Why?

As a writer I need to know how to structure a sentence, when to break the rules of grammar, how to construct a plot and many other things. As a self-published writer that list expands exponentially. I need to be not only a writer, an editor, but also a time management specialist, a marketer, a cover designer, an e-book formatter. The list goes on.

Each one of those things takes time and effort. In traditional publishing we spend hundreds of hours getting a book ready for submission to agents or publishing houses. We labor over query letters, work to make the opening of the book as strong as it can be, hoping that someone will see the possibilities and pick it up.

Whether indie or traditional, writing is time and labor intensive. At what point should we (not do we, because that's not going to happen) drop everything and admit that what we're working for is a lost cause?

And the answer would be "never," because there's no such thing as a lost cause in this business. I'm not talking about the chance of becoming a best seller. I'm talking about the real reason that we write and edit and beta and rewrite and query and..and...and...

Whether indie or traditional, professional or amateur, the goal is the same--we want someone to pick up our book. We want someone to see something special in it. But very few writers ever realize that someone already has. If we as authors didn't see something special in every book or short story we write, there would be no reason to write them.

You have already seen something special in your work. The editing, cover art, and so on are just tools to bring out that spark of greatness that already exists, to make it visible to those around you.

You are someone, and your opinion counts. Take that fantastic idea and work to make it the best thing you've ever read.





If you have additional resources for my Indie Resources list, let me know and I'll add them.