Greetings, gentle readers.
If you noticed that we missed blogging last week (we hope you did notice), we’re sorry.
Wise Ink was busy moving into some swanky new offices, and in the shuffle of moving books (so many books) and putting together Ikea furniture (so many pieces of furniture), we ran out of time.
The good news is twofold:
- We have awesome new offices for you all to visit if you’re ever in Minneapolis (see the above photo)
- Moving actually taught us a lot about the publishing process.
Here are six lessons about bookmaking that we gleaned from carrying hundreds of them across town:
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- Don’t overburden yourself just to save time.
You don’t REALLY need to fit five boxes on that dolly. It’s just going to stress you out and make it hard to maneuver and then you’ll drop on in the middle of the street right before rush hour (true story). Just take two trips.
In publishing, it’s tempting to edit and design and begin marketing and crowdfunding all at once—after all, if you’re just sitting there for six months editing, it’s not going to feel like you’re doing anything at all. Don’t give into temptation. Focus on having more steps that are easily manageable. Multi-tasking is fine, as long as you can still spend time on each part of the process. It’s okay to take this slow, even if it is self-publishing.
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- Ask for help.
No matter how strong you are, you can’t carry a gigantic glass conference table down some stairs by yourself. You need help.
Bringing a book to life is like carrying twelve gigantic glass conference tables down some stairs simultaneously. Some one else should be there to help you pick up the slack. Whether that is an editor, a designer, or even a partner who will take a few extra hours with the kids while you build your author platform, don’t be afraid to ask for help!
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- Man plans, God laughs.
Sometimes, desks don’t fit where you were planning on putting them. Even more often, an edit comes back that completely changes the way you see your book. Or at the last minute, a blog tour stop will fall through, and you’ll have to scramble and figure out a plan b.
It’ll be a lot less headache if you go in to publishing with a solid plan as a foundation but are open to change. Who knows—you might even end up closer to a window!
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- Lift with your knees.
How many times have you been told to lift with your knees, even though you naturally want to lift with your back? Well, the same thing happens with publishing. If you’ve never done it before, the tendency is to just do it the way you think it should be done—and even though it may feel natural, it doesn’t mean it’s right.
Take time and research the best way for an author to build a platform to support a heavy load. Things like scheduling tweets will go a long way to take that strain off of your back!
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- Unpack deliberately.
Once your books comes out, you might take every promotion opportunity that comes your way—this isn’t always the best option. Instead of going into it willy-nilly like a maniac who loves bubble wrap, be methodical.
Save some marketing efforts for days and weeks and even months after your book comes out. You’ll find that you’ll be less exhausted and will receive more returns than ever before.
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- Party.
Everyone needs a housewarming party, right? Well so does your book. Don’t forget to take a breather when this is all over and just enjoy the fact that you got through it and rocked it. Plus, your family will be forced to buy your book that way!
Congrats ladies on the new office. I look forward to seeing it upon my next visit to the Twin Cities (Date TBA).
No hyperlink, no photo of your new digs? Is it me or you?
I cancelled all but two of my subscriptions to writing/publishing blogs. You are one of the two I kept. I always find your posts pithy, interesting and informative. Just dropping in to say “hello!”
Seriously; is everyone else seeing a pic or is my laptop fried?
The heading photo is of our new digs! Let us know if are other blogs aren’t getting to you in one piece!
I worked in the healthcare industry for years. Taking the annual back safety training (which was good – for staff’s backs – and also satisfied several government regulations – which was good for our institutions) was an employment requirement. So, yes, you learned the hard way but, as long as there were no serious consequences, consider it a learning experience. Just like putting one’s writing efforts out there on the publication circuit – try to do the best you can and learn all along the way. Hope to see your new digs next time I am in the TCs.
I love your message. I have tried to fit too much on my writing and publishing ‘dolly’ and then end up putting my head in a hole with my bum in the air like and ostrich, because I got into overwhelm.
Great tips.
Thank you