Lastly is stage 3. These are the line edits. This is the time that you make sure your book reads the way you intended for it to read. It also allows you the opportunity to ensure that your purpose is clear. Again, you want your readers to have a clear, lasting takeaway.
The next thing I want to share with you is about negotiating your contract. This is for those who really desire to work with a publisher instead of self-publishing. you should expect during the editing process.
Again, make sure you get a full breakdown of your line items because some of them may be negotiable.
I also encourage you to check into the background of your publisher. Find out what their track record is. How have they advertised former authors? Do they have any author complaints? Check out their social media platforms. What’ s being said about them?
While there is so much more to share about being an author, I hope that these few nuggets will be a great help to you as you pursue your purpose in writing. I wish you the best in publishing your first or next book! If there is anything that I can do to assist you, please feel free to contact me!
Also, please check out Bridges & Channels Enterprises, LLC Mentoring page for great writing tools and mentoring opportunities. The mentoring services are not free but they are worth it!
The most important thing that I’ ve learned is that you don’ t have to accept just anything. You can negotiate to ensure that you are not being taken advantage of. It’ s important to get a line by line breakdown because it is possible to negotiate some line items.
Here are a few charges that you can automatically expect to incur:
1. ISBN numbers and barcodesthis is how your book is identified electronically. You can learn about this at www. bowker. com.
2. Cover Art – Find out if you are allowed to work with your choice of designers or if they require to work with an approved list of designers.
3. Editing Services- there are different charges for editing so you should make sure that you are clear of the cost as well as what
You must remember that this is a relationship as well and it’ s important to know who you’ re coming into agreement with.
Lastly, I encourage you to use a beta reader. This should be someone who can be trusted to read and not share or steal your material. They need to be able to give you unbiased feedback. It should be someone who doesn’ t mind you getting mad with them. It may be necessary for them to hurt your feelings to help you produce your best work.
The purpose of your beta reader is to help catch things that you might miss, ask questions for reader clarity, give you storyline feedback and other comments regarding your book. Find someone who will agree with you to successfully help bring your vision to pass!
By LaTrice Williams International Best Selling Author
© LaTrice Williams 2017
Editor In Chief
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LaTrice Williams is an international best selling author. She has penned three books and is currently working to release her fourth book. She is a mom, both naturally and spiritually. She is a leader to and lover of God’ s people. She endeavors to use every gift that God has given her to advance the Kingdom of God and build up those that He has entrusted to her. You can learn more of her at www. latricewilliams. com.