Neera, your course along with your approach to writing have opened my eyes to the possibilities. I am working hard on my end using my roadmap as my guide! Thank you for all you do and very proud to be a member of the Author's Circle and one day I will have book based on the Substack to Book project!
It all sounds interesting Neera. But, having just self published my first book, even if I could convince myself to write another, I'm thinking, how can I afford to pay for a second book, given the first one was so much more expensive than what I'd anticipated. Over and above what the self publisher charged, I paid nearly £700 for an editor and proof-reader, neither of which were worth the money. And then there's advertising, money not allocated for that yet. I wonder how I can afford another book. It will be years (if ever) before I recoup what I paid for the first one.
It makes total sense, Rose, that you want to see this first book find its footing before you dive headfirst into the publishing fire again.
Launching a book is an exhausting emotional and financial investment, and it’s completely valid to want some "proof of concept" and a breather before spending more money.
That said, here is a gentle nudge: don't stop writing.
There is a huge difference between writing the next book and publishing it.
You should consider starting the next manuscript now, while keeping your wallet firmly closed.
Your writing muscles are warmed up, and your creative insights are fresh. Writing the next book now keeps your creative flow alive without the pressure of deadlines or financial risk.
Writing costs nothing but your time. You can draft the entire book and just let it sit safely on your computer.
You don't have to hire a self-publishing company, and you certainly don't have to deal with another frustrating editor until you feel ready to take that step.
Think of it as separate phases. Phase one is pure creativity, entirely on your own terms, with zero expectations.
Phase two (publishing, marketing, and deciding how to handle editing next time) can wait until your first book starts bringing in the rewards you deserve.
Give yourself permission to just enjoy the storytelling for a bit.
Thank you for your kind words of wisdom Neera. You are so right. It's possible to write without jumping on the publishing bandwagon. My first book was a memoir/self help called I ATE EVERYTHING BUT THE NAPKINS: HOW I OVERCAME OVEREATING. I had (at one time) thought my second book would be HOW TO WRITE A MEMOIR WHILE YOU'RE STILL SANE ENOUGH TO DO SO. But at the moment, I'm not sure there's enough steam in the kettle to do that one. I think I would like to learn how to do a digital product that I could sell on Substack. I'm not sure about paid subscribers, as I sort of feel all I've been doing is talking about the journey to get the book into print. So, why would anyone pay for that (unless they're philanthropic?) The book has actually been a bit successful in that a lot of people (individually) have bought a copy from me. I've been on 2 podcasts and will be in a magazine in Autumn. All to the good. But, having been scammed out of 40 author copies before my book launch, and the difficulty of dealing with the bank to get any compensation, means I feel a bit deflated, even in the midst of doing pretty well. I seem to be taking it slow.
That is a wonderful topic. I am struggling with overweight and would love to read your book. It is easily monitizable topic, but you need the right mindset to be able to monitize anything.
You got to read my book ‘One Book To $100K’ which is about the turning your book to business. Send me your email address via DM and I will send you a free copy.
Don’t worry about what happened. They are learning experiences. Learn from them and write about them, warning others. Every author have many such stories to tell.
It sounds as though the book has taught you some expensive lessons already, and that makes your second book very different from your first.
The good news is that you don't have to repeat those costs. You now know what you can do yourself, what is worth paying for, and what isn't. You also know which editors didn't deliver, so you won't make that mistake twice.
I'd also encourage you to think of the second book differently. Rather than asking, "How can I afford to publish another book?" ask, "How can this book help pay for itself?" A book can lead to speaking opportunities, consulting, workshops, courses, or new clients. The royalties are often the smallest part of its value.
Most first books don't make money. They buy you experience. And that experience is what gives the second book a much better chance of succeeding.
Oh, yes, I do agree that a book can be a "door opener" in regards to speaking, digital products (which I don't know how to do yet) workshops and other opportunities which may be lurking somewhere we don't expect. I guess my point is, this first book has such a long way to go, having just been launch the end of May. So it too may prove more lucrative and less like a money-pit than it does now. But I think I need to see something positive come about from this experience before I would want to take a chance on doing it again. I would still use a self publishing company, as I would not want to try to do all the things required to do it myself. I may not even use an editor the second time, as basically I had to ignore 90% of what this editor said anyway. Yes, she was a waste of money, but there's no telling if someone else mightn't be just as bad.
Would like to hear more about your business model!
That you, I will be revealing it slowly in my future posts.
Neera, your course along with your approach to writing have opened my eyes to the possibilities. I am working hard on my end using my roadmap as my guide! Thank you for all you do and very proud to be a member of the Author's Circle and one day I will have book based on the Substack to Book project!
