How to Publish a Book That Doesn't Suck (In 4 Easy Steps)

Let me start by saying, I am no publishing expert. These are just words of wisdom I have picked up as I have traversed the field of writing, editing, and publishing. Besides writing eight books, I have edited hundreds of manuscripts, and read thousands of published works, many of which were self-published.  Based on this vast experience, this is my advice to you, my fellow members of the Indie Writing Club.

1) Think long and hard about your plot, talk it out with someone, and look for holes.

Don't let your readers fall in a plot hole!

Pretty much anything you can think of has been done, one way or another, before you were even born. It's hard to think of a completely unique idea.  Sometimes authors get overzealous with their creative juices and end up concocting story lines that don't make sense or have lots of plot holes in them. If your story idea is no good, the flow is messed up, events happen out of order, the pacing is off, or it doesn't make sense--it's not a very good story. Find someone you trust (another writer, perhaps) and talk through the plot before you even start writing. Otherwise, you may be spending a lot of time writing a really crappy book.

2) Take your time

Time is on your side!

It seems like some authors try to turn out a new book every couple of months. If you've got a team of experts behind you, maybe you can do this. Otherwise, slow down a little bit and make sure that what you are producing is a quality product. I know I published my first book, Deck of Cards, before it was ready, and I paid for it. If you don't believe me, check out the one star review that is still haunting my dreams today. Even though I have since gone back and made a lot of changes (including hiring a new editor, having several other authors read over it and suggest changes, etc.) that particular reader had a poor experience, and I may never see that horrible review go away.  Let my mistake pay off for you and learn from it. Slow down and make sure that all of your ducks are in a row before you hit publish.

3) Hire a good editor!

Everyone can benefit from a good editor

Someday, in all your spare time, look over a random sampling of ebooks on Amazon and notice how many of them list an editor. Now, of the ones that do, look to see how many of them are Indie books.  Have you noticed that not very many Indie books list an editor? There are a lot of reasons for this. Some people just don't think about giving their editor credit. Some editors would rather not be listed. However, in my recent experience, I have noticed that a lot of Indie books don't seem to have an editor to list. You need an editor--or at the very least a good proofreader; you cannot possibly catch all of your own mistakes on your own.  Of course editing costs money, but there are some good editors available for less than you might think. You can find some of them on Fiverr, and the best ones will usually take more than one look. It's worth your time and money to hire someone else to look over your work--and no, your spouse doesn't count unless he or she happens to be an editor.

4) Beta, beta, beta!

Let other people read your work before you publish it

Please don't publish a book that no one else, other than you, has ever read.  You may get lucky and have a great story with no plot holes and nothing out of sequence that makes perfect sense the first time around. But chances are that's not what you have. You need at least a few people to read over it before you release it to the world to check for all of the other things we've talked about. They are not necessarily proofreaders or editors, although I have had a few betas catch mistakes my editor missed.  I try to have at least five, and sometimes as many as twelve, people read over every book I write before I publish it. People who give lots of feedback and ask lots of questions always get invited back, and I usually give them a signed paperback copy. It's not hard to get a few friends to read your stuff, but I suggest getting a few other people as well--fellow writers, friends of friends, avid readers, etc., You want people who won't spare your feelings.  There are a lot of groups on Facebook that provide beta readers. You just have to look around, and don't be afraid to ask. Most people don't mind getting something for free and having their opinion listened to as well.

Again, these are just my suggestions. If you follow them and your book still sucks, don't blame me.  I love Indie writers and the whole idea that we no longer have to have our work approved by big publishing houses to get our stories told, but we have to be smart about it. Let's work together to stop the crappy books and fill in those plot holes with roses, not manure.
If there's anything I can do to assist you in your writing endeavors, please let me know. You can reach me at authoridjohnson@gmail.com. Happy writing!