There are a lot of books out there about writing. There is a lot of advice. There are a lot of unpublished novels in drawers gathering dust.
Why?
No more excuses. No more books.
The book: "Dollars & Sense: The Definitive Guide to Self-Publishing Success" by Carolyn McCray, Amber Scott and Rachel Thompson is the only book you will ever need if you want to publish that novel. But you better be ready, because this no-nonsense guide is so thorough about every detail, explains and gives examples for every question you can imagine, that if you think you are going to sit in Starbuck's and read about being a writer with this one- no way.
Stephen King's advice to writers has always been to stop reading books about writing and to just begin writing. Excellent advice when authors were still discovered by big publishing houses and social media possibilities were just ideas. Not so today. There's competition. There's...one hundred and one excuses for not finishing that novel, or if you've finished, not working to get it out there.
The strength of this guide is that all of the authors are experienced writers, who have worked within a community of other indie writers and shared that experience. Perhaps most important, is that they've learned to work the social media route through their own trial and error, and they've become saavy enough to know how to give advice and take others step by step through what is necessary to succeed.
In a take no prisoners, drill seargeant style, but always with a wry sense of humor, from the beginning, you know that they only expect the best from you. There is no failure. There is no writer's block. Reading this book, you have to believe that. It is thorough, full of details and examples. Having been there, done that, the authors don't hesitate in sharing what they've learned.
Whatever questions an author may have, this book is organized and upfront about resources, advice and practical suggestions. The three sections: I Producing a Professional Product, II Creating a Social Media Platform, and III Selling Books cover the oft overlooked yet most important; because whether we like it or not, it is all about marketing,
In the introduction, the warning is that you cannot just write, and then expect people to read what you've written. You have to take what you've written to them. No more whining that "I'm an artist. I don't do marketing." In fact, what is written here would be good advice for most artists, whatever the medium.
Easy reading, and enjoyable but more importantly, a fact filled guide to actually accomplish the dream. This is advice from the trenches; what's worked, what didn't and why. A no nonsense, kick butt approach that allows for no excuses. An indispensible training manual.
And I can't help but think that if Stephen King had read this book, he wouldn't have had to spend so many years waiting to be discovered, but would have just gone out there and made it happen. His advice still stands though, and the authors must agree. So stop reading about writing already, and just WRITE!
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