In early 2013, I discovered Amazon was offering services for aspiring authors to publish their book. After reading through the process a few times, I couldn’t hold in my excitement and began my first project. Coming Soon to West Knox was a story I had tossed around for years after my father had suggested a story with a similar plotline when I was a child.

For as long as I could write complete sentences, I was writing stories. In second grade, I relished journal time because it was an excuse to not only write stories but also having my teacher read these stories and comment on them. It was second grade, so obviously my lovely teacher, Mrs. Daniels, wasn’t giving an honest review, but I appreciated it just the same.

So, there I was, over twenty years spinning tales for Mrs. Daniels, thrilled at the chance to share stories with the world. West Knox tells the story of Mickey, a twelve-year-old boy and his group of friends who live in a boring desert town where nothing exciting ever happens. Mickey and friends come across a mysterious old man (inspired by The Giver) who gives them a set of magic crayons. These magic crayons allow the children to create ‘Coming Soon’ posters to place around town. The next morning, those posters become a reality. The kids obviously overdo it, and no one can agree when enough is enough. Dinosaurs come alive, there’s an amusement park, movies are filmed in town with the children’s favorite stars, and the so on. Once the town becomes a hotspot for activity, it becomes crowded with tourists and suddenly the kids miss their old boring town.

It’s not a terrible story and I’m proud of the plot, but the execution was an utter failure. Because I was in such a rush to publish this book, I didn’t properly edit it. The first run of copies included a draft I never intended to publish. It was a new format for me, and for everyone. It would be a solid year before I realized the mistake.

An artist I knew personally drew the cover and it is still my favorite part of the book. It’s one aspect that I am most fond of, but I’m sure the artist would take issue with her own work because we’re all most critical of ourselves.

After I announced to my Facebook friends, actual friends, and family that I published a book, everyone was supportive and bought a copy. My brother, who has never been proud of me or even acted like he likes me for that matter, bought multiple copies to donate to local schools.

As you can guess, looking back at this time only makes me cringe. There are dozens of poorly edited copies of this children’s book all over the place. Ten years later, I still find copies and shudder in embarrassment.

Since then, I have published three more novels. After my major error in judgment, I have learned a few things. I’ve also learned that receiving a massive amount of good will and encouragement early on with disappointing results may have caused friends and family to question how seriously I take my writing. This disinterest has actually helped my writing significantly. It’s much easier to write honestly when you’re not concerned your great aunt Edna will be offended.

So, in conclusion;

1. Don’t rush to publish. Just because self-publishing allows it doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.
2. Put in the work. Don’t fantasize about what others will think of your book. Just be sure to make it the absolutely best product you are capable of creating. Being proud of your novel is imperative because it’s something you plan on selling and represents you as an artist.
3.  If you cannot afford an editor, it’s important to use an editing tool. Grammarly, Pro-Writing Aid, and countless other programs are available online. Some include free trials, but one year subscriptions aren’t much and invaluable to your novel.
4. Use Beta readers. Whether it’s in short bursts of your writing on the beta reader subreddit, or through a community forum like Query Tracker, it’s important to get more eyes of your work. Friends and family are also great ways to get feedback, but don’t be discouraged if they don’t finish it, don’t get around to reading it, or simply don’t want to give an honest opinion.
5. After finishing your manuscript, put it away and begin something else, or take a break from writing. It’s important to read through it after a time apart. If everything is still fresh, it’s difficult to see the flaws because you aren’t reading a novel. You are skimming a story you know how it’s intended to go rather than what is actually written.

Obviously, I am no expert. These are steps that helped me, and steps I needed to learn after failing so miserably during my initial launch.