Why not write a book?

Work, work, work, a phase of life where taking a day off was an absolute bonus. Retire from the frenetic pace, sit back and enjoy. Reality, you may find that the years of graft have left their mark and you have a need to satisfy the lingering work habit. Why not write a book.

I had retired from gainful employment after some fifty years in the saddle and it had never occurred to me that I would be looking for something to do. When I was challenged with the task of writing a book it seemed a good idea. In truth, it was a better experience that I could have imagined.

Out with friends for a Friday night pint, I was recounting stories from my early days which rendered the gang to fits of laughter. The challenge was laid down for me to consign the events to print. It was time to become an author and write a book.

Search the Internet and you will find myriad providers regarding the service and art of self-publishing. All, I suspect, offer sound advice and guidance.

The support selected in my case was AMAZON for provision of an eBook via KINDLE and an option of Hardcopy through CreateSpace.

The AMAZON process begins with the creation of an account via their home page and then navigation to the KINDLE Direct Publishing page (kdp.amazon.com). All the if’s, buts and maybe’s are revealed… don’t be deterred by the apparent minefield.. The guide is comprehensive, covering the entire publishing process hence no intention or need, to reproduce the detail here. Avoid any tendency to despair, it really is quite simple. From my own personal experience there are a few ‘lesson learned’ which I am happy to share.

• Preferably before you write your book, take one step at a time and read all the Kdp advice carefully at least twice.
• Ensure that your chosen word-processing package is recognised by the process.
• Pay particular attention to ‘page breaks’
• Become familiar with Headings and ‘Table of Contents’ creation.
• Graphics or photographs must satisfy the format and resolution demanded by the publishing process.
• Note that your book page size format has no relevance for eBook publishing as page sizing can be changed by the reader to suit. This resizing facility nullifies the inclusion of page numbers in your Table of Contents.
• Page numbers can be added as an amendment assuming you want them to appear in the printed copy.
• Pay particular attention to the book front cover, together with back and spine if you intend to include a printed version.

Writers have their own thoughts on the style and content of their books and self-publishing authors are no different. Avoid copying as there is great satisfaction in seeing your book on sale, an experience enhanced where it is solely your creation.

Again, my own personal learning point, it is very easy to underestimate the work involved. Make an estimate of how long you think it will take to complete the manuscript and then multiply the answer by at least five.

When you are ready to start the publishing process return to the kdp.amazon web page, create your account. And follow the prompted flow process, it may seem laborious but it does work.

The account creation sector requires bank account details and your banks IBAN number. There is also a sector which deals with the UK<>USA reciprocal tax agreements..

The next significant milestone is the submission of you book for pre-publication review. Don’t be disheartened by requests for remedial action which, in my experience, related to format and graphics enhancement. Persistence and patience really do pay dividends.

The day will arrive when you have cleared all the snags and you are invited to launch the publication of your book. Sure enough, within a few days, your book title will appear for all to see.

Mission complete? Well not quite, if you have chosen the zero cost options along the way, as I did, you are now left with the responsibility of Marketing and Sales. If the drive to write and publish was commercially inspired then you need to embrace the marketing task.. Alternatively you could draw a line under the experience and enjoy the self-satisfaction of being a published author.

For the record, my book is titled ‘Journey of an English Working Man’ and is the assembly of 60+ short stories taken from my daily life during the first 20 years on the planet during the 50’s and 60’s. It begins before my first school days as a passenger on the seat of my mother’s cycle to work on a local farm and concludes on my wedding day. Quite a journey.

You can find a copy here  or just search AMAZON Books for the book title or Richard Warner as author.

Written by: Richard Warner