Want to get the scoop on self-publishing basics? Self-publishing 101
Marjorie Turner Hollman helps authors self-publish their books. She is also a disability advocate, sharing information about Easy Walks (not too many roots or rocks, relatively level with firm footing, and something of interest along the way) in open space. Link to all Marjorie’s books.
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Have you ever made a decision, then wondered why you ever thought it was a good idea? These days I help professionals who want to share in writing their skills and life lessons learned, then turn that writing into a self-published book. There was a time, however, when I needed all the help I could get.
There’s often a lot of hand-holding involved. Frustration often surfaces, along with discouragement. Rewrites, editing, and reorganizing a manuscript are hard work! When clients tell me they are struggling, it brings to mind meltdowns of my own, which reminds me to assure them it will get easier, and that it will get better.
Wait, meltdowns? you ask….
It was 2012, ages ago when looking back on the modern shift to online everything. Discovering the world of Personal History opened the door to a profession I had never known existed. I started a business to help families record their personal stories and turn them into self-published books. This was my first foray into the self-publishing arena.
Helping hands
Lucky for me, generous colleagues made themselves available on a professional listserv forum, where they stood ready to answer questions about all things Personal History. Members from far and wide chimed in when I asked questions. They followed up with clarifying information when I remained confused (which was often). They helped me find my way through the messy thickets of skeptical family members, the relating of personal indiscretions, and the specter of former spouses.
Many of my hard-earned skills were transferable. I had learned to interview people through my years as a journalist. Turning those interviews into readable narrative was the norm. Making narratives flow smoothly came naturally. But transforming all that writing (and scanned photos!) into a self-published book? What was I thinking?
The mechanics of scanning and uploading photos, and navigating the intricacies of online Print-on-Demand (POD) book publishing took me far out of my comfort zone. Putting together a book of my dad’s stories was my first project. I had already conducted a number of interviews with him. We had gathered a lot of material, but I had written it up like a newspaper interview, with my editorial comments. Personal history projects, on the other hand, attempt to preserve the voice of the person whose story we are working to preserve.
Because I was on a budget, I got my computer-literate husband to help me format this first book in MSWord. And therein lay the hissy fits and meltdowns. He was determined that I learn from this exercise. He insisted that I do what I could before he would step in and fix problems that developed. I might have felt a little resentful….
The mists of time fog my memory of what exactly prompted me to fling the printed out manuscript on the floor. Like an out-of-body experience, I can still visualize where I stood and how I slung the sheaf of paper away from me. There may have been tears. I might have stamped my foot. My astonished husband, sitting at the desk in front of me, wisely said nothing.
The task facing me was to get an electronic file ready to upload to a print-on-demand platform. That “throw it on the floor” moment was probably the last, but certainly not the only time when I was ready to give up. On that downward slide into despair, my mood swung from cheerful—I did that thing!—to feeling sure I had made the biggest mistake of my life.
It’s the details
Surely the exacting demands of meeting publishing standards were unattainable (at least for me). ISBNs (International Standard Book Identifiers)—free? purchase my own? reading the fine print? There were likely several hissy fits just over this matter.
Choosing categories that describe a book is another essential skill in the self-publishing process. (I hear ChatGPT is a great resource for this nowadays. Alas, this is yet another modern day skill I would prefer not to have to acquire.) Fiction or nonfiction? Inspirational? How-to? Sports? Health? There were so many—too many—choices. Each step in the process had potential to stump me. And through the process, yes, there were more hissy fits.
Writing blurbs to describe a book and composing an author bio can feel tedious, confounding, frustrating and…infuriating. These were puzzles wrapped in mysteries enveloped in enigmas. A meltdown may possibly have occurred at this point too.
When it was finally time to order a proof copy, I was exhausted and frankly not very excited about seeing the book in print. The promised euphoria had dissipated in the wake of doubt, hissy fits, and more meltdowns.
The reward
When my dad and I were nearly done with his project, it was time for feedback. He watched some of his grandkids sit on the floor next to him.
Each of them took a chapter of the unbound manuscript and read it, then quickly handed off the pages to a sibling. They were all eager to learn more about their beloved grandfather.
Seeing these sweet kids who were hungry to read his stories, he looked over at me. “You’re really going to make this into a book?”
“Yeah, Dad, I am.” And we did.
Are meltdowns a thing of the past for me? Mostly. Hissy fits? Um, you’ll have to ask my husband.
It gets better
What has happened is that with each project, I have acquired experience, learned something new, and have grown in confidence. I’ve walked this road before. In fact, walking was the launch pad for my self-published Easy Walks in Massachusetts trail guide series, (six titles and counting.)
Gaining a sense of accomplishment occurs when we take the risk to try again. In the end, being willing to try, even when it feels hard, can make all the difference.
Hissy fits are embarrassing, but they pass. Meltdowns happen, but they are not insurmountable. In fact, these flares of emotion are a reminder to us that we care enough to hope. And it will always feel better when there’s a friend nearby offering a helping hand. Better than all the other skills I have acquired, These are some of the most important lessons I’ve learned along the way.
Looking for a helping hand? Let’s talk. marjorie@marjorieturner.com
Marjorie
Marjorie Turner Hollman 