Go Write Now: How to Escape the Tyranny of Big Publishers and Become a Successful Publishing Author

By Josh Kilen

So many writers never realize their dream of seeing their books in print because they are waiting for someone else to tell them it's okay to be a writer. Whether that someone is a book publishing house, an editor, or an agent, many would be writers feel like they need outside approval to do what they love. I want to tell you that it has never been easier to publish your own book, and you don't need them. If you have always wanted to be a published author then this is your time to shine.

In this book you will learn:

- Why now is the best time in history to be an author

- How to craft a story that people will scramble to buy

- How to publish your new book correctly, the first time

- 5 ways to start making more money from book sales

- Advanced marketing techniques that can help you make a living at writing

- The one reason you have to be a Publishing Author

You don't have to wait, you can be a Publishing Author today and start to live your dream right away. All it takes is some knowledge, hard work, and your passion for writing. This book will help you find your path to success.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Josh Kilen
• Release date: Sep 28, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301298181

Josh Kilen

Josh began writing books at age 8 and hasn't stopped telling stories. He has written more than 30 books across several genres, from children's books to business non-fiction.  

Book preview

Go Write Now

How to Escape the Tyranny of Big Publishers and become a Successful Publishing Author

Josh Kilen

Published By Smashwords

Copyright 2012 Josh Kilen

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the author.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

If I Can Do It, You Can Too

How To Write – A Simple Guide

How to Publish – A Publishing Author Is Born

How To Make Money

Your Overall Book Marketing Strategy

Advanced Keys to Publishing and Marketing Success

Parting Thoughts and A Bright Future

About the Author

A Word of Caution - Don’t Buy This Book If...

I don’t want the reader to be misled. This book isn’t a get rich quick scheme, or pointing out some unfathomably easy path to riches. If you are looking for easy over good, for quick over substantial, then this book can’t help you.

In other words, I couldn’t sell this book on an late night informercial.

To be very honest, you might not make a ton of money right away from writing books. While it’s within the realm of possibility, publishing is filled with such success stories, the odds are still stacked against you. You might have to work that dead end job for a while longer, or scrape by on meager earnings for a time, maybe a long time. You should be prepared for the worst because I can’t promise you instant success. No one can.

What I do offer is a way to make lots of money, perhaps millions of dollars, over time, doing something you love. If you work hard enough, write for long enough, you can make the income you want, doing exactly what you were meant to do.

But, it’s not quick or easy.

It’s only possible.

And I think that’s all you will need to make your fortune.

A Second Word of Caution Before You Read

If my first word of caution was successful, the Get-Rich-Quickers abandoned us for greener pastures, leaving only those of us that truly care about the craft and art of writing.

But not so fast.

If you are inclined to writing, meaning that you can’t help but come up with good stories and scribble them down, or you have a wealth of experience that you would like to share with others, this book may be for you. There are millions of people who think of being an author as a wonderful, romantic notion, and they’re not that far off. It’s an incredible feeling to see your book in print and to have people give you money to read it.

Talking about how cool it is to be a published author is not what this book is about, it's about helping you become a publishing author.

Thinking about writing books, and actually sitting down to write them are two completely different states of mind, just as different as writing a book and publishing a book.

Thinking about writing is a trap, a happy fantasy land where every possibility lays open, no matter how improbable.

Actually writing is a marvelous achievement but ultimately fruitless if no one reads your work. The reality of writing and publishing your own work is much different, a maddening, surreal process that ends up being more rewarding and more difficult than you ever could imagine.

Prepare yourself.

I say this as warning for those that aren’t too serious about sitting down to write. If you treat this process as a dabbling frivolity, you’ll most likely give up, bemoaning the life of an author and never produce another piece of work. If you aren’t serious about becoming a publishing author and making a living writing books, novellas, and stories, then this book is not for you.

You need to know what you are getting yourself into, and steel yourself with the knowledge that while the road will be rutted with problems, the rewards are worth the blood and tears for those that persevere. If you have the bug, the innate desire to write and share your work, and you are willing to make the choice to work every day, then by all means read on.

If I Can Do It, You Can Too

I’ll never forget the day when I found out it was okay for me to be a writer.

That sounds ridiculous, but it’s true in hindsight. I imagine that waiting for approval is what stops a lot of would be writers from following their hearts and joining our merry band of misfits.

If you think about it, anyone can be a writer. Put some words down on the screen or on a piece of paper, and BAM, there you are.

That’s not the type of writing I’m talking about.

People that dabble in writing are everywhere. They scribble in a journal or start several stories, but never finish. However, this once in awhile semi-clarity about the craft does not make an author, much less a Publishing Author. I think, deep down they just don’t think the effort to push through and finish something is worth it.

I never thought consciously of writing, much less becoming an author. Looking back, it’s clear to me that I never saw writing books as a viable money making option, rather as something nebulous, a rather mysterious skill that most never seriously commit to doing. In my mind, to be a writer, I would have to labor over my books until they were good enough for someone to pick them.

It’s the last part that I always had trouble with.

Somewhere deep inside I knew that the keys to the authorship kingdom were held by a small few, the agents and publishers, who could wield their enormous power in any way they saw fit. I decided to blog instead, writing non-fiction and practicing my craft without intentionally practicing. I pressed on, entertaining vague ideas of making money with my blog. For some reason internet marketing and blogs felt more fiscally responsible than writing a book.

Until that day.

I was sitting at the mechanic shop, waiting for them to do something unmentionable to my only car. A visit to the mechanic is a nerve-wracking experience on the best of days, not to mention impossibly long, so I brought my laptop to pass the time. I figured I could even write a blog post about it.

Instead, I practiced a favorite past time; avoiding work. This time honored tradition is not unique to me, but at times I feel that I’ve taken it to a new level.

Looking back, it was a lucky break that I was lazy. I signed onto Google Reader, a program that consolidates blogs and shows only the content that I want to see. This day, it happened to show every single blog post available. I remember that annoyed me at the time.

The name of the post escapes me, but I remember the words self-published and million books sold stood out a bit. The article was about Amanda Hocking, a writer from Minnesota who started writing as a hobby in between gigs as an in home nurse. She wrote in the paranormal romance genre at about the time that Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight was exploding.

Her results were phenomenal.

Though Hocking wasn’t credited with being a great writer (anyone who has read Meyer’s work will agree that literary skill is not necessarily a chief component of success) but rather with her ability to write quickly, tell a good story, and publish often.

Publish where? I thought.

The next two hours were in the top ten most exciting times of my life, right up there with getting married and the birth of my first born. I learned all about the revolution that Amazon’s Kindle was creating, how eBooks were quickly rising and unknown authors were writing and making a living without the big publisher’s permission.

I learned that my vague notions of the real publishing world, the old way, were pale in comparison to what was really going on. When my car was finally ready, my head swam in unrealized possibilities. Could it be okay for me to write for a living, to tell the stories I’ve always wanted to tell, without getting permission, all on my own?

I felt high.

My