So, following on from the success of my first interview with myself about the forthcoming launch of my new book, "Beyond the Waves: My Royal Navy Adventures," I have decided to do another Q+A session.
As promised, this time, I am going to explain a little about the process I used to actually write and produce the book; so it might be interesting to those with similar aspirations amongst you...
Q: What was the first thing you needed to do when you thought about writing a book?
A: Having never written anything before, I needed to do a lot of research to make sure I did it the right way. There is lots of information on the internet (probably too much), but lots of it contradicts itself. Anyone who has written a book suddenly becomes an "expert" and publishes how they did it, so one person's method will differ from another's'...! Having read lots of ideas, I binned most of it. The most important advice I received was simply to get on and write something; small amounts, a bit every day. The formatting, page size, font, space between lines, and every other little detail (that seems to obsess people) can all be changed at a later date once its written (if you use a computer, that is).
Q: Where did you get all of the information to write about? Your memory can't be that good...?
A: Well, you're right, I couldn't remember everything to start with. So I started looking through photo albums, diaries, and other paperwork relating to the navy years. I wrote a "Timeline" of when and where I was at any particular time. Then I went through each section and added memories, stories, and information to flesh-it-out a bit. These notes were everywhere, out of order, confused, mixed-up. So I spent time ordering everything, and suddenly I found myself with a Blueprint of a Book; a plan to follow; a map of the book's structure. It was like magic... After that, the actual writing was relatively easy; I just needed to follow the plan. Also, once you remember one story, it generally ignites further memories, and more stories to add. So much so, that at some point you need to cut-out some of the "extra" bits (or the book would become an epic!).
Q: So, having written the first draft, what next?
A: Well, then the hard work starts. I had to research certain facts to ensure they were actually correct. Things like facts, figures, dates etc. Then the reading started. The first edit involved reading the whole book, checking it flowed smoothly, chopping out any bits that did not add to the story, and adding any bits that I thought would be worth including.
In subsequent edits, I looked at spelling, grammar, punctuation; correcting things as I went along.
Q: Couldn't you just use "word-check" or similar on your computer?
A: Yeah, I did. It picks out the obvious mistakes, but it misses lots of things too. If you use words like "alter" and "altar" they have totally different meanings, but both would be passed by the spell-check as they are valid words. You really need to do a few manual checks yourself. It's very time consuming and certainly tests your understanding of the English language.
Q: How many edits did you do in total?
A: I think I'm up to around 6 full edits thus far, plus the printing company do a spell-check too, plus I had an editor look at my manuscript to see what they thought.
Q: When you came to getting the manuscript printed, was it simply a case of sending them the "word" document?
A: I wish it was...! No, it needed formatting, the page size needed setting, the text font and size needed selecting, and headings needed tagging through "word." Then you need specific margin sizes left and right, which need to be mirrored for paperback books, plus specific header and footer sections with certain information contained within them. Chapters need indenting in a specific manner, as do first paragraph sections. Then chapters need separating to stop them running into one another; and a whole host of other settings to adjust and set. It's a lot more complex than you might think!
Q: But once it's done, the book is ready, right?
A: Well, no. That might get the paperback version prepared, but then the E-Book needs totally different settings and formatting; and if you send it to traditional publishers (as I did), each one has its own set of requirements.
Q: Isn't there an easier way of doing all of that?
A: Yes, you could pay a fortune and let a vanity publisher do it for you. Or I found a company called "Draft2Digital" who were very good. They formatted the E-Book for free, and distribute it to certain online outlets for a reasonable cut of the profits. But if you are selling through Amazon, it seems best to use their portal to get your book prepared, which involves learning how their systems work, and using them. It isn't too difficult once you've done it once. My second book should be a whole lot easier to produce. There are other companies out there who will do all the hard work for you, but you need to watch the costs and what you get for the money.
Q: You mentioned in the last interview about getting your cover produced professionally; why did you choose that option?
A: Initially, I had a go at doing it myself, using "Gimp" which is a free equivalent to Photoshop. The results were OK, but you could tell it was a DIY effort. So I looked around for a suitable professional company at a reasonable cost. I had heard bad reports about "Fiverr" but at the same time, people saying if you got lucky and chose a good designer, you'd get good results for little outlay. I got lucky; finding Angie at Pro_Ebookcovers who produced the cover shown here. With its dramatic text and moody atmosphere, I think it is pretty distinctive - just what I was after.
Q: So what is next?
A: Well, I'm currently going through the book again, doing a final check of the Proof-Copy of the paperback. Once that is accepted, it goes to the printers and gets advertised on Amazon worldwide. At the same time, the E-Book version goes live on Amazon too (for Kindle). After about 5 weeks, the paperback will also be available through other outlets, libraries, schools etc., and available for bulk buying.
Q: What if the reader doesn't have a Kindle?
A: Not a problem. They can read the paperback version, or if they want the E-Book version, they can get FREE Kindle reader apps for use on any tablet, computer, or phone. Although I am initially selling exclusively through Amazon, after a few months, I intend to sell through Nook, Kobo, Barnes Noble, Google Books, and iBook's.
I hope you enjoyed finding out about the intricate process of writing a book. My first book will be available soon. Be sure to sign-up to my website at:- https://ajheasman.wixsite.com/author to ensure you get updates and blog posts direct to your inbox (it saves having to trawl through your Facebook timeline to find my posts - potentially missing something important).
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