Have you been procrastinating on your self-publishing ambitions?
Procrastination is a challenge for both nonfiction and fiction authors.
Nonfiction authors distrust their inspiration. One author told me: “I’ve already started three books—but there’s dozens of nonfiction books on those topics already.”
Have you nixed an idea because “it’s already been done?” When you’re looking for nonfiction ideas, competition should encourage you, rather than dismay you. It means there’s interest in your topic.
Fiction authors commonly procrastinate because “I hate plotting…” or “I hate my main character…”
Whether you’re writing nonfiction or fiction, if you’re dreaming of self-publishing, take action on your dreams today.
Self-publishing: dive in, start today
You can do it: you can get an idea, and publish it quickly, and you should. When you dive in, and start writing, your creativity will blossom.
Let’s look at some quick tips to help.
1. Create a cover to give your idea reality (images boost your creativity)
As you may know, I adore Canva—it’s an ideal tool to prevent procrastination, because it offers easily-edited templates.
With little effort, you can bring an idea to life.
Canva book cover templates
Choose a template, change the text and elements, and before you know it, you’ll be inspired.
2. Think “short”: readers enjoy short nonfiction and fiction too
Whether you’re writing nonfiction or fiction, short ebooks work.
A short nonfiction idea helps you to test the market for your topic, as well as the interest in the topic—write and sell in 24 hours.
Readers enjoy short fiction, and so do authors:
… you can explore an idea in a short story within a few hours, then publish it next day
Serials are especially popular: Amazon recently launched Kindle Vella—currently only for US authors—but you don’t need Vella. Publish serials exactly the same way you publish other fiction.
3. Give yourself a deadline, and share your deadline with others
Until you assign a deadline, your self-publishing dreams won’t materialize. Try giving yourself a deadline.
4. Start marketing today, while you’re writing
In “Market Your Book NOW: 8 Tips To Win Readers Before Your Book’s Done”, we suggested you start marketing while you’re writing, because:
Your potential readers become interested in your book, and their interest and feedback inspires you. Not only do you get more ideas for your book, you get more ideas for marketing.
5. Set your own challenge: 30 days to…
Why not set yourself a self-publishing challenge?
One of myself-publishing students, a new fiction author, set himself a challenge to publish two short stories every week for four weeks.
At the end of the month, not only had he build his confidence, he’d also made a little money. He expanded one of his stories into a novel, and then into a series.
You can write your own self-publishing success story too: get started today.
Sell More Books Today: The Simple Secret To Successful Fiction
Your books aren't selling. You've done everything right, but you may have missed an essential element of bestselling fiction...
That element is suspense.
More info →
Copywriter and marketing pro Angela Booth maintains a busy copywriting and ghostwriting practice. Fascinated by online marketing, she wrote one of the first business books for internet marketing, published by Allen & Unwin. She’s been an enthusiastic blogger since the late 1990s.
