THE FIRST TIME WRITING A BOOK
Would you like to write a book but not sure where to start? You have a message and want to get it out in the world? Or perhaps you want to write a book but not sure what to write about? Read my reflection on what it was like to write Imperfectly Chasing Dreams book for the first time and in my second language.
Where do I even start? This post is not a step-by-step guide, it is more of an overview to give you an idea of what’s involved in the process. I am planning to write a guide in the future so keep your eyes peeled or sign up for my weekly Newsletter to get notified when it’s ready.
PUBLISHING VS SELF-PUBLISHING
I have never gone through a publishing house so I cannot speak about my experience. The choice of self-publishing was clear from the very beginning to me. As I wanted to do everything from writing, designing and formatting the book myself, the only way to have that freedom and be in control of all creative decisions was to self-publish.
I oughta say that my book has come out as an ebook for now and I’m planning to get it printed when I get back home from Australia.
If you go through a publishing house you will lose some of your creative decisions but a lot of things will get done for you.
THE STAGES OF GETTING YOUR BOOK OUT
The first and foremost thing you need to figure out before you start writing is what you want the book to be about. For example, your message, storyline, idea, … Then you need to write a first draft or manuscript. I had the tendency of shifting my focus to what the cover was going to look like and other stuff. I had to stop and keep reminding myself that until I have at least the first draft, I have nothing to work with.
I personally wrote the first draft for myself and then the first draft for editing. This was simply because I needed to write something to review and work with that. As I was going through my first draft, I added things, organised chapters and basically rewrote most of it. You’ve got to start somewhere.
Then my editor and friend Amber briefly read through the whole book and we organised the order of the chapters to give it an overall storyline. After that, she was editing and I was working on the cover and illustrations whilst working on the edits.
And the last stages were to create a sales page, a sample, and figure out all the technical things to create an e-shop. Not to forget all the social media posts…
TITLE
I brainstormed titles a couple of times while writing the book and then I left it. Once it was written I landed on one of them. I quickly used that one to finally work on a design for the cover without thinking it was the final one.
Then I had to make a decision and found out that this title was perfect. It fit the message of what I was trying to share through the book. It also describes my superpower.
The title is not important at the beginning, once you see the book come together, it is easier to get the title.
MY EXPERIENCE OF WRITING AND PUBLISHING A BOOK
I have to say that I loved the whole experience of writing a book. Was it hard at times? YES. Did I know how to do everything? HELL NO.
I was writing in my second language and trying to organise my thoughts to create a story out of it. Trust me, it’s hard to organise all the thoughts in my head. Even for myself. Sometimes it was easier and sometimes I was sweating every word. But, once I realised that by sharing my story, I can help other people not to feel alone and live a better life, there was no way back.
THIS IS A BEGINNING
I put my whole heart and a tremendous amount of effort to pull this book together. I believe that this book is just a beginning for so much more. I’d like to take part of this book and use it for my content in the future.
I’d also like to turn it into talks and workshops for young adults to show them how they can Imperfectly chase their dreams and achieve even the most ambitious goals. I want to help and teach people to start believing in themselves and to let go of everything that’s stopping them from reaching for more.
If you’d like to read a sample or get more information about Imperfectly Chasing Dreams, click here.
Any questions, please drop me a message on Instagram @makeityouradventure. I’d be happy to share my experience.
With Love
V
