Title: Rut-Busting Book for Authors
Author: Nancy Christie
Book Blurb:
The award-winning Rut-Busting Book for Authors addresses the ruts that would-be and current authors can fall into when writing, publishing and promoting their books. The book includes tips, techniques and strategies from authors as well as editors, literary agents, literary attorneys, publishers, book marketing experts and other experts to help guide you on the path from concept to finished product. If you want to write, publish and market a book, Rut-Busting Book for Authors will get you from concept to completion!
Excerpt:
INTRODUCTION
You’re thinking about writing a book. The idea has been in your head—or your heart—for quite some time. You may have even mentioned it to your writing group or your friends or a family member.
And then the day comes when you decide it’s time to stop talking about writing a book and start writing it. But the rush of excitement and anticipation is immediately followed by a flood of fears and negative self-talk:
• I’m too old—or too young.
• I don’t have any credentials: a degree, publication credits, literary awards.
• I don’t have an agent.
• I don’t live in a big city.
• I don’t know how to write a book.
• I don’t have time to write a book.
Chances are you can probably add to this list all the other “ruts” that have prevented you from moving forward. And they all seem reasonable.
And yet…
And yet, there is still a part of you that wants to do this, that wants to hold a book in your hands that you have written by the sweat of your brow and the labors of your work. You dream about it. You envision the cover design. You think about the post-publication phase: the interviews, the book signings, the royalty checks.
There’s just one, teeny, tiny problem: you don’t know how to turn your dream into reality.
That’s where Rut-Busting Book for Authors can help. The book encompasses the three stages that take you from would-be author to published author:
• The Process—what it takes to turn your thoughts and ideas, your knowledge and your imagination, into a publishable manuscript
• The Publication—what choices you have when it comes to book publishing: traditional vs. indie vs. self-publishing, with or without agent representation
• The Promotion—what you have to do to build your platform, to make readers and reviewers aware of your book and to ultimately drive sales and create a “book buzz.”
Where does all this advice in Rut-Busting Book for Authors come from? From all those sources who know the industry best. Literary agents and literary attorneys. Publishers and publicists. Book editors and book reviewers. And, of course, authors (myself included) who not only share what works for them but also what mistakes they made along the path from process to promotion. What ruts they fell into (and, on occasion, still become trapped in) and how they climbed out of them. How they managed to fit book writing—and all that goes into it—into an already crowded schedule.
And perhaps most important of all, the “why” question: why they chose to write a book and, in many cases, continue to write more books.
You can read Rut-Busting Book for Authors in a linear fashion, beginning at the beginning and going right through to the end, or dive into whatever section or chapter addresses the rut you’re currently stuck in. Even those who are working on their second, third or tenth book will find that Rut-Busting Book for Authors offers something of value since the input comes from those who have “been there and done that” as well as industry professionals who have guided authors along the path from dream to success.
As for all that negative self-talk—those whispering voices that tell you how hard it is to write a book, how much time it takes and why do you think you can do it anyway—just tell them to be quiet because you’re writing!
THE PROCESS
I came across a word the other day that perfectly describes the initial stage of writing a book: liminal. According to Merriam-Webster, “liminal” means to be at the transitional or intermediate state, phase or condition. With respect to writing a book, you’re in that liminal stage when you start thinking about doing it, toying with topics or drafting a section or two.
You haven’t yet fully committed to doing it but are instead right on the edge of the pool, so to speak. You’re almost ready to dive in, yet you’re worried that the water might be too deep for you to manage.
Unlike writing an article, essay or short story, writing a book requires a major commitment of time and energy. (And money, too, but we’ll get into that later.) It takes not just hours, days or weeks but months—or in some cases, years—to pull all your ideas out of your head and put them in a cohesive, coherent and creative format.
So where do you start? How do you start?
Like every other author: with the writing itself.
It doesn’t matter whether the book is fiction or nonfiction or whether you’re a plotter, a “pantser” or some mix of both. The only way the book will be written is if you write it.
You must:
• write through all the doubts and fears that inhibit you
• write through the positive, negative and at times confusing feedback you receive from beta readers and editors
• write through those “stuck in park,” “muddle in the middle” and “unable to end it” stages.
Once you make the commitment to write your book, you will no longer be at that liminal stage but will have moved into the active phase, no longer thinking about writing a book but actually writing one.
So jump in—the water’s fine!
Buy Links:
The sale price is only good when purchased through the MyBookOrders.com Sales Page: https://secure.mybookorders.com/Orderpage/2024 with code SuperSale02.
What makes your featured book a must-read?
Writing a book requires a multi-focused approach. It’s not enough to know how to write. You also need to know how to edit, self-publish effectively or find a traditional publisher, and finally market and promote your book. That’s where Rut-Busting Book for Authors with insights from more than 60 contributors can help. The information will move you along the author path until you reach your publication goal!
Enter to win a $20 Amazon (US) gift card:
Open Internationally. You must have a valid Amazon US or Canada account to win.
Runs September 21 – September 29, 2021.
Winner will be drawn on September 30, 2021.
Author Biography:
Nancy Christie is the award-winning author of two short story collections: Traveling Left of Center and Other Stories and Peripheral Visions and Other Stories (both from Unsolicited Press), two books for writers: Rut-Busting Book for Authors and Rut-Busting Book for Writers (both from Mill City Press) and The Gifts of Change (Atria/Beyond Words). Her short stories and essays have appeared in numerous print and online publications. The host of the Living the Writing Life podcast and the founder of the annual “Celebrate Short Fiction” Day, Christie teaches writing workshops at conferences, libraries and schools. Christie is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA), the Women’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA) and the Florida Writers Association (FWA).
Social Media Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NChristie_OH
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nancychristiewr/