Thank you so much for these beautiful words!
Hearing this absolutely lights me up and reminds me exactly why I do this work.
You should be incredibly proud of yourself. You are doing the heavy lifting, and that dedication is what will make your book a reality.
I am so honored to have you in the Author’s Circle.
Substack to a full-fledged book is going to be spectacular, and I am right here cheering you on every single step of the way.
Keep that momentum going—you’ve got this!
It all sounds interesting Neera. But, having just self published my first book, even if I could convince myself to write another, I'm thinking, how can I afford to pay for a second book, given the first one was so much more expensive than what I'd anticipated. Over and above what the self publisher charged, I paid nearly £700 for an editor and proof-reader, neither of which were worth the money. And then there's advertising, money not allocated for that yet. I wonder how I can afford another book. It will be years (if ever) before I recoup what I paid for the first one.
It makes total sense, Rose, that you want to see this first book find its footing before you dive headfirst into the publishing fire again.
Launching a book is an exhausting emotional and financial investment, and it’s completely valid to want some "proof of concept" and a breather before spending more money.
That said, here is a gentle nudge: don't stop writing.
There is a huge difference between writing the next book and publishing it.
You should consider starting the next manuscript now, while keeping your wallet firmly closed.
Your writing muscles are warmed up, and your creative insights are fresh. Writing the next book now keeps your creative flow alive without the pressure of deadlines or financial risk.
Writing costs nothing but your time. You can draft the entire book and just let it sit safely on your computer.
You don't have to hire a self-publishing company, and you certainly don't have to deal with another frustrating editor until you feel ready to take that step.
Think of it as separate phases. Phase one is pure creativity, entirely on your own terms, with zero expectations.
Phase two (publishing, marketing, and deciding how to handle editing next time) can wait until your first book starts bringing in the rewards you deserve.
Give yourself permission to just enjoy the storytelling for a bit.
May I ask what your first book was about?
Thank you for your kind words of wisdom Neera. You are so right. It's possible to write without jumping on the publishing bandwagon. My first book was a memoir/self help called I ATE EVERYTHING BUT THE NAPKINS: HOW I OVERCAME OVEREATING. I had (at one time) thought my second book would be HOW TO WRITE A MEMOIR WHILE YOU'RE STILL SANE ENOUGH TO DO SO. But at the moment, I'm not sure there's enough steam in the kettle to do that one. I think I would like to learn how to do a digital product that I could sell on Substack. I'm not sure about paid subscribers, as I sort of feel all I've been doing is talking about the journey to get the book into print. So, why would anyone pay for that (unless they're philanthropic?) The book has actually been a bit successful in that a lot of people (individually) have bought a copy from me. I've been on 2 podcasts and will be in a magazine in Autumn. All to the good. But, having been scammed out of 40 author copies before my book launch, and the difficulty of dealing with the bank to get any compensation, means I feel a bit deflated, even in the midst of doing pretty well. I seem to be taking it slow.
That is a wonderful topic. I am struggling with overweight and would love to read your book. It is easily monitizable topic, but you need the right mindset to be able to monitize anything.
You got to read my book ‘One Book To $100K’ which is about the turning your book to business. Send me your email address via DM and I will send you a free copy.
Don’t worry about what happened. They are learning experiences. Learn from them and write about them, warning others. Every author have many such stories to tell.
It sounds as though the book has taught you some expensive lessons already, and that makes your second book very different from your first.
The good news is that you don't have to repeat those costs. You now know what you can do yourself, what is worth paying for, and what isn't. You also know which editors didn't deliver, so you won't make that mistake twice.
I'd also encourage you to think of the second book differently. Rather than asking, "How can I afford to publish another book?" ask, "How can this book help pay for itself?" A book can lead to speaking opportunities, consulting, workshops, courses, or new clients. The royalties are often the smallest part of its value.
Most first books don't make money. They buy you experience. And that experience is what gives the second book a much better chance of succeeding.
Oh, yes, I do agree that a book can be a "door opener" in regards to speaking, digital products (which I don't know how to do yet) workshops and other opportunities which may be lurking somewhere we don't expect. I guess my point is, this first book has such a long way to go, having just been launch the end of May. So it too may prove more lucrative and less like a money-pit than it does now. But I think I need to see something positive come about from this experience before I would want to take a chance on doing it again. I would still use a self publishing company, as I would not want to try to do all the things required to do it myself. I may not even use an editor the second time, as basically I had to ignore 90% of what this editor said anyway. Yes, she was a waste of money, but there's no telling if someone else mightn't be just as bad.