indie authors Archives - Brockway Gatehouse ¦ Beta Reader & Book Blogger

Publishing Team: Why you need one as an Indie Author

Posted on 26/09/202218/09/2022 by Kim

Self-publishing authors need a publishing team to help with all the stages traditionally published writers get done for them.

The self-publishing market has exploded since 2010. But this means that as a self-publishing author, you must carry out all the stages your traditionally published peers get done for them.

The Self-publishing Learning Curve.

At first, self-publishing seems like the easy choice, with no rejection letters, no negotiating royalties, and no forced deadlines. However, when you investigate self-publishing more deeply, you soon realise that a lot goes into publishing a book beyond simply hitting publish.

There are many departments and specialists within a traditional publishing company, each playing its part. As an indie author taking the self-publishing route, you’ll oversee the editing, designing, typesetting, proofreading, distribution, marketing, and finance surrounding the publication of your book.

“It’s a misnomer to call it self-publishing. No one does it by themselves. You have to have cover designers, book designers to do the layout, and usually marketing support and help. So, there’s a big team that any self-published author needs to create to make a project successful.”
Tom Corson Knowles (author)

But you don’t have to do all of this alone. Finding the right people to help you get your books out is essential. Thankfully, when self-publishing started to take off, many people who had worked for traditional publishers decided to do freelance work instead. They like the freedom and flexibility of working as a freelance provider and the access to self-published authors.

How to Create the Best Team to Support Your Book

Let’s talk about two of the many hats you can delegate:

Editing
Cover design

“The most common advice is to ask your peers and other authors in your genre. On the one hand, I think it’s great advice because what worked for one author might work for you. But on the other hand, it depends a lot on your genre, for both cover design and editing. Editing depends a lot on your personality and writing style.”
Ricardo Fayet (creator of readsy)

Finding the Right Editor

The most important factors affecting your relationship with your editor are your personality and writing style. Because every writer is different, it’s less likely that one author’s advice about a good editor will translate into a good working experience for another.

When looking for an editor, it’s best to look for an editor who specialises in your genre. Reach out to three or four and see how they work; look at their social media. Good editors usually ask for a small sample of your work; this lets you both get a feel for the relationship before you commit to working together. Taking these steps is even more important when looking for a developmental editor; you want someone specialising in editing your genre!

When you hire an editor, it’s all about developing the right kind of relationship. That’s why it is crucial to reach out to several people, get quotes, and get an idea of what type of feedback each editor will give you.

The best way to ensure you will have a good relationship with an editor is to check out their social media. Do you like their posts? Can you relate to their writing and communication style? It’s perfectly normal to contact a few editors until you find a good fit.

The editor/author collaboration is a special relationship, and you must make sure your personalities match as much as possible before you agree to work on a larger project together.

After the editor receives your submission, they’ll likely have additional questions. Typically, after an editor responds to you, a natural conversation takes place.

If, after you send initial information to an editor, that conversation doesn’t take place, you should look for another professional.

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Finding the Right Cover Designer

The most crucial factor that affects the cover design is your genre or category. Ask authors in your specific genre or category for advice and recommendations on cover designers.

Communication is always vital. If you start a project with a £500 budget and find a cover designer who says they’ll design you a cover without asking questions, that’s a warning sign. You haven’t said what genre your book is or whether your cover design is for a print book or an ebook. Those are fundamental questions that any good cover designer would ask.

It’s always good practice to send your designer images for inspiration. Find two or three covers on Amazon in the genre of your book that you like. When you send those to the cover designer, that’s going to give them an idea of what appeals to you, and then they’ll most likely begin a conversation with you about the specifics of your cover.

You must hire a cover designer with experience with book cover design, especially if you don’t. If you are an experienced indie author, you can take on an inexperienced cover designer because you’ve been through it before. But if this is your first project, you want someone who knows the ins and outs of cover design.

You’ll want someone who:

Knows the type of images that will work for your genre cover.
Knows the kind of typography that will work for your genre cover.
Knows how to lay out your cover so that it looks right.
Has to experience the problems that can occur when designing a cover.

