PREPARE TO PUBLISH! TEN PREPS FOR POD
Steps you can take before you publish to help your work succeed!
An Original Workshop by Dehanna Bailee
Published by Blue Leaf Publications at Smashwords
©2006-2009 All Rights Reserved
http://www.blueleafpub.com
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Introduction
You've seen the ads, perused the websites, lurked on the forums, and more and now you're at the point where you think you're ready to grab that manuscript and throw it out to the masses--but before you do let's just take a moment or two and briefly review ten “preps” you might want to consider doing to help make your publishing experience more than just “getting in print.”
Most of these ideas aren't hard but I will warn you, depending on your personality, drive, and goals, they may be tough to carry out because if you're like most authors looking into Independent or “POD publishing,” you're more than ready to publish right now and that enthusiasm--although beneficial if properly channeled--may just be the one thing that (more than anything) might end up leading you down a rocky path.
But let's not spend any more time off the main theme of this workshop so... Without further ado, let's get started!
Tip #1: Get Educated
It's been proven over and over through many various ventures that the better, more educated a person is in their endeavors, the greater chance they'll have of success.
And this rings true even in publishing--namely because by informing yourself about the industry before you sign that dotted line, often you can avoid the pitfalls that have caused others to fail.
Yet although this might seem strange at first, keep in mind it isn't that hard for you to become an “educated author” either.
All anyone has to do is what you're doing right now: learning from those who have gone before and taking their wisdom to heart.
Add to that a little research and reading, and bingo, you're well on your way!
Tip #2: Don't Rush into Publishing!
When author's hurry--or even worse, are driven by the “getting into print” syndrome--they often lose track of the details and end up either making expensive mistakes or regretting their impulsive decisions.
Please don't let this happen to you!
Realize from the very beginning there's a lot to learn and how important it is for you to have a general idea of how the industry works--as a whole, not just one aspect--before you put those treasured words into printed form.
One of the easiest ways to accomplish this is to assume a “hurry up but WAIT!” mindset so that you give yourself enough time to really look into what you're doing.
Put that manuscript aside for at least three to six months (or more) and tell yourself no matter what, you'll not make any final publishing decisions until that period of time has completely elapsed.