question, I knew immediately what my advice would be.  I'll keep it short and sweet - Avoid putting undue pressure on yourself (and those around you) by setting realistic deadlines - aka release dates.  In today's publishing world, many authors are self-publishing and thus in charge of setting their own deadlines.  So, you've finally finished your book?  Great!  And you want it published yesterday - I get it!  However, it's highly unlikely you wrote your book in a day and unrealistic to expect to get it into the hands of readers immediately after writing "The End" . . . not and deliver your best work.

I believe the number one job of writers is to write.  Having said that, it's also extremely important for authors to deliver their best work to readers each and every time.  So, now that you've written your best book ever, don't shoot yourself in the foot by rushing through the steps necessary to ensure your book is reader-ready.  Curtail your anxiousness to get it out there NOW, and set a release date that allows enough time for every step (and person involved) in the publication process.  After all, word of mouth is one of the best (and least expensive) advertisements an author will ever have, and it can either make or break a book.  As an avid reader, reviewer, and participant of several book club groups, I can tell you one of the fastest ways to an early book funeral is to publish a book full of errors.  You'll be reading about it in every review from here on out.  Good news is - this is one pitfall easily avoided by allowing needed time to get it right the first time!  Make sure your book is reader-ready.  When it's finally in the hands of enthusiastic readers sharing it with other readers, you'll be glad you did!

Life is hectic enough!  Avoid unnecessary stress by setting realistic publication deadlines.  Allow yourself time to get it right.  Make sure your book is Reader-Ready.  Your readers will thank you!