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How to Get the Best Out of Your Team

It may seem strange, but it’s probably best to work with editors, marketing assistants, and cover designers with fewer clients. If you work with freelancers with fewer clients, they’ll have more time to devote to your individual projects.

Communicate, communicate, communicate! If you’re not honest about a problem at the beginning of the process, it leads to miscommunication, hurt feelings, and bad relationships throughout the entire process. Bad situations like this mean losing time and money for you and your team member.

The longer you wait to let your freelancer know there’s a problem with your project, the more likely it is that you won’t be able to publish your project on time. Don’t be afraid to tell a freelancer that you don’t like how the project is going early.

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Final Thoughts

Experienced freelancers will ask the most questions up front because they know the process and all the issues that might pop up during their work. They’ll want to have as many solutions for those potential problems as possible before they put in the time and effort to do the project.

If you’re on a tight deadline, you must contact multiple specialists for the position you need to fill. It’s also important to brief them thoroughly about the project so the rest of the process can go smoothly.

Feel free to ask me any questions you want. My inbox is always open, and I’m happy to recommend freelancers for your project from my extensive network of friends in the industry.

For more helpful resources about self-publishing and the craft of writing, check out my Resource Library.

Essential Parts of a Book Every Indie Author Should Know Before Self- Publishing

Posted on 18/07/202219/09/2022 by Kim

As readers, we probably haven’t paid much attention to the different parts of a book. The publishing industry has named them all: from the title page that launches the front matter to the index or bibliography that completes the back matter. Each section serves a particular role in bringing the book together.

When self-publishing your first book, it pays to know how the parts of a book function as integral parts of the larger whole. Understanding not only each component’s purpose but also the exact placement of each within the body of the manuscript will keep you on track to align with the publishing industry standards.

girl reading book on brown wooden table — Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

So, what are the parts of a book?

The main sections can be categorised as:

Front Matter
Body Matter
Back Matter

In this post, I’ll explain what’s included in each section.

Front Matter

The front matter is the first section of the book. These pages outline the various technical details and some input from the author about what inspired or drove the project.

The front matter includes:

1. Title page

The title page contains the book’s title, the subtitle, the author or authors, and the publisher.

2. Copyright page

The copyright page, or edition notice, contains the copyright notice, the ISBN, any legal statements, and credits for book design, illustration, photography credits, or to note production entities. The copyright page may contain contact information for individuals seeking to use any portions of the work to request permission.

3. Dedication

The dedication page allows the author to honour an individual or individuals. The dedication is usually a short sentence or two.

4. Table of contents

The table of contents outlines the book’s body of work by dividing it into chapters and sometimes sections or parts. Much thought goes into the titles of the chapters, as the titles can set the tone for the book. When someone quickly glances through the table of contents, they should be able to recognise the scope and central theme of the book.

5. Foreword

The foreword is a short section written by someone other than the author that summarises or sets up the book’s theme. The person who writes the preface is often an eminent colleague or associate, a professional who has personally interacted with the author.

6. Acknowledgments

This page allows the author to express thanks to individuals who may have inspired them, contributed research or data, or helped them during the writing process. Acknowledgements are a public thank you for the support and contributions of individuals involved in the project.

7. Preface or Introduction

The author explains the purpose behind writing the book, personal experiences that are pertinent to the book, and describes the book’s scope. An introduction can be deeply personal, seeking to draw the reader into the book on an emotional level, and usually explains why the book was written. For scholarly works, the preface or introduction helps erect a framework for the content that follows and illustrates the author’s point of view or thesis.

8. Prologue

In works of fiction, the prologue is written in the voice of a character from the story—it sets the scene before the first chapter. This section may describe the story’s setting or background details and helps launch the tale.

Body Matter

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The core content of the book is referred to as body matter. It’s the collection of chapters, sometimes divided into sections, in which the body of work is organised. In works of fiction, chapters drive the narrative, events, and locations in the story. In nonfiction, chapters might each consist of a particular area of study.

