When I decided to write my first book, I had no idea what I was getting into. All I knew was that I needed pens, pencils, notebooks, a cover, and access to copyrighting. Fortunately, I had a colleague that I still keep in touch with after I earned my doctorate. When I finished my book, I was asked if I had a beta reader. A beta reader? what in the world is that? I had to find several people to read my work before it was sent out and I am so glad that I did. I was not too concerned about the typo's or grammar, but more about the content and flow of my book.
After hearing back from six readers, I saw where I was lacking in detail. Then I had to learn about copyrighting my document. I thought that once I sent up this tired, unfinished manuscript, I was protected; nope! The only part of a copyright that is protected is the part you send up. After you are finished with your book, you have to pay a fee to reupload and then send a finished copy of your book to the Library of Congress for indexing. To save money, you can do it all at one time when you are finished. I choose to copyright protect as soon as I get the title and cover.
I had to learn about book signings and marketing. I have watched so many youtube videos saying that you can self-publish for free. Well, I guess you can if you want your book to look like junk. I thought my head was going to explode. I even had to learn who to purchase an ISBN from; not all are the same. I am still in the process of learning but have come a long way and I am having the time of my life! What mistakes did you make?
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