Why I started writing books

Writing a book is a really strange concept, if you stop to think about it. You voluntarily spend hours writing a story that may or may not ever be published, baring your soul for what can end up being no reward whatsoever.

Like most parents, I loved making up stories for my kids at bedtime, stories that no-one knew except them. I also spent most of my childhood reading, something I absolutely loved, whereas I have always been terrified working for someone else.

I got fired from a sales job once and it devastated me, not to mention it was the first time I felt the weight of being responsible for providing for my own food. Unless you are at the top, there is always going to be someone above you with the authority to end your employment, my fate is in the hands of others and that scares me.

The part of my job I do really love is working with people. In my normal 9-5 day job I adore my team mates, but the actual work I do leaves me feeling pretty empty.

So I decided not to waste the two things in my life I really love, books and telling stories. How did I manage to work full-time, raise 4 kids and publish a children's book series...the answer is time management, long hours, not getting frustrated and keep chipping away at it every day.

It is hard to write a book if you think about it. Sitting down for hours on end, putting pen to paper with absolutely no guarantee that anyone is ever going to read, much less, like the hard work you have put in. But the same could be said about going in to any business.

Be prepared to give up your nights

My strategy is simple. Work through the day, take care of the kids in the evening and when they were tucked up in bed, work till midnight. That left me working 12 hour days but the sense of relief I felt working towards my independence was more than enough to keep me company late in the evening.

Listen but don't listen

I did a children's writing course through the University of London. I submitted my book to my adviser and felt crushed when I recieved the feedback. While it was constructive criticism, it was very had for me to remove my emotion from something I felt passionately about. Writing is baring a little part of your soul, no matter if it's a cookbook or a 5 series novel. Listen to what professionals say, but don't listen to the voice inside you telling you to take it personally. Speak to people about your book, take their ideas on board and continue down the path you feel is right.

Find the right help

I am not an illustrator. There is no way I can possibly pull a front cover together. I can lay out a book but have no hope of getting it ready for sale. That's when you need help. Finding help can be hard though. It took me 2 years to find my illustrator, cover designer and interior designer but the right people are the difference between a book looking professional or not. I use Jeaning Henning for the illustrations, Ana Grigoriu for the covers and do the internals myself. Fiverr is great to get something done quickly but it is VERY hit and miss. Reedsy is the place to go for everything to do for hiring professional book people, but they take a fair chunk of money for the privilege.

“Talk to everyone you can about your books. Talking about them gives them life.”

Think Big

Make sure you do your research! Don't use a vanity press!!! You will end up paying for everything and only be paid a fraction per book. THEY DON'T OFFER ANYTHING YOU CAN'T DO YOURSELF!!!! You need to start at the right place and that means your own ISBN number and your own Library of Congress number. To do that you need your own business. Get a virtual office somewhere and apply under your own publishing business name. It is better for you to control the book than someone else. List your book for sale via Ingram (spark), Amazon (Create Space) and Nook for starters. Do an audio book. Translate it in to other languages and list the book for sale on Amazon in those countries. China has the entire population of Australia pop out each year as little bundles of joy (and that's only the registered babies). It is a huge market you should try and get in even if you don't speak the language. You put so much effort in to your book, don't throw it away for peanuts.

Never, Ever, Give Up

There were times, many, many, many times when I just wanted to give up. If you feel like this, put everything away for a week. Set an alarm on your phone for a week's time and then pick writing back up again.

From one aspiring writer to another...Good luck!

Lee xxx