Back Matter

Once the story is completed, it is followed by back matter or end material, those pages that include references about the core content and author biography in some cases.

Back matter includes:

1. Afterword or Epilogue

These are author comments that follow the end of the body matter. These thoughts may summarise the project or the writing experience that helps bring closure to the book. The epilogue can help soothe the reader after a particularly harrowing story. Or even serve as a final chapter that helps to wrap up the loose ends of a story.

2. Appendix or Addendum

The addendum refers to documents added after the body of work that may not have fit in with the narrative or is additional information that reinforces the work.

3. Glossary

The glossary is an alphabetical list of terms and definitions found within the body matter. These terms may be standard or specialised terms that refer to a particular field of study.

4. Bibliography or Endnotes

The bibliography is the listing of books or literary sources that were cited within the body matter. These sources may be books, magazines, or online sources accessed during the research phase. Endnotes resemble footnotes found in the back matter instead of the page’s footer.

5. Index

A guide offers an alphabetical list of terms, people, concepts, or events with the associated page number. The index provides an easy way to locate critical items within the body.

6. Author biography

The biography page summarises the author’s professional background. The bio should be relevant to the publication and include a few personal facts about the author. Instead of a page at the end, the author’s biography may be on the dust jacket or the back cover.

I hope you found this post informative.

For more helpful resources about the craft of writing, check out my Resource Library.

What to Do After You’ve Written a Book

Posted on 04/07/202202/07/2022 by Kim

You worked hard on your book baby. 💙 Staying up late, getting up early, pushing through writer’s block, and finally, you’ve finished. You’ve written a book! Congratulations! 🎉

And now breathe…

But, now the questions start hounding you. Beginning with, “I wrote a book! Now, what?”

I’ve created 4 simple steps to follow that lead you through the next part of the process.

What Do You Do After You’ve Written a Book?

girl in blue shirt sitting on brown wooden chair — Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

If this is your first book, or the first one you’ve actually finished, I’m sure you’ve got a hundred and one questions clamouring for answers.

Do I look into self-publishing?

Maybe it’s time I look for a literary agent?

Should I hire an editor to double-check my formatting?

Do I have to do all of this to get my book out there?

All of these questions are important parts of the writing and publishing process. However, you don’t need to do all of them right away.

In this article, I’ll break down the next steps you should focus on now (and which ones you could forget for a while, or not bother with at all).

As you’ve probably guessed, when you finish writing your book, you’re not actually finished. Sorry.

woman leaning on table — Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

In fact, finishing your book is just the beginning. And if this is your first time, you’re probably looking for advice on what to do next.

In this post, I’ll cover what comes after you write a book.

But before we talk about what you should do, let’s talk for a moment about what you should avoid after writing your book.

First, What You Shouldn’t Do After You’ve Written a Book

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New writers are usually eager to send off their books or short stories as soon as they finish writing. However, very few—if any—finished books are good books after a first draft.

For this reason, the first step you take after finishing a book is not to announce you’re done on social media 📣 before quickly heading to Kindle books or Amazon to self-publish it. Or is it rushing off to a publishing house or literary agency in search of representation. ⛔

There’s still work to be done!

You’re going to want to make some revisions before that first attempt, even if it’s a decent first draft, becomes a great book.

In a nutshell, here’s what to avoid after you write a book—for now.

Don’t send your book to a publisher.

Good writing is rewriting. If you want to get published, don’t send your book to any of the following people yet:

Agents
Acquisitions Editors
Publishers

Submitting your manuscript before it’s ready could lead to permanently burning a bridge. Some literary agents even have a policy that rejection of a manuscript is a rejection from the agency as a whole.

This is why literary agents will openly encourage writers to participate in programmes like NaNoWriMo, but also politely ask them to not send their manuscripts to them as soon as November ends.

Revising Needs to Happen First!

I know you’re excited about sharing your hard work, but there’s still a lot to do.

Don’t send your book to beta readers.

