Sharing my Publishing Pitfall to Help Other Authors Succeed!

Ask any aspiring writer and they will tell you all you need to know about the prestigious “Writer’s and Artists’ Handbook”. It’s a treasure trove of untapped opportunity for many authors dreaming of publication with its definitive listings of all those who can help you achieve success.

So, last year, after coming across a request from Bloomsbury for case studies to be included in the new Writer’s and Artists’ Guide to Self-Publishing I was thrilled. Looking back over my own experience, I highlighted a few issues I encountered that I wish I’d known how to avoid, typed them up and sent them off. To be able to contribute to a new version of a book that had been such a big part of my early writing career was so exciting.

However, with the buzz of Christmas and the emergence of a global health crisis, my submission was quickly forgotten. That was until I received an email in April advising that my case study had been selected for publication and was currently on sale.

Unlike the elusive professionals in the publishing industry who new authors always think hold the magic key to their success, in the self-publishing sector you are your own fairy godmother. The success you gain is slow and based on the things you do, which of course you never know as most authors don’t have experience in these areas. So, to have a definitive guide that can help you through the process is such a milestone for the self-publishing industry.

To have been able to use the pitfalls I experienced in my own journey to help other authors avoid them is fantastic because it turns what felt very negative at the time into something positive. That the collective advice given in the guide will be able to make this journey that little bit easier for anyone who chooses to undertake it in the future.

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