By Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues
A little help from my intergalactic friends
By Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues
Being a novel/book writer can be a stressful process that can leave you feeling angry and frustrated. That’s what I have found and I can only speak for myself but maybe others feel it too.
In a zoom interview with scriptwriter Laurence Doherty, we were comparing the differences betweenw writing a film script and a novel. You can watch it here
What became abundantly clear was that writing a book is a much more solitary task than script writing which can be a more collaborative effort. It got me thinking and here’s something no one ever seems to discuss or bring up. Being a novel/book writer can be a stressful process that can leave you feeling angry and frustrated. You can feel isolated and alone not knowing where or who to turn to. That’s what I have found and I can only speak for myself but maybe others feel it too.
I know many of us do not have the luxury of following one of Stephen King’s tips; to do 6 clean pages a day. I work full time, go to the gym, have a family life and deal with whatever life throws at me so most of my writing has been done after the restt of the house has gone to bed. I have seen me write to 6 o’clock in the morning then have to go to work but that is the nature of our game. Only we can write the story because we are the only ones that know what it is and where it has to go. Yes, things change along the way, sometimes for the better but it is a world only we can imagine and create. We are literally the conduit to bring it to the page and hopefully to the world. It can leave us tired and exhausted but the one thing the story will not do is leave us alone until it is written. It is a weird combination of mental and physical fayigue yet when we see the final product it is worth it.
A prime example of this is my books Zombie Blues. The idea had been floating round my head for a while. One night it buzzed so loud, I had to get up at two in the morning and write the first zombie character. It was only about five pages long but the moment I put it on the page, I was able to sleep.
I know my wife would get frustarted by the amount of night owl time I was spending but it was hard to explain that this was something I had to do. But again when she saw the final result and realised I now had a routine having completed the first four books, it was slightly easier. It is mostly night time writing but bills need paid. One author I knew said he would write for two hours solid then take a two hour break then go back to it. He was minted so didn’t have to work so this method suited his life. It does not suit the rest of us working Joes by any means.
My method is easy. I write when it takes me like a wave. I cannot sit down and just force myself to write if I am not in the right headspace or my mind is clouded by other things. if you have writer’s block then it is worse but you’ll find my hopefully useful recommendations on this by clicking on the link below.
But that’s all well and good but from here in you cannot do the rest alone unless you are multitalented or have learned what to do over the years of self publishing. We all need help, something I have been guilty of and shied away from for a long time. I must also point out that not everyone is willing to help and advise without payment or just out of sheer solitude. Some think that if they help you somehow it will slow or impede their writing career. They are afraid that you will get the champagne sipping on a yacht lifestyle surrounded by the profits from their JK Rowling like book sales.
So the first thing you have to learn is ask for help.
Seek out writing groups or similar interest groups and join them. If you can contribute to them all the better but networking will get your name out there. Another tip is to make your email your book title or series eg mine includes the Time Warriors. One recommendation is to search Facebook. I find great support in the British Irish Writing Community. There are several in northern Ireland which can be found via Facebook that hold regular online chats. But there is so much more to getting your book to the physical book form.
I can write but I cannot draw to save my life. With the manusript written, it is time to sort a cover. If you have friends or know someone who can do it then ask them. See if they want paid or is it gifted to you. If gifted keep a copy of the message or if paid, keep the receipt of payment. You can also use the website Fiverr. Don’t accept the first one out of politeness. If it doesn’t mirror your vision say so.
So when you have your interior and book cover sorted, where to publish? I use KDP on Amazon self publishing but there are pther options. Long gone are the days of big advances from publishing companies and be prepared for many rejections from agents. Have as many social media platforms as possible all utilising your book or series title. Follow as many authors, agents and publishing houses as possible so that when you send out tweets or posts you can tag them in it. Post at least weekly so your stuff is out there. I send out book excerpts from my stories and character bios. I post adverts, snapshot reviews and covers to get the internet buzzing with Time Warriors and Zombie Blues material. It will not be instantaneous but this is a marathon not a sprint.
But if you are like me how the hell do I mesh my interior to my cover using KDP? What size is your cover? What dimensions match that chosen size? What is bleed? How do I convert my book to Kindle form? What price should I make it? What is a cover creator? What is that bit at the start of books about it being a total coincidence to real life people? How do i ensure copyright of my work in a digital day and age? WHat are interior, headers and footers? I was totally lost in this so had to ask people and thankfully I was helped by people whom I had given stories or articles to for their anthologies or magazines. It is true what they say; you reap what you sow. A helping hand costs nothing and the rewards can be great. I learned so much about formatting but to this day have no clue about formatting to Kindle. That is a battle I have still to conquer but I will. There are several guide videoees on Amazon but I am the sort of person who really needs a double dummy’s guide to understand and earn how to do things. Swallow your pride and reach out to people; help them with your skills and before long you will unravel the mysteries of publishing.
Now there will be issues you come up against when trying to load to KDP so again this is where these contacts come in thankfully. When you’ve established a mutual friendship you have an open door for help as do they. Read everything you can about publishing and making it work. I recommend Mark Dawson for advice and you can sign up to his newsletter where you will receive regualr emails.
Now when you manage to get your book uploaded to Amazon and approve it for publishing, promotion is vital. Amazon ads are a useful tool to use to boost your book but equally your social media platforms can help here too. It will take time to build up an audience. For example, my website https://timewarriors.co.uk/the-time-warriors-and-beyond/ publishes articles on sci fi, convention visits and interviews to draw in traffic. if they stop to check out a Walking Dead article, they may stop to check out your books. Now be warned there are people out there promising to get your book out there via marketing juggernaughts but be careful. Similarly there are publshers out there who will ask for money from you to publish your book for very little return.
Remember this; never ever pay someone to publish your work; the money should flow to you, not away from you. Now there are some who use this method and are happy with it but several years down the line they are still not on that yacht beside JK sipping champagne. Your desire to get your book out there will cloud your judgement with visions of book signings all over the world. Just ebcause they claim to be a agent or publishing company does not mean you will be a surefire hit. A lot of self publsihed stuff on Amazon is shit to say the least making it harder for the rest of us who put effort into giving a quality product. There is a very useful website called Predators and Editors you can use to filter out vanity publishers.
There are reading groups that have zoom meetings or face to face get togethers to help you and critique your work to help you improve. Please do not take the criticism personally; they are there to help.
But you can easily get caught up and financially caught if you are alone. Networking and establishing connections with people will safeguard you against this. It also means that you can share what you learn as we all have similar jpurneys in this quest to get on to the yacht and sip that champagne.
Any questions or you want any more advice contact me via the website.
The Time Warriors and Beyond 