Beta readers, are people who read your book and give you feedback before you publish. Good beta readers can help transform your manuscript from mediocre to excellent.

However, beta readers are best used after you’ve worked out some of the kinks in your manuscript on your own first. Or else, you might get feedback that you’re not ready for, or that hurts your self-confidence as a writer.

We’ll talk about the best time to send your story to beta readers in a moment.

Don’t edit your book.

What most people do after they finish their book is going back to page one and start line editing from the beginning; fixing typos, correcting grammar, and polishing sentences until they shimmer.

This is a huge mistake.

Here’s the problem: after you finish your first draft, there’ll be major structural issues. There are going to be sections that need cutting, other sections that need to be written from scratch, and others that need replotting.

What happens when you realise you have to cut a section that you’ve devoted hours, or even days polishing? At best, you’ve just wasted a heck of a lot of time, and at worst you might be tempted to “just leave it in” because of the time you’ve spent on it.

Instead, I have a better system that will save you time and result in a better book at the end of the process.

Next Steps After You Write a Book

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Now that you know how to avoid the dangers, let’s talk about what you should do next after you’ve written the book.

I recommend these four steps.

1. Let Your Book Rest

Not only do you need a break after you’ve written the book, but your book also needs one too.

This is because after you’ve finished writing, you have no perspective on it. You’re too close. You won’t have the objectivity to know what works well, what should be cut, what needs work, and what is fabulous and should be left alone.

Letting your book sit for a few weeks, even a month, gives you time to regain perspective and start to see your book for what it is — or what it can become.

If taking a break is hard for you, remember that working on your book doesn’t mean you have to stop writing or growing as an author.

If you’re feeling antsy, head out to your favourite coffee shop. Brainstorm new book ideas. Read your favourite published author’s books. Lose yourself in the latest bestseller. Listen to your favourite podcasts on writing.

If you want to see your whole book for what it is, you need to spend enough time away from it before picking it up again, this time with fresh eyes and a clear head.

2. Read Your Book

Before you jump into editing mode, read your book from start to finish. This is the second step in gaining perspective on your book. While it is time-consuming, it’ll save you countless hours in the long run because you’ll see exactly what you need to work on for your next draft.

As you read, ask yourself the following questions and take notes about what you find:

What’s missing?
What isn’t needed?
Which bits need rewriting?

I understand that this step can be both exciting and a little terrifying. But I promise you, it is worth it!

3. Edit and Rewrite for Structure

Now that you have a good idea about where your book is and where you want it to go, you’re ready for the second draft.

This is when you write new sections for those holes you found when you read through your draft. It’s when you cut those sections that weren’t necessary, and when you rewrite the sections that were needed but weren’t quite right.

Your second draft isn’t about fixing typos and polishing sentences. It’s about structure.

This part can feel like sculpting, chiselling away at your book trying to discover the treasure hidden in the unsophisticated, hulking block.

Once the overall structure of your book is sound, only then should you start to polish it.

Depending on your comfort level, you might decide you can do this with self-editing. If you’re less sure, don’t be afraid to reach out to a developmental editor for direction and advice.

4. Get Some Help

It’s a good time to start inviting other people into your book once you got your second draft, this includes critique partners, beta readers or even an editor.

Before this stage, your book isn’t you enough. Getting too much involvement from other people after a first draft may cause your book to get lost, to lose some of your vision. The second draft allows you to put more of yourself into your book.

It can be hard to tell when your book is done, which is why it’s so important that you find a writing community and critique groups that can push you through not one, not two, but at least three revised drafts. The more revisions the better.

And finally…

Only then, when your manuscript is the best it can possibly be, should you consider your publishing route.

Traditional or self-publish?

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If you hope to pursue traditional publishing, your next steps will involve tackling the submission process.

The jobs needed here include:

Researching literary agents
Writing query letters
Writing a synopsis (a synopsis is NOT the book’s blurb)
Contacting your list of dream literary agents

If, on the other hand, you want to self-publish your book, the next steps will include tasks such as:

Editing the book to a professional level
Get an eye-catching cover design
Formatting the inside and outside for publication
Market the book to drum up sales pre and post publication

Taking the time to assemble a good team that can help you take your book to the next level will give you the tools to be on a level playing field with the bestselling authors in your genre.

💡You’ve written a book – my final tip

You’ll spend a lot of time “waiting to hear back” during the publication process, whether you’re going down the traditional route or taking the plunge and self-publishing your work.

Precious writing time shouldn’t be wasted by sitting back and not doing anything. You can always do something you’re waiting for a stage to be completed. Take the time to think about what your next book is going to be. Start plotting. Make notes. Start writing!

Have you written a book? Do you have a published book out at the moment? Have you survived the submissions process? 😂 How did it feel?

Let me know in the comments!

Guest Post: Rosie’s Book Review Team

Posted on 20/02/202220/02/2022 by Kim

Hello everyone. Today is a Guest Post: Rosie’s Book Review Team.

At the beginning of the month, I introduced you all to Rosie @ Rosie Amber in my Book Bloggers Unveiled post. In that interview, Rosie told me that she also runs a book review team. A collection of book bloggers who review a wide range of stories.

I had to know more!

I’ve invited Rosie back today to The BG Blog to tell us more. This guest post will reveal how her team of book blogging reviewers came about. Why she feels RBRT is a great resource for self-publishing authors and smaller independent publishers.

It’s over to you, Rosie.

Rosie’s Book Review Team

I started my book blog ten years ago. For the last eight years, I’ve successfully run a review team alongside my own reading list.

During that time, we have done our best to spread the word about novels, novellas, short stories and non-fiction from self-published authors and independent publishers – to showcase talent found outside the mainstream publishing world.

The team idea came about because I was getting many submissions for books in genres that I was less keen to read.

Also, I wanted to encourage more readers to write reviews. I created a book review challenge project, which was a great success; I then asked several of those who had taken part if they would like to join a team. Happily, most of them said yes!

Each month we are inundated with review requests from authors and publishers alike. Every book that I accept is passed on to my team of twenty readers, which is made up of an international mix of book bloggers, writers, editors, creative writing tutors and the reading public. Most books gain just one or two reviews, but once in a while a gem comes along that piques the interest of several team members and receives highly favourable reviews across the board.

We mainly use e-books which can be sent as .mobi or e-pub file to us. This involves little or no cost to the author. Once a month or so, I send a list of accepted submissions to the team, and they pick which one(s) they would like to read. I ask that they review the book within 4-6 weeks, but I don’t give deadlines.

The reviewer will post the review on at least two sites; Goodreads and Amazon are where most authors like to see a review, but some also post to other sites like BookBub. Most of the team have their own book blog (though this is not a requirement) where they post any team review; they will also send me a copy to post on my blog at a later date, with full credit to the reviewer.

From the author’s point of view, the benefits of submitting to my review team are many.

Often, a book will be chosen by more than one reviewer, which saves them having to apply to multiple book blogs. Once read, an author will have the review of their book posted on up to six sites.

As for the team, I am delighted to say that we all get on so well, and some of us have met up a few times in real life. I never anticipated that running my book blog would make me some great new friends – this was an unexpected bonus!

The team is constantly evolving; over the years members have come and gone; sometimes life gets in the way and a person may not have the time or headspace to review for a while, but obviously, I understand this and there is never any pressure. I am lucky to have a core of supportive, reliable reviewers who have read for me month in, month out, over the years.

To date, the team have reviewed over 2000 books in a wide range of genres.

If you’d like to join our team you can find out more about it here.

Or, if you would like to submit a book for review, then here is the page that you need.

Find team review posts on Twitter using #RBRT (Rosie’s Book Review Team)

Thank you, Rosie, for giving us an insight into your fabulous team of book reviewers.

Before you go, if you missed it, why not read Rosie’s Book Bloggers Unveiled interview now. Find out more about her life on and off